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    "localId": "1552815",
    "label": "October 5, 1974 - Ford, Kissinger, South Vietnamese Foreign Minister Vuong Van Bac",
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    "title": "October 5, 1974 - Ford, Kissinger, South Vietnamese Foreign Minister Vuong Van Bac",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1552815",
    "collections": [
        "Memoranda of Conversations (Nixon and Ford Administrations)",
        "Ford Administration Memoranda of Conversations"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Vietnam (Republic)",
        "Foreign aid"
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    "ocrText": "File scanned from the National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Conversation Collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nMEMORANDUM\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nSECRET/NODIS\nMEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION\nPARTICIPANTS:\nPresident Gerald R. Ford\nVuong Van Bac, Minister of Foreign Affairs,\nRepublic of Vietnam\nDr. Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State and\nAssistant to the President\nTran Kim Phuong, Ambassador of the Republic of\nVietnam\nLt. General Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant to\nthe President for National Security Affairs\nDATE AND TIME:\nSaturday, October 5, 1974\n11:01 a. m. - 11:25 a. m.\nPLACE:\nThe Oval Office\nThe White House\nKissinger: Minister Bac was in Paris keeping an eye on me during the\nnegotiation. Ambassador Phuong also.\n[The press was admitted briefly to take photographs.]\nPresident: We think you made a fine agreement.\nBac: It was mostly Dr. Kissinger. President Thieu and Madame Thieu send\ntheir best wishes and their wishes for the recovery of Mrs. Ford.\n[The press was ushered out. ]\nPresident: I want to reassure you we will support President Thieu in every\nway -- economically, politically, and diplomatically. Our problem is not us,\nbut on the Hill.\nBac: We are very grateful for your efforts and U.S. efforts and we hope they\ncan be kept at adequate levels.\nR.\nPresident Thieu has asked me to give you this letter. [Tab A]\nGERALD\nOHOP\nDECLASSIFIED\nSECRET/NODIS\nLISAARY\nE.O. 12958, Sec. 3.5\nNSC Memo, 11/24/98, State Dept. Guidelines\nSECRET - XGDS (3)\nBy let , NARA, Date 1/18/00 CLASSIFIED BY: HENRY A. KISSINGER\nSEGRET/NODIS\n-2-\nPresident: Our people are not as enthusiastic about aid, but I will do my\nbest to get adequate levels. The attacks on aid are not just aimed at Vietnam,\nbut across the board. When I first came to Congress, the aid bill was $7 billion.\nKissinger: Which would be $15 billion now.\nPresident: But there was strong support for it.\nKissinger: And it shows if you start strong you can taper off.\nBac: We are making that point too.\nPresident: What is the current situation in Vietnam?\nBac: It is difficult, but not critical. The economy measures are difficult.\nWe have to cut down on our use of ammunition and so on, and that is costly in\nterms of casualties. The most intense conflict is around Kontum and the\nsupply line.\nKissinger: The Vietnamese strategic problem is they must defend a 400-mile\nborder and the Communists can hit anywhere.\nPresident: How is the military morale?\nBac: It is good in the regular forces, but has been affected in the regional\nforces. What we don't know is whether we should use all we have now or be\ncautious.\nKissinger: We will try to get you what you need. You know of the American\nbaseball manager, Leo Durocher, who said \"Nice guys finish last.\"\nPresident: How is the economy in Vietnam?\nBac: Our inflation is about 30 percent but it is not so catastrophic as the kind\nin Africa and Italy. The country is basically rich in resources, and in a year\nor two we should be self-sufficient in rice.\nPresident: As you close now?\nPhuong: Yes, and in some areas the Communists prohibit collection and try\nto drain it off.\nR.\nBac: There should be good crops this year, and our oil prospects are good. GERATO\nOHO\nSECRET/NODIS\nTIBRAT\nSECRET/NODIS\n-3-\nKissinger: We may have to have a confrontation on oil prices! Negotiations\nwith the North Vietnamese in the morning and the South Vietnamese in the\nafternoon is a wearing experience.\nBac: We should know soon whether oil is present in commercial quantaties.\nThe companies are sanguine, but that won't solve our current problems.\nI'm trying to get increased aid now. I have visited Japan, and am going to\nFrance and Germany. All together last year we got about $100 million. It\nwas substantial, but not compared to US levels.\nPresident: We will do our best. We admire President Thieu and want to be\na good partner.\nBac: President Thieu just heard that you will visit Japan and Korea soon.\nWe would like to invite you to visit Vietnam on the way.\nPresident: That is unfortunately not possible on this trip. Please don't\nmisinterpret this; it is only a time problem. Another time I will do it. We\nwill do our best.\nBac: We know you are very busy. Maybe you could visit President Thieu\nalong the way to Japan.\nPresident: I will talk to Dr. Kissinger about it. But it is likely to be very\ndifficult.\n[The meeting ended with warm handshakes and farewells. ]\nR.\nGERALD\nFLOR\nSECRET/NODIS\nLIBRARY\n\"\nGE LIBRA RALD R.\nSaigon, September 19 , 1974\nNGUYEN VAN THIEU\nPresident of the Republic of Viet-Nam\nDear Mr. President,\nAbout a month ago, I wrote to Your Excellency about\nthe situation facing the Republic of Viet-Nam as the Communist\nside spurned all negotiations and stepped up their armed attacks\nin complete disregard of the Paris Agreement.\nSince then, the situation has become even more serious.\nIn fact, the prospects for the resumption of the talks between\nthe two South Vietnamese parties are bleaker than ever, while\nthe Communist generalized offensive continues unabated. Now\nthe leaders of the Hanoi regime openly declare their active\nsupport for movements aimed at overthrowing the legal Govern-\nment of the Republic of Viet-Nam while they intensify their\ninfiltrations and military action, thus baring their plans for a\nforcible conquest of the whole South Viet-Nam.\nHis Excellency Mr. Gerald E. FORD\nPresident of the United States of America\nWashington D. C.\n118444 GERALD R. FOR\n- 2 -\nI think that the main cause for the increasingly defiant\nand bellicose attitude of the Communists resides in their\nbelieving that the United States is now wavering in its dedica-\ntion to our common goal, namely a South Viet-Nam capable\nof defending itself and of deciding its own future. The utterly\ninadequate amount of military and economic aid to the Republic\nof Viet-Nam which has been voted by the U.S. Congress might\nhave induced the Communists to make such speculations.\nThis can in turn lead to very dangerous miscalculations\non the part of the Communists, as they might be tempted to\nlaunch an all out offensive to complete their forcible conquest\nof South Viet-Nam.\nTherefore, it is essential that the United States unmist-\nakably demonstrates once again its attachment to a serious\nimplementation of the Paris Agreement and its support for the\nGovernment of the Republic of Viet-Nam, if peace is to be\nrestored in South Viet-Nam and in South East Asia.\nIn this respect, I am most appreciative of your efforts\nmade on September 12th to persuade leaders of Congress to\nrestore the cuts in aid funds. I sincerely hope that Your\nExcellency will succeed in bringing the amounts of military\nand economic assistance up to the levels required by the new\nrealities of the situation and the need for South Viet-Nam to\nachieve an economic takeoff.\nFRAD\nGOOM\nGE\n- 3 -\nThe Government of the Republic of Viet-Nam had\nsigned the Paris Agreement in good faith, under the double\nassurance that, on the one hand, Russia and Red China will\nexercise a restraining influence upon Hanoi and that, on the\nother hand, all necessary military equipments and economic\nassistance will be provided by the United States to the\nRepublic of Viet-Nam to maintain its capabilities of self\ndefense and to develop its national economy.\nThe first assumption turned out to be an empty pro-\nmise, as Russia and Red China continue to give North Viet-\nNam all the ingredients to pursue an aggressive war in\nSouth Viet-Nam,\nBut I am convinced that thanks to your generous efforts,\nthe second assumption will be borne out.\nOur valiant soldiers by enduring daily sacrifices in\nthe battlefields have proved beyond doubt our will to resist\nCommunist aggression. It would be unfortunate indeed if\nsufficient means could not be supplied to them because of the\nlack of resolve and misconception on the part of our allies.\nBeside providing us with an adequate amount of military\nand economic assistance, the United States can also show its\nsupport for the just cause of the Republic of Viet-Nam by\nsolemnly restating our common goals. In this regard, I hope\nthat some time in the near future, we can meet together\nit\nOUR\nLIBRARY\n- 4 -\nto discuss about ways and means to achieve a genuine peace\nin South Viet-Nam.\nPlease accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my\nlasting friendship and highest consideration.\na\nLIBRAT FLOOR\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\n4580\nWASHINGTON\nSECRET\nMEETING WITH VUONG VAN BAC\nFOREIGN MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM\nSaturday, October 5, 1974\n11:00 a.m. (15 minutes)\nThe Oval Office\nFrom: Henry A. Kissinger\nI. PURPOSE\nTo demonstrate the constancy of U. S. support for South Vietnam\nand to convey to President Thieu assurances that we are making a\nstrong effort to secure adequate aid for his country.\nII.\nBACKGROUND, PARTICIPANTS & PRESS ARRANGEMENTS\nA.\nBackground: Recent Congressional cuts in U.S. assistance to\nSouth Vietnam undermine South Vietnamese confidence in\ncontinued U.S. support and in South Vietnam's ability to resist\nCommunist pressures. Your meeting with Foreign Minister\nBac and your conveying through him assurances of our continued\nsupport to President Thieu can help bolster South Vietnamese\nconfidence at a critical time. Bac is carrying a letter and verbal\nmessage for you from President Thies. Bac will probably briefly\nreview South Vietnam's current economic and military problems\nand press for higher aid levels.\nB.\nParticipants: Foreign Minister Bac, Secretary Kissinger and\nRepublic of Vietnam Ambassador Phuong.\nC.\nPress Arrangements: Press photo session. Meeting to be\nannounced.\nIII.\nTALKING POINTS\n1.\nI share your concern about recent Comgressional cuts in\nVietnam aid levels. We are fully aware of the impact these\ncuts will have on South Vietnam.\na.\nFORD\nSECRET\nDECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 12958, Sec. 3.5\nNSC Memo, 11/24/98, State De G delines\nBy let\n, NARA, Date 1/10/00\nSECRET\n-2-\n2.\nYou may be assured that this Administration will do everything\npossible to provide adequate military and economic aid to\nSouth Vietnam.\n3.\nWe believe it may be possible to raise aid levels, above\nthose so far established by Congress, and we will try our\nbest to accomplish this.\n4.\nPlease convey to President Thieu my personal assurances\nthat this Administration remains steadfast in its support for the\nRepublic of Vietnam. President Thieu's efforts to defend\nhis country's independence and to promote its well being have\nearned our profound respect and admiration. Please give him\nmy warmest personal regards.\nSECRET\nD.R.\nFORD\n10/16/74\nP/ Phurong\n477\nTranscure PWR\n500 1974\n2001\nR Bote wrin Paris hoping on byron me\nPhrong Pers) do\nP\nwe Think you morb fine agreement\nB\nmonth K. Think more send hest wishin 5/02 morey of\n(Pers ant)\nand If\nD\nWe will support Their in by away, e any feel,\ndip, One forth is not us, hat on c Hill\nB\nWell and very qualiful for you efforts & is efforts &\nwe hope they can be high at dispute lives-\n(Hamb atter from Their\nP am plple not as about and but\nImill di my let to get adaquate levels,\nattack one\nlater's not you put annil at VN but across hand\nwhend paint and Cong, and will in 7 his\nK\nwhich and he IT his min\nP\nBut there wks they typut for it\nK\nand n't thoma if you start they you me Tapso\nB off We making that point too.\nP\nWhat is univert int?\nB It in dif but not critial, The dean learning memoris\nand difficult. like have to unt down Mm ammo, ite\nuse t that is corth in terms of\nTwo and interese inflit is and Kontner\ntc snyph him.\nK\nVM that just is they must dystomal 40m milks\n+ Grote can hit argustment\nP\nHand mil, merals\nB\nIt and in regardors face but has heen\nappeached in regroud forus. What we dnit\nknow is whither we should not all we have\nnow a be cartines\nFORD of IBRAR 30\nwill will Grytezet you\nR\nThis Demorhon)\nHam limary\nB\nOm inflation is ant 30 to LA not so\nor kaim state Crunty\nis harverly rich in t in go R {\nP\nand shouldle off top. in this,\nPhna\nan you lose her\nPhurm\nyes, in tow lower c Grots prohibit collection +\nchain it ff\nB\nShould good croper this yr t on oil propects are\ngeral\nK\nmay huet hand oil compensation that pricess.\n(2uyo W/NUM in chm C Srn in An is measing)\nB\n3 a should know soon whether on present in\ncml genalities The Cranganis are hat\nthat want solve on emvent pribo.\nI trying to get minased and now Unital Jopan,\ngoing to France + Greeny all westher last\nyour we pt about 100 mil- smistantial\nbut us unyard to JJ burb\nP\nwe lronn lest. We a drasse Thish & want\nto he a good partner.\nB\nwe you Thin first heard you and\nP\nJospon & Kour. Intite you to went on any\nWrt this Crp. Don't investment A\nonly a time public another trid, We and\ndram lest.\nB\nWe know you very brusy- my ber you end\nP\nfaill tablets Kabourt it hat it is\nmust Them alma c way to payment\nlibely & in any difficult.\nFORD\nLIBRARY"
}