Second article on the Ngô Đình Diệm coup anniversary

Item

derivative filename/jpeg
363-02174 to 363-02190.pdf
Digital Object Identifier
363-02174 to 363-02190
Title
Second article on the Ngô Đình Diệm coup anniversary
Description
Second article by Keever, sent to Rosenfeld, on the one year anniversary of the coup against Ngô Đình Diệm
Transcript
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30180 prorosenfeld sundayer one mister america in vietnam stop
saigon dash aye year ago military coup detat brought down
regimeve stubby catholic president ngo dinh diem stoppara
themesong for vietnamese generals toppling him
during eighteenhour coup was quote the longest day stopunquote
afterwards saigonose presented garlands to paratroopers
and tankdrivers and danced in the streets with joy stop
dancehalls were flooded for allnight twisting sessions comma
which diem regine had banned stoppara moredeepe
30181 prorosenfeld sundayer two dancing for joy did notrptnot
last long for oneve dions predictions to began to truo stoppara
only months earlier during flaming buddhist crisis
which sparked his overthrow diem predicted quote apres moi
le deluge unquoteparon after me the deluge unparen stoppara
now aye year later the deluge has descended stop
both the military and the political war against the communists
is in the process of being lost stop it was being lost under
diem too but as one western diplomat explained swook quote
we are now losing it more efficiently than ever before
stopunquote while observers here view this as sad but
notrptnot tragic stop tragedy is that the war can still be
won but probably will notrptnot be moredeepe
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30190 prorosenfeld sundayer three several months ago loading
saigon fortunotollers made another prediction colon that in
ninth monthve lunar calendar the trendove future would become
clearer and vietname quote little war would become bigger
stopunquotopara tis unknown if fortunetellors before their
incense altars specifically foresaw chicon atonic device
explosion comma downfallve khrushchew comma labor victory
in britain but tis interpreted as significant here that ninth
lunar month ends on november third stoppara
saigonese etwestern observers here openly hoping that
american policy on vietnam does become clearer stop they view
that in past months american policy been to quote back every
status quo in sight unquote end to quote hold the lid on vietnam
until after elections stopunquote morodcepe
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30192 prorosenfeld syndeyor four observers view these days
as the crucial turningpoint in the military and political
anticommunist war for quote to continue to drift is only
to lose cmaunquote according one western diplomat stop
quote this is the point of notprnot return stopunquote
para pessimists say tis already too late reverse trends stop
as the saigon foretuneteller predicted the first
clues of americas postoloction vietnam policy have already
appeared stop vietnam quote little war unquote now appear
biggor not only becauseve flareupve border incidents but
also continuous flowve highranking asian military delegations
to saigon interpreted as evidenceve possible commitmentve
asian combat troops stop chinese nationalist government
recont appointmentvo general to serve as ambassador here
also considered significant moredeepo
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20195 prorosenfeld sundayer five during past weekvo suspense
during formationvo now vietnamese government dash which
saigon newspapers called a la hitchcock undash other clues
about future american policy also appeared colon first there
will notprnot be negotiations but will make last ditch attempt
prosecute war second american will again attempt to back aye
strongman ruler dash who will be general nguyen khanh comma
former premier etnow commanderin chief dash ettthat
civilianheeded government will be restricted in authority
if it survives atall morodcepe
31010 prorosenfeld sundayer six based on talks with american
officials etwestern experts on counterinsurgency etcommunism
in asia this is rundown on basic problems etpossible solutions
facing the ong my repeat ong my dash mister america undash as
children in ricepaddy villages call quote white man with big
nose unquote in vietnam colon
one stop basic american mistake was to expect that
vietnam would be another korea dash to expect invasion stedve
guerrilla warfare etsubversion stopquote communists won
souvietnam in soukorea cmaunquote according western observer
quote there was aye korean type conventional war atmosphere
hore until american buildup in nineteen sixtytwo stopunquote
moredee
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31011 prorosonfeld sundayer seven after that america
committed twentythousand military advisors but only in
past four months have USIS etembassy increased their
staffs to upkeep with political subversion psychological
varfare problems stoppara
however by mid1956 communists in vietnam shifted
from legal to illegal or subversive political struggle
as their cells in villages and cities went underground
dash etthey since been organising eteffecting subversion
with helpve thousandsve party cadre who infiltrated from
novietnam moredoope
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31012 proposenfeld sundayer eight while communists conducted
this invisible but everprosent subversion comma assassinating
local loaders etweakening government comma america largely
ignored strongthening etreinforcing government administrative
apparatus but looked largely to fighting the armed guerrillas
stoppara
the newly formed civilian government headed by phan
khac suu hence has weak apparatus to fight communist political
organization already eight years aheadve it in stability
otdirection stop communist subversion now becoming blatant
stop aye communist school to train englishspeaking quote dates
unquote for american sggiiis reportedly operates in saigon
chinese twincityve cholon stop in provinces immediately around
saigon communists collect taxes from government civil servants
stop subversion recently became more evident when buddhist
novement which sparked coup against diem last year et domicoup
against thanh two months ago considered to be penetrated by
communists stop other communist influenced organizations surfaced
stoppara
muchdiscussed solution to problemeve subversion is
airstrikes in communist infested southern laos or airraids on
novietnam as aye means to smother the significanceve internal
developments stop observers here view these suggestions as aye
delaying action to postpone defeat etto attain better bargaining
position for negotiations stop instead they suggest aye quote
political raid unquote against communist agents dash whether
they be buddhist monks student loaders or catholic prists more.
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31080 prorosenfeld sundayer nine two stop american approach
was to quate be liked ratherm respected stop but you know
communists do notrptnot care if they are loved in asia
cmaunquote according wostorn observer stop ovon vietnamese
generals say american should interfere more in vietnamese
affairs but quote you do notptnot have courage to do that
stop you are afraid of being called ayo colonialist but
you will be called that anyway stop you should force the
government to be honest stopunquote result was america
acted neither with firmness nor with diplomacy semicolon
vietnamese leaders forced to read minds etmore important
only guess how programs would be implemented morededpo
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31082 prorosenfeld sundayer ten example was that shortly
after becoming premier khanh appointed own brotherinlaw as
consulate general in hongkong comma important post not only
for intelligence but also for financial dealings stop
anembassy wrote snickering cable to washington saying
unfortunate appointment would only remind saigonese nepotismve
diem regime stop it did stop but anombassy did notrpnot even
suggest to khanh appointment was unwise stoppara
obsevers believe at the highest level there should
be initially have been formalized arrangement between the two
governments--dash similar to an alliance undash with specific
areasve responsibility authority each nation stop vietnamese
generals etcabinet ministers et american team should then
meet regularly etformally to make joint decisions and oversee
implimentation stop since arrival maxwell ddd taylor as
ambassador such committee vietnamese etamerican committee
has met in emergencies stop but neither announcements
nor any joint communique issued which perpetuates communist
propaganda that americans taking over command stedve
advising their countrymen moredeepe
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31085 prorosenfeld sundayer eleven observers believe
that unless these toplevel saigon meetings are regularized
strategists are only in position to react to emergencies
failures and crisis stop vietnamese intellectuals accuse
americave having norptnot policy but instead appears that
this policy notrptnot systematically coordinated between
all agencies on vietnamese etamerican side stop throughout
past three years washington policy applied in vietnam only
by ambassador calling on president somicolon american
military commander seeing ministerve defonse or commanderinchief
with result that decisions wore makeshift unplanned and
uncoordinated between agencies moredeepe
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31084 prorosenfeld sundayer twoive three stop as corollaryve
this attitude america gave everything paron except nuclear
weapons unparen to help vietnamese materialwise but mistake was
to domand nothing in return stop especially under diem the
original conditionsve military advisors etaid oteconomic aid
should have been demands for real reform in the saigom provincial
otvillage governments etadministration stop instead economic
etsocial reforms and administrative bhanges were postponed until
after guerrilla war had been won semicolon although lackve
these reforms only fueled the war in countryside stoppara
since endve french indochina war in ninetoon fiftyfour
american gave three billion dollars in military aid ottwo
bbbillion economic nid dash totalve five bbbillion or moren
threehundred unistates dollars per capite paren aye years
salary for lovost paid vietnamese unparen stop obviously muchve
this went into military equipment etdefense budget stop but
norptnot economic program sudcessful without wellfunctioning
government machinery to pass through which americans didnotrpnot
donand semicolon american agencies were also uncoordinated
anong themselves stop tis norpinot secret in saigon that oneve
diems ministers would go to usaid for unauthorised supplies
comme such as radios for provincial cadre comma dash etwould go
to several divisions in useid stop if didnotrpnot get them
there would go to ccciiiaaa or army special forces this stop
this scattered unplanned distribution system gives impression
that american aid only into norcodes benz class rathern pockets
rice paddy farmer.
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31100 prorosenfeld sundayer thirteen this lackve demands
for responsibility from the vietnamese has created the
impression among saigon intellectuals that americans
were attempting to quote buy victory stopunquote in
countryside peasants open to communist propaganda thought
americans were attempting to quote buy the country
stopunquote one peasant woman explained she would notrpnot
take any american aid because in five years americans would
went all the money back stop vietnamese would notrptnot
be able to return the money dash so the americans would
take the country moroddeepe
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31101 prozosenfeld sundayer fourteen while political climate
within past year turned antiamerican clearly amoricans must
diplomatically insist that administrative otgovernment reform
be instituted even if condition is as one western diplomat
explained quote the sinking ship paren america unparon must
desert the sinking rats stopunquoto para
four stop in many instances america took the easy way
out in vietnam semicolon it made suc half committment ettreated
it as eye halfwar stop vietnam appears to be aya total
commitment dash of money etmen etthe bloodve moren twohundred
Gegiiis killed in combat stop but in many instances americans
themselves never took the final systematic stops needed to
insure successful implementationve aye program stop for months
american leaders here toyed with idea having american advisors
to vietnamese commanders in provinces stay for moren oneyear
tour stop but the painful decision dash unpopular with the
segiiis and nothers undash was never made stop consequently
even expert vietnamese speaking field advisors effectively
advise for maximum eight months mi etthen are shipped
home stop tis aye symbol of the halfwar moredeepe
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31102 prorosenfeld sundayor fifteen at beginningve important
strategic hamlet program to fortify villages highest ranking
american general here was told that insteadve producing
oconomic etsocial revolution in villages the program was
considered by peasants to be economic disastor stop for
villagers forced to build strategic hamlets insteadve
working on cash cropve tobacco etwere forced to make fences
from their bamboo trees which was their cushion crop stop
but the policy had been set ettwas easier notrptnot to change
it stop etwas never changed stop consequently for two years
americas multimillion dollar strategic hamlet progran
rolled along to disaster until finally failed after fallve
diom morodcepe
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31103 prorosenfeld sundayer sixteen fact that strategic hamlet
concept is valid soon because communist guerrillas otpolitical
cadro swiped entire idea comma have expertly setup thoir own
combat hamlets complete with antihelicopter polos and trenchos
in houses for defense comma and own hamlot militia progran
as the government concept called for stop but their implementation
succeeded semicolon american one did notrptnot stop in kien hoa
province alone communists have eighteen thousand trained local
village militia for their combat hamlets semicolon government
militia numbers only in hundreds stoppara
even now american military command pushing much
propagandized program to pacify provinces on outskirtsave
saigon stop vietnamese in charge is majgon tran ngoc tam who
was appointed when he was commanderve all troops in area stop
since then hos been assigned to totally unrelated post dash
without any troops or command in provinces undash but he still
remains responsible for aye longterm program he has notrpinot
authority to implement
observers believe unity in american mission improved
considerably under taylor but more steps nooded morodcepe
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31104 prorosenfeld sundayer seventeen possibly fundamental
mistakeve americans and the vietnamese government is the same
one made by the french during their anticommunist struggle
colon simply to make the same mistake over etover again otop
clearly this must be changed dash if it is notrptnot too
late to be changed atall stop
clearly victory in vietnam must be earned
etnotrptnot bought stop it must be earned with backbreaking
painstaking effortsve working side by side with vietnamese
stop it means vietnamese troops must be held in aye province
until area is pacified semicolon government administrators
must systematically interview each family to root out
communist agents etthis must be enforced with determination
etjustice and insist by americans stop now in infamous
long an province only ten miles from saigon theres been
four separate pacification programs but american advisors
praying they would be given chance to implement just oneve
them moredoope
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31105 prorosenfeld sundayer eighteen if painful decision
is ignored now the result will be years of drifting towards
eye neutralist solution eteventual communist takeover stop
history may well say that americans wore defeated by
communists expansionists but in fact appears they wore
defeated by own mistakes stoppara
at the philosophical level comma viotman is often
viewed as aye testing ground botwoon american donocracy
etasian communism stop some observers say that american has
notrptnot made its revolutionary appeals relevant to asia
desh especially its oconomic view of private enterprise
is soon as increasing wealth of the wealthy class without
aiding the poor stap other observers however say that
america has notrptnct demonstrated her democracy to vietnam
stoppquote tis notrptnot aye problomve philosophy butve
performance cmaunquote said wostorm diplomat quote etour
performance boon bad stop communists preach our own philosophy
of honest effeciont just government to villagers dash
etthey implement it stop we do not ptnot stopinquote
moredoope
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31104 prorosenfeld sundayer nineteen key lesson from
vietnam is that as one western diplomat explained quote
the only good counterinsurgency is the one that is never
fought because it is never allowed to start stopunquote
observers here openly suggesting that after election
america sets up quote small elite taskforce unquote of
career civilian etmilitary officers from all agencies
etall branchesve service todoal with this quote predictable
typeve war in the future stopunquote
in short testve america is to win the
counterguerrilla etcounterrevolutionary war in vietnam
at this quote crucial pointve norptno return unquote
etto win the same typeve war in south america ets etafrica
before it need to be fought enditdeepe
Date
1964, Oct.
Subject
Vietnam, 1961-1975; Ngô, Đình Diệm, 1901-1963; Vietnam (Republic); Vietnam (Republic)--History--Coup d'état, 1963
Location
Saigon, South Vietnam
Coordinates
10.8231; 106.6297
Size
20 x 26 cm
Container
B3, F5
Format
dispatches
Collection Number
MS 363
Collection Title
Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
Creator
Keever, Beverly Deepe
Collector
Keever, Beverly Deepe
Copyright Information
These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
Publisher
Archives & Special Collections
Language
English