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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-06854 to 363-06861.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-06854 to 363-06861
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Title
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Article about Edward G. Lansdale
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Description
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Original title: "lansdale", Keever's title: "Ugly-cum-Quiet American Edward Lansdale Enters a Bewilderingly Complex War", article about Edward G. Lansdale
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AI Usage Disclosure
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Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.
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Transcript
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deepe
lansdale-page 1
sept. 16, 1965
SAIGONEdward G. Lansdale is the Quiet American in the quiet
political war hore-which may determine the future of Viet Nam.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy formally asked the retired
Air Force general to become Ambassador to Vietnam-but the proposal
was rescinded when several top-ranking Cabinet members threatened to
resign if the Lansdale appointment was pushed through.
Now, four years later, Lansdale is the right-hand man of an
even more prestigious ambassador, Honory Cabot Lodge.
Officially, the 57-year-old retired general is special assistant
to Ambassador Lodge and immediately upon his arrival, Lansdale announced
his sole taks wa task was to support Lodge. Lodge officially appointed
Lansdale, shortly after his arrival, as the American representative
on a joint American-Vietnamese government committee to re-gain the villagers
in the Vietnamese countryside.
(More)
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doope
lansdale-page 2
The ronoun of Lodge in American politics, in the United Nations
and in Europe is counter-balanced by Lansdale's conver controversial,
glamorous and mysterious past in Asian politics.
Lansdale, with smoky dark eyes and acid face, was the
model for the legendary Colonel Hillandale, the famous ragtime kid
in the "The Ugy Ugly American," who hypnotised Asian villagers with
He is also
harmonica music, palm-reading and a busy bushy red mustache.
the model faza in Graham Greene's novel, "The Quiet American," the
naive college graduate who attempts to build a third power bloo in
Asian countries--only to be assassinated under a Saigon bridge.
But, each of these intriguing and movie-star images of Lansdale
captures only limited aspects of a man who is as complex and nebulous as
the politics of the Asian countries he has worked in during the past
quarter century.
(More)
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doope
lansdale-page 3
In the 1930's, Lansdale worked in the advertising business, and
according to observers, "he wrote alot of copy and he never forgot how.
He's a good salesman who knows how to reach people."
During the pre-war days, he was also a military reserve officer
and during his summer camp training, he grounded himself in infantry
tactics. As an Air Force general, he probably knows as much about
scouting, patrolling and small unit actions as some ground commanders.
During World War II, he was assis assigned to Asia to work as
a special assistant on intelligence matters "of a very complext and
sensitive nature."
At the end of World War II, he landed in the Philippines,
first in the counter-intelligence corps-"He's very well grounded in
intelligence" and later in the public relations field. In both areas,
he came to know the Filipino people and the loaders of the infant,
post-war government.
Among his acquan acquaintances, was a young Pilipino Congressman
named Ramon Magsaysay "and they hit it off." Later, the young
Congressmen was apointe appointed Secretary of National Defense--and
it is often charged that Lonsdale became deeply involved in Filipino
politics to get him the post.
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deepe
lansdale-page 4
Later, Magsaysay became President as more than 80,000 armed
pro-Communist Huk rebels virtually controlled evey the suburbs of Manila.
Lansdale remained Magsaysay's close friend and functioned as his
McGeorge Bundy; the President called him "Brother Bd;" during the
night if Magsaysay thought of a pro was stumped by a problem, he would
wander into the next room, sit on the edge of Lansdale's bed and
they would discuss throughout the night the possible solutions.
(More)
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Deope
Lansdale-page 4
The Magsaysay-Lansdale strategy was to give to the
Hults a loft-hand of friendship and a right-hand of force;
the psychological warfare theme was for the Huks was to re-
join the Manila government and they would be given land,
vator buffalo and rice seed--if they continued to oppose
the government they would be destroyed.
"The Iluks had a clear alternative--and an alternative
"Lansdale, the
with some dignity," one source explained.
ex-professional advertiser, was a psywar pro--the paywar
campaign against the Huks was a masterpiece.
"But Lansdale was not a kingmakor and Magsaysay
the puppet-Magsaysay in his own right was an unusual man
and he leaned on another unusual nan-Lansdale,"
source explained.
the
During this period, the American military and
foreign service bureaucracy, working with Filipino
counterparts along conventional lines, became increasingly
aware of Lansdale influence and a great deal of resentment
of certain personalities developed against Lansdale.
"From this point on, people divided into two camps-->
they were either, totally for Lansdale or violently against
him, with a sparesely populated middle-camp," one observer
explained.
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Deepe
Lansdale-page 56
ignore.
"Ile soon became the kind of guy that people didn't
Once he decided to help Magsaysay, he played
a no-holds-barred game, and he was often accused of being
deeply involved in Filipino politics."
In 1954, Lansdale was assigned to South Vietnam
for temporary duty; "he thought it would be for a short
time, but it was damn near four years before he got out,"
according to reliable sources. Whon he arrived in the
South,
The enemy
was not the Communits--who were retreating after the Geneva
Agreements to Communit North Vietnam. The immediate enemy
was the French. The French and Americans sharod a common
strategic interest in wanting the South to romain out of
Communit hands; but the French wanted a pro-French puppet
government; the Americans wanted Ngo Dinh Diom.
Vietnamese politics were in a shambles.
"Lansdale was invaluable to Dion and in some ways
repeated the performance of Magsaysay," one observer explained.
"Landsale was a progressive influence on Diem."
"Early days of the Diem regine, were turbulent,
one Vietnamese observer explained.
"The French incited
the religious sects and the pirate Binh Xuyen to fight Diom.
The cloak and dagger operations between the American
intelligence officers and the French Deuxiene Bureau would
mako James Bond look like an amateur. The re was fighting
on the streets of Saigon, payoffs to dissident leaders,
assassinations and counter-assassinations."
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Deepe
Lansdale-page 6
Dion and Lansdale won the first round of the
battle; but Lansdale is departure in the market fall of
1957 the "boginning of the end of the Dion rogino-and
the anti-Diem campaigns gained in momentum."
Because of his unorthodox procedures, Lansdale
was virtually exiled from Vietnam by the American bureaucracy-
until in late October 1961, he accompanied General Marvell
D. Taylor to Vietnam on the famous mission which later load
to massive American involvement.
"Lansdale was the ninth-ranking member of the
famous Taylor mission--the last man on the plane and the
last man off type of affair, with all the protocol up front.
He observered propriety and he left as quietly as he arrived."
During this time, President Kennedy reportedly
asked him to become Ambassador, but high-ranking
Administration members failed to agree; now four years
later, the advise of Vice-President Hubert Humphry reportedly
convinced 2 President Lyndon Johnson to sond Lansdale
again to Viet Nam.
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Deepo
Lansdale-page
"So, now he's back. He knows he has a tough row
to hoe," one observer explained. "He's the object of suspicion
by the American military who fear that his sleight-of-hands
will seise some of their power. He's an unorthodox figure
He is suspected
in the middle of a bureaucracy is structure.
by the Contral Intelligence Agency as an operator carte blanche.
He's suspected by the American Foreign Service officials
because they know he's a political animal as well as an
Air Force general. I Ho's suspected by the Vietnamese
bureaucrats because they think he's looking for an now
To alot of
Magsaysay and they don't know who that is.
Vietnamese has beens, Lansdale is a means of coming back
into prominence. To many people. Lansdale spells controversy
and a cause of alarm.
The real
enemy is now the Communists-but that will be the least of
his worries. He has alot of other problems to solve
"He's working against enormous at odds.
before he gets a clean shot at the enemy.
"Vietnam now a bewilderingly complex ballgame
and Lansdale has come into the middle of it."
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Date
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1965, Sep. 16
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Subject
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Lansdale, Edward Geary, 1908-1987; Intelligence service; Intelligence officers
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Location
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Saigon, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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10.8231; 106.6311
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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B187, F6
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Format
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dispatches
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Collection Number
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MS 363
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Collection Title
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Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
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Creator
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Collector
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Copyright Information
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These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
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Publisher
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Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
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Language
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English
