Office of the Historian

283. Situation Report by the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Read)1

Washington, January 15, 1969.

Vance Phoned at 11:45 a.m.

1.
Vance had not yet heard from the DRV about NLF concurrence. Our delegation had heard that the “other side” had asked to see Manach at 5:30 p.m. (Paris time), but does not know if the Front or the DRV or both are involved.
2.
Lam just called Miller to say that he had phoned Thieu with the information which Vance had given him on earlier developments. Lam wanted Miller to come over right away to the GVN delegation headquarters and asked Miller to tell Vance to “stop everything he is doing.”
3.
Secretary Rusk got on the phone and advised Vance to inform Lam that it was too late to stop action and to tell him that Vance was proceeding with Lau and Manach in accordance with the instructions approved by President Thieu.

Vance Called at Noon

1. Vance said the DRV delegation had just phoned to advise us that the NLF delegation concurred in the Vance/Lau arrangement as agreed upon earlier in the day.

Vance Called at 12:25 p.m.

1. Vance and Lau are scheduled to meet with Manach at 7:30 p.m. (Paris time). Harriman and Vance have sent an officer to see Lam to find out what the GVN problem is but have not heard back from him.

Vance Called at 1:00 p.m.

1.
The GVN problem is a minor one—Thieu does not want the drawing or flip of the coin to be at the Quai. He prefers that it be done at the Hotel Majestic, but Lam raised no other problems.
2.
Accordingly Vance plans to see Manach and Lau at 7:30 Paris time and propose the change in site of the drawing and suggest a new [Page 821] time schedule so that the drawing would occur at 10:00 a.m. Thursday2 (Paris time) and the announcement to follow at noon Thursday (Paris time). He thinks Lau will agree to these changes, but if the delay is a serious problem for the DRV he will agree to set it up for this evening at a later hour.
BHR
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, HARVAN-Double Plus, Chronological Papers and Other Misc. Material. Secret; Nodis/HARVAN Plus.↩
  2. January 16. For the meeting with Manac’h, see Document 284.↩