fun - INEIJMINB TELEGRAM Department of State CH 48 Action Control 23875 Rec d AUGUST 29 I963 FE FROM SAIGON Info 5 T0 Secretary of State SP _No 371 AUGUST 29 I P M AIDA IOP PRIORITY INR A LIMIT DISTRIBUTION - A RMR HILSMAN FROM KATTENBURG HAD THREE HOUR CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT DIEM AFTERNOON AUGUST 28 MORE THAN ON EARLIER OCCASIONS 1955 1958 HE TALKED LARGELY T0 HIMSELF WHILE THERE NO DOUBT HE IS IN FULL POSSESSION HIS FACULTIES IMPRESSION OF GROWING NEUROSIS CANNOT BE ESCAPED AS IF WORDS THEMSELVES HAD MAGIC WHICH MADE C THEM BELIEVABLE AS THEY CAME OUT AND HE THEN ECHOED AND RE-ECHOED C THEM FURTHER IN MOMENT REAL EMOTION TOWARD END OF CONVERSATION 3 HE SAID READY TO DIE AT ONCE IF SWEAT AND BLOOD OF LAST NINE YEARS-NOW TO BE SACRIFICED TO SMALL GROUP OF AGITATORS 3 IN BUDDHIST DISGUISE WHOM POPULATION ANY CASE r DIEM MADE VIGOROUS AND IMPASSIONED DEFENSE HIS POLICIES SINCE 3 23 MAY 8 HUE INCIDENT DESCRIBED COMMUNIST INFILTRATION BUDDHIST CLERGY IN MINUTE DETAIL MUMBLING LARGELY IRRELEVANT AND VERY 5 22 FMRD TO FOLLOW EXAMPLES NONE OF WHICH WHEN FURTHER REFLECTED 3 UPON CONSTITUTE ANY REAL HARD EVIDENCE THOUGH I ASKED HIM g PROVIDE SAME AND HE SAID HE INQUIRY IS HE ALSO PASSIONATELY DEFENDED BROTHERS NHU AND THUC STATING IT WAS THAT U S PRESSCWOULD ATTACK A MAN OF SUCH TOTAL INTEGRITY AND HOLY DEVOTION AS THUC DESCRIBED BROTHER NHU AS PURE INTELLECTUAL A PHILOSOPHER WHO NEVER RAISED VOICE IN DEDA E NEVER SOUGHT FAVOR FOR HIMSELF SAID REPRODUCTION FROM THIS copy IS DECLASSIF PR HIBIT NL EDU I33 UASMFED By Iq 23 NSF COUNTRY FILE Box 193 199 -2- 371 AUGUST 29 I P M FROM SAIGON AMERICANS COULD PROVIDE ME WITH ANOTHER LIKE AS FOR MADAME NHU HE HAD SAID THINGS TO HER BUT SHE HAD BEEN MIGHTILY PROVOKED BY U S PRESS REPUBLICAN YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES MAIN ACHIEVEMENT OF NHUS HAD BEEN PERHAPS GREATEST BENEFIT BROUGHT TO COUNTRY SINCE 195h NEW VITAL AND DEMOCRATIC GENERATION BROUGHT OUT OF VACUUM IN WHICH COUNTRY PLUNGED WHEN HE TOOK OVER BROTHER LUYEN HAD SEEN REASONS FOR GOVERNMENT POLICIES WAS EXPLAINING THEM EFFECTIVELY IN CONTRASTED WITH PERFIDY OF CHUONG WHO HAD NEVER FORGIVEN FACT SOME HIS RICELANDS TAKEN IN LAND REFORM DO VAN LY WHO HAD BEEN WITH DIEM IN U S AS I WOULD REMEMBER WAS PHILOSOPHER AND CAPABLE PUBLICIST PRINCE BUU HOI HAD LEFT SAIGON AND WOULD REPRESENT IN UN IF DEBATE TOOK j LACE DIEM DID NOT SPECIFY WHEN HE WOULD ARRIVE NEW YORK BUU HOI HAD BEEN ILL AT FIRST WHEN SEEING CONDITION TO WHICH BONZES HAD BROUGHT HIS MOTHER BUT HAD RECOVERED AND REALIZED INSANE ATMOSPHERE WHICH LEADING YOUNGER BONZES WERE CREATING IN PAGOOAS AND BUDDHIST COMMUNITY WAS STILL MUCH TOO UNDERDEVELOPED TO BE PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD BY MOST WESTERNERS BONZES HAD FROM BEGINNING PLAYED 0N TRADITIONAL PRIMITIVE PROCLIVITIES IN PEOPLE FOR IRRATIONAL ACTS HAD CONSCIOUSLY DEVELOPED WILD ATMOSPHERE 0F RAVING AND NOISE ALL THIS CAREFULLY STIRRED UP BY EXTREMELY CLEVER VIET CONG CADRES LATTER WERE STILL AT IT AND GVN KNEW WHO SOME OF THEM WERE AND WERE FOLLOWING THEM IN PRESENT WANDERINGS IN ACROSS SVN DIEM SAID BUDDHIST ISSUE NOW ENTIRELY SOLVED HE HAD MET MORNING AUGUST 28 WITH MEMBERS VIETNAMESE SANGKA REAL RE- PRESENTATIVES VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST CLERGY WHICH SHUNTED ASIDE BY AGITATORS LIKE OLD NGHIEP WHO DIGNIFIED IN U S PRESS AS MEETING HAD BROUGHT COMPLETE SOLUTION ALL POINTS AT ISSUE AND MUTUAL RESPECT BOTH SIDES NOW THAT COUNTRY RID OF AGITATORS IT COULD GO BACK TO WINNING WAR AND PRINCIPAL TASK BUILDING DEMOCRACY THROUGH STRATEGIC HAMLET IJBRARY E Hvl_ Aw -mew JOHN M Box NO 1931199 371 AUGUST 29 I P M FROM SAIGON ACTION NIGHT OF AUGUST 29 HAD BEEN UNANIMOUSLY REQUESTED BY GENERALS ON 19TH AND 2DTH AND HE HAD AGREED AFTER CAREFUL PERSONAL STUDY THAT GOVERNMENT COULD NO LONGER TOLERATE IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION CREATED BY COMMUNIST CONTROLLED AGITATORS HOW COULD AMERICAN PRESS AND EVEN OFFICIAL BROADCASTS ACCUSE COLONEL TUNG A GREAT WARRIOR BUT A GOOD MAN IN SPECIAL OPERATIONS AGAINST OF BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTION WHICH ALL GENERALS HIS ARMED FORCES HAD PRESSED ON HIM OUT OF PATRIOTIC SENSE OF DUTY AND DEVOTION TO BUT U S PRESS WAS IN ANY CASE MOST IRRESPONSIBLE AND CREATING TERRIBLY DANGEROUS MISUNDERSTANDINGS CONSTANT MISSTATEMENT OF FACT IN U S PRESS MUST BE CORRECTED AND HE ASKED ME DO- ALL I POSSIBLY COULD TO HELP IN THIS SAKE ALL OUR YEARS OF AND ALL THAT HAD BEEN BUILT UP AND IN MIDST TERRIBLE WAR AGAINST CRUEL AND IMPLACABLE ENEMY HE REALIZED LATTER WOULD STOP AT NOTHING NOT EVEN AT ORGANIZING ATTACKS IN U S AGAINST HIS GOVERNMENT BUT AT LEAST AMONG AMERICAN SERVICES HERE WHO WERE ORGANIZING U S PRESS CORPS AGAINST HIM SHOULD STOP THEIR INSANE ACTIVITIES HE MADE THIS LAST PLEA IN STRONG AND IMPASSIONED LANGUAGE I WAS UNABLE TO BREAK IN MORE THAN ONCE OR TWICE BUT DID MANAGE CONVEY TO HIM I THINK SPEAKING FRANKLY AS FRIEND HAVING KNOWN HIM IO YEARS THAT HIS IMAGE ABROAD AND I THOUGHT IN TOO HAD DETERIORATED CONSIDERABLY I ASKED WHETHER HE INTENDED CONVOKE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY EXPLAIN GOVERNMENT ACTIONS AND WHETHER AND WHEN HE WOULD HOLD NEW ELECTIONS HE RESPONDED HE WAS STUDYING POSSIBILITY MEETING ASSEMBLY FAILED TO RESPOND TO QUESTION ON ELECTIONS WHEN I WAS FINALLY ABLE BREAK MONOLOGUE AND LEAVE HE SAID WITH GREAT SINCERITY HELP I SAID TRY TO DO SAME FOR I LODGE ADVANCE DELIVERY 5 19 8 29 63 PASSED WHITE NSF COUNTRY M NEWMAN aox no _1931_199_ I - USE WITH SPECIAL CAPTIONS PER ss-D - FILE VIETNAM This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu Read related article New Light in a Dark Corner Evidence on the Diem Coup in South Vietnam November 1963 2020-11-01