91. Telegram From the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–255. Secret; Priority.

92. Telegram From the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–255. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated for information to Paris for Achilles.

93. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–255. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted by Young and cleared by MacArthur, Murphy, Sebald, Wisner of CIA, and Radford of the JCS; signed by Dulles. Sent also niact to Paris as 3506 and priority to London as 5054.

94. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in France

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–355. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Young and signed by Dulles. Sent also priority to Saigon and London.

95. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in France

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–455. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted by Hoey and cleared with Dulles (in substance) and by Young, Sebald, Merchant, Murphy, and MacArthur. Sent also niact to Saigon as 4318 and to London as 5059.

96. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–455. Secret; Niact. Drafted and signed by Dulles. A marginal note by Goodpaster on a copy of this telegram indicates that the President saw it on April 6. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series)

97. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–455. Top Secret; Priority. Drafted by Young and cleared in draft by Sebald and in substance by Tyler. Repeated for information priority to Paris.

98. Memorandum From the Assistant Director, National Estimates, Central Intelligence Agency (Kent) to the Director of Central Intelligence (Dulles)

Source: Department of State, S/P–NSC Files: Lot 62 D 1, Far East, U.S. Policy Towards, Collins Report on Vietnam. Top Secret. This memorandum was made available to other members of the U.S. intelligence community by Paul A. Borel, Deputy Assistant Director, National Estimates, on April 4.

99. Memorandum From the Deputy Director, Plans, Central Intelligence Agency (Wisner) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson)

Source: Department of State, FE/SEA Files: Lot 58 D 266, Collins Mission, Miscellaneous. Secret.

100. Telegram From the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–555. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated for information priority to Paris.

101. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–655. Top Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Hoey and cleared by Young, Sebald, Tyler, and MacArthur and with Dulles in substance. Repeated for information to Paris. Printed also in United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 892–893.

102. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–655. Top Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Stelle and cleared for transmission by Sebald. Repeated for information to Paris.

103. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–655. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted by Young and cleared in draft by Dulles, Sebald, the Counselor’s office, and WE. Sent also priority to Paris.

104. Memorandum of Discussion at the 244th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, April 7, 1955

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by Gleason on April 8.

105. Telegram From the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–755. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated for information niact to Paris for Dillon and Achilles. In a memorandum from Dulles to Eisenhower, attached to the source text, the Secretary suggested that the President read this cable as well as telegram 4399 from Saigon, infra.

106. Telegram From the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–755. Top Secret; Niact.

107. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Director of the Office of Philippine and Southeast Asian Affairs (Young) and Senator Mike Mansfield, Department of State, Washington, April 8, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–855. Top Secret. Drafted by Young. Copies were sent to Dulles, Murphy, MacArthur, Merchant, Robertson, and Tyler.

108. Telegram From the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–955. Top Secret; Niact. Also printed in United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 894–906.

109. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–955. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted by Dulles. Printed also in United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 907–909.

110. Telegram From the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–1055. Top Secret; Niact.

111. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Director of Central Intelligence (Dulles). Washington, April 11, 1955, 11:13 a.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Phyllis D. Bernau, John Foster Dulles’ secretary.

112. Draft Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President. Top Secret; Personal and Private.

113. Revised Draft Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers. Top Secret; Personal and Private. The source text is marked draft no. 2 and incorporates those revisions made by Eisenhower in the first draft, supra. Clearly related to the drafting of this cable is the following report of a telephone conversation, April 11, 3:57 p.m., between Robertson and Dulles:

“The Sec. asked if he got a reaction from Mansfield, and R. [Robertson] said he has not seen him. Young is with R., and he has a cable. The Sec. said the Pres. made some changes and there will be a meeting at 5 to go over them. The Sec. has redrafted the cable. The Sec. said now is the time to get any commitments we want from the French. R. said he will try to get Mansfield. The Sec. mentioned speaking to Judd, and also George. R. said he thinks George will follow along. R. wants the Sec. to see the cable Young has. The Sec. said he will call George, and R. thought it a good idea.” (Ibid., General Telephone Conversations)

114. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 11, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–1155. Secret. Drafted by Merchant.

115. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–1055. Top Secret; Niact. Although Young is represented as the drafter of this telegram and Robertson the clearer, the two previous draft telegrams (Documents 112 and 113), and the related telephone conversations described in footnotes attached to them indicate that this telegram was discussed at a much higher level. The fact that this telegram is greatly different from the previous drafts as revised by Eisenhower and Dulles leads to the conclusion that at the 5 p.m. meeting on April 11, referred to in footnote 1, Document 113, the decision was made to delay authorizing Collins to proceed with plans for replacing Diem. No record of report of the 5 p.m. meeting has been found, but a memorandum by Young to Robertson, April 11, indicates that Young was not in favor of replacing Diem at that time. Young’s memorandum reads as follows:

“We can accept Collins’ recommendation in principle. But I do not believe we should go along with his black-white formula. We should not discard Diem so abruptly or completely. There are several intermediary combinations worth exploring.

“The attached telegram is along these lines.

“Also I think Collins’ mechanics for the change-over put obvious [obviously] a French and American label on the new prescription and the new injection.” (Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–1155)

The draft telegram to which Young referred was not found attached to his memorandum.

Apparently there were two draft telegrams discussed at the 5 p.m. meeting on April 11. The wording of the telephone conversation between Robertson and Dulles quoted in footnote 1, Document 113, supports this: “Young is with R[obertson], and he has a cable. … The Sec. has redrafted the cable.” Italics added. If this is the case, then at the 5 p.m. meeting the decision was made to send a telegram based on Young’s version rather than the draft revised by Eisenhower and Dulles.

116. Telegram From the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–1255. Top Secret; Niact.

117. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in France

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–1255. Top Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Bowie and Young and cleared for transmission by Robertson. Also sent priority to Saigon as 4487.

118. Telegram From the Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–1355. Top Secret. Repeated for information to Saigon.

119. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–1355. Top Secret; Priority. Drafted by Dulles and cleared with Murphy, Bowie, Robertson, and Tyler.

120. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–1455. Top Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Hoey and Young, cleared by MacArthur and Tyler, and signed by Dulles. Sent also priority to Paris.