195. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/ELMTREE. Top Secret; Priority; Nodis; Elm Tree. Drafted and authenticated by Bohlen. According to a July 30 cover memorandum, U. Alexis Johnson sent a copy of the telegram to the President on August 1. (Ibid.) George, Ray, and Out are code names for Sturm, Khanh, and Le Van Truong, respectively.

196. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, Kissinger, 1966. Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Stearns.

197. Memorandum of Meeting

Source: Department of State, S/S-Vietnam Briefing Books: Lot 72 D 207, Viet-Nam Negotiations, 8/8/66. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting was held in Harrimanʼs office. Assigned by the President in July to devote full attention to the search for a negotiated settlement in Vietnam, Harriman established a “Negotiations Committee,” which met once a week beginning with this meeting. In an October 4 memorandum to Katzenbach, Harriman stated that his committee met each Thursday “to develop, assess and follow up all leads to a peaceful settlement of the Vietnam conflict.” Principal participants were U. Alexis Johnson, Llewellyn Thompson, William Bundy, Joseph Sisco, Leonard Unger, Thomas Hughes, and Benjamin Read. (Ibid., S/S-Katzenbach Files: Lot 74 D 271, Department of State—Rusk)/1

198. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LVII. Confidential. The source text is marked with an indication that the President saw the memorandum. A copy was sent to Moyers.

199. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission in Geneva

Source: Department of State, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, TS/Nodis, vol. III. Top Secret; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by Sisco and Buffum, cleared in draft by William Bundy and Harriman, and approved by Rusk.

200. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted in the White House, cleared in substance by Rusk and McNamara, and approved by Rusk.

201. Special National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, O/DDI Registry, Job 79–R01012A. Secret; Controlled Dissem. The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of NSA and the Departments of State and Defense participated in the preparation of the estimate. The estimate was submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence and concurred in by all the members of the U.S. Intelligence Board except for the Assistant General Manager of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who abstained on grounds that the subject was outside their jurisdiction.

Rostow forwarded the estimate to President Johnson on August 5, noting in his covering memorandum that it had been produced “at our request.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 10)

202. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. Drafted by Miller and Unger; cleared by U. Alexis Johnson, Harriman, Thompson, and Bromley Smith; and approved by Rusk.

203. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. Drafted by Unger; cleared by Harriman, U. Alexis Johnson, McNaughton, Thompson, Rostow, and Jorden; and approved by Rusk.1

204. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 3:14 a.m. Rostow forwarded the text of telegram 2818 to the President on August 9, together with the text of telegram 3038, August 9, in which Lodge provided a progress report on contact with Tho. In his covering memorandum Rostow stated: “Here is the first attempted major operation to go to work on the political orientation of the NLF. The case itself is attractive, if it works out; but it is equally important that Lodge is now aboard and interested.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 10)

205. Telegram From the Commander, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (Westmoreland) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Sharp)

Source: Center of Military History, Westmoreland Papers, COMUSMACV Message Files. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Repeated to General Wheeler.

206. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted and approved by Rusk.

207. Telegram From the Mission in Geneva to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Passed to the White House.

208. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. The source text does not give the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 6:34 a.m. and passed to the White House. In telegram 27780, August 13, Komer told Lodge that the President was “greatly heartened” by his latest weekly report, particularly by the plans to “shift much of ARVN into a stepped up pacification campaign.” In addition, the President hoped that the “civil side effort in the countryside” could be stepped up “in similar fashion” and also that, given the importance of a good election turnout, Lodge would “quietly keep pushing the GVN to get out the vote.” (Ibid.)

209. Memorandum From the Ambassador at Large (Thompson) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Unger)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LXII. Secret. Copies were sent to Harriman, U. Alexis Johnson, Rostow, McNaughton, and Taylor.

210. Editorial Note

211. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, TS/Nodis, vol. III. Secret. Drafted by Unger.

212. Memorandum of Meeting of the Negotiations Committee

Source: Department of State, S/S-Vietnam Briefing Books: Lot 70 D 207, Viet-Nam Negotiations, 1968. Top Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Stearns. The meeting was held in Harrimanʼs office.

213. Memorandum From the Ambassador at Large (Harriman) to President Johnson and Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, S/S-Vietnam Briefing Books: Lot 70 D 207, Viet-Nam Negotiations, 8/8/66. Secret.

214. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 30 VIET S/THRUSH. Secret; Nodis; Thrush. Drafted and approved by Rusk.

215. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Smith) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LVII. Secret; Sensitive. The source text is marked with an indication that the President saw the memorandum.

216. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 70 A 6649, 381 Vietnam. Secret.

217. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Personal; Confidential. Drafted by Harriman. The meeting was held in Fulbrightʼs office.

218. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, EA/VN-Vietnam Working Group: Lot 72 D 219, Rolling Thunder Memos, 1966. Top Secret; Exdis. Copies were sent to Ball, U. Alexis Johnson, and Unger.

219. Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Special Intelligence Material, vol. X. Top Secret; [codeword not declassified]. The source text, pages 19–21 of the memorandum, is attached to an August 29 memorandum from R.J. Smith, CIAʼs Deputy Director for Intelligence, to Rostow, under cover of which Smith sent Rostow a copy of the full study; the full study has not been found in Johnson Library files.

Helms sent the President pages 1–21 of the study, consisting of the “Summary Discussion” and “Principal Findings,” under cover of an August 29 memorandum, in which he noted that McNamara had asked CIA to undertake the study several weeks earlier. Helms noted that he had sent copies of the full study, which included several hundred pages of basic material backing up the “Principal Findings,” to McNamara, Rusk, and Wheeler. (Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (Helms) Files, Job 80–B01285A, Chrono, Jul-Dec 1966) Helms also briefed Senators Mansfield, Russell, and Fulbright on the study on September 19 and summarized the discussion that followed in a memorandum to Rostow, September 20. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Agency File, CIA) Rostow provided the President with his summary of this study in Document 239.

220. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LVII. No classification marking. The President wrote on the source text: “Letʼs get Komer to pick up & spark this inspiration.”

221. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Consultant (Taylor) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Box 260, Gen. Taylor. Top Secret. Rostow forwarded the memorandum to President Johnson on August 30 under cover of a memorandum stating that the danger foreseen by Taylor must be met by 1) engaging elite ARVN units fully in fighting VC and North Vietnam main force units; and 2) “getting the ARVN engaged effectively in pacification.” The President indicated on Rostowʼs memorandum that, prior to getting Defense, State, and Komer to prepare analyses and recommendations, Rostow should first “talk over” pacification with McNamara. (Ibid.)

222. Memorandum From William Leonhart of the White House Staff to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LVII. Secret. Komer forwarded copies of this memorandum to Rusk, McNamara, Gaud, Taylor, Rostow, and Moyers under cover of a memorandum dated August 31. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 7 US/Leonhart)

On September 13 Komer submitted to the President a 44-page report entitled “The Other War in Vietnam—A Progress Report.” In his letter of transmittal, Komer called the report “mainly a review of accomplishments.” Written for public release, the report and Komerʼs transmittal letter are printed in Department of State Bulletin, October 10, 1966, pp. 549–567, and October 17, 1966, pp. 591–601.

223. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 11. No classification marking. Copies were sent to Moyers and Komer.

224. Intelligence Report

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LVII. Secret; Controlled Dissemination; No Foreign Dissem. Prepared jointly in the Central Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency. The source text does not indicate a specific day of issue in August 1966.