PREFACE

This committee print contains material deemed useful in any discussion of the situation in southeast Asia. It has been collected with the assistance of the Legislative Reference Service of the Library of Congress, the Department of State, and the staff of the Committee on Foreign Relations.

J. W. FULBRIGHT, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations.

III

CONTENTS

A. Summary chronology of events in southeast Asia, 1954-64_

B. Official documents on United States-Vietnam relations:

1. U.S. recognition of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia: Statement

by the Department of State, February 7, 1950___.

2. Extension of military and economic aid: Statement by the Secre-

tary of State, May 8, 1950__

3. Economic aid program: Note from the American Chargé d'Affaires

at Saigon to the chiefs of state of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia,

May 24, 1950.

4. The military aid program: Statement by the Departments of

State and Defense, September 23, 1951-.

5. The defense of Indochina: Communiqué regarding discussions be-

tween representatives of the United States, France, Vietnam,

and Cambodia, June 18, 1952___

6. Support by NATO of the French Union defense efforts in Indo-

china: Resolution adopted by the North Atlantic Council, De-

cember 17, 1952.

7. Additional U.S. aid for France and Indochina: Joint Franco-

American Communiqué, September 30, 1953..

8. The threat of direct Chinese Communist intervention in Indo-
china: Address by the Secretary of State, June 11, 1954 (ex-
cerpt) -

9. Agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Vietnam, July 20, 1954

10. Agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Cambodia, July 20,

1954 -

11. Agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Laos, July 20, 1954-

12. Final declaration of July 21, 1954, of the Geneva Conference

13. The cease-fire agreements in Indochina: Statement by the Presi-

dent, July 21, 1954.

14. Statement by the Under Secretary of State at the concluding

plenary session of the Geneva Conference, July 21, 1954-

15. Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty and protocol thereto,

September 8, 1954-

16. Direct aid to the associated states: Communiqué regarding

Franco-American conversations, September 29, 1954.

17. Aid to the State of Vietnam: Message from the President of the

United States to the President of the Council of Ministers of

Vietnam, October 23, 1954-

18. Mission of the special U.S. representative in Vietnam: Statement

issued by the White House, November 3, 1954-

19. Direct aid to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos: Statement by the

Department of State, December 31, 1954-

69

20. Recognition of the new chief of state of Vietnam: Statement by

the Department of State, October 26, 1955.

21. U.S. policy with respect to Vietnam: Address by the Assistant

Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, Washington, June 1,

1956__

22. Vietnamese-United States relations: Joint statement issued at

Washington by the President of the United States and the

President of Vietnam, May 11, 1957...

23. The importance to the United States of the security and progress

of Vietnam: Address by the President (Eisenhower), Gettys-

burg College, Gettysburg, Pa., April 4, 1959 (excerpt).

24. Secretary Rusk's news conference, May 4, 1961 (excerpt).

B. Official documents on United States-Vietnam relations-Continued

25. Joint communiqué issued at Saigon by the Vice President of the

United States and the President of Vietnam, May 13, 1961.---

26. Secretary Rusk's news conference, November 17, 1961 (excerpt)__

27. Secretary Rusk's news conference, December 8, 1961 (excerpts)..

28. Exchanges of messages between President Kennedy and President

Ngo Dinh Diem of the Republic of Vietnam, December 14 and

December 7, 1961...

29. Joint communiqué issued by the United States and Vietnam on the

expansion of economic development programs, January 4, 1962.

30. Secretary Rusk's news conference, March 1, 1962 (excerpts) –

31. Department of State statement commenting on the report of the

Control Commission for Vietnam, June 25, 1962__

32. Declaration of neutrality of Laos, July 23, 1962..

33. President Kennedy's TV interviews, September 2 and 9, 1963
(excerpts).

34. United States policy on Vietnam: White House statement, Octo-

ber 2, 1963...

35. The next steps toward peace: Statement by McGeorge Bundy,

special assistant to the President (excerpt), September 30, 1963.

36. United States revises aid to Vietnam's special forces: Statement

by the Department of State, October 22, 1963.........

37. Secretary Rusk's news conference of November 8, 1963 (excerpts).

38. Message from President Johnson to Gen. Duong Van Minh,

Chairman of the Military Revolutionary Council of the Repub-

lic of Vietnam, December 31, 1963---

39. Secretary Rusk's news conference of February 7, 1964 (excerpts).

40. TV interview with President Johnson, March 15, 1964 (excerpt) -

41. United States to increase economic and military aid to Vietnam:

Statement by the White House, March 17, 1964.

42. United States policy in Vietnam: Address by Secretary of Defense

McNamara, March 26, 1964 (excerpts).

43. Address by Secretary Rusk, April 25, 1964 (excerpt).

44. Statement by President Johnson, June 2, 1964 (excerpt).

45. Address to the Nation by President Johnson, August 4, 1964
(excerpt)----

46. President's message to Congress, August 5, 1964.

47. Security Council hears U.S. charge of North Vietnamese attacks:

Statement by Adlai E. Stevenson, U.S. representative in the

Security Council, August 5, 1964-.-.

48. Southeast Asia resolution......

128

49. Comparison of resolutions relating to the maintenance of peace

and security in various areas.

129

50. Address by President Johnson, August 12, 1964.--

131

132

51. Secretary Rusk's news conference, September 14, 1964 (excerpt).
52. President Johnson reaffirms the basic policy of the United States
in Vietnam, December 1, 1964.-

53. Communique issued by the United States and Vietnam regarding
measures to be taken to improve the situation in Vietnam, De-
cember 11, 1964----

C. U.S. foreign assistance to Vietnam 1945-–64 -

D. Number of casualties incurred by U.S. military personnel in Vietnam... –

135

136

137

138

A. SUMMARY OF EVENTS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA,
1954-1964

Prepared by the Legislative Reference Service, Library of Congress, and the staff
of the Committee on Foreign Relations1

1948

June 5.-Bao Dai, French High Commissioner Emile Bollert, and
Gen. Nguyen Van Xuan sign the Baie d'Along Agreement to estab-
lish State of Vietnam with Bao Dai as chief of state within the
French Union.

1949

March 8.-The Elysee Agreement, in the form of an exchange of
letters between Bao Dai and President Auriol of France, outlines
the general principles affecting French-Vietnam relations.
June 14-An exchange of letters between Bao Dai and French
High Commissioner Leon Pignon puts into effect the Elysee Agree-
ment. United States sends message of welcome to Bao Ďai.
July 1.-Bao Dai decrees formally establishes State of Vietnam and
provide a basis for its organization on a constitutional framework.

1950

February 7.-Great Britain and the United States extend de jure
welcomes to Vietnam.

February 19.-U.S. consulate general in Saigon is raised to Legation
and Minister accredited to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
December 23.-United States signs Mutual Defense Assistance Agree-
ment with France, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos for indirect U.S.
military aid to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

1951

September 7.-United States signs agreement with Vietnam for direct
economic assistance.

September 8.-Delegates from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos partici-
pate in the signing of the Japanese Peace Treaty at San Francisco.

1952

July.-U.S. Legation in Saigon is raised to Embassy status. U.S.
Ambassador presents credentials to Bao Dai. Vietnamese Embassy
is established in Washington, D.C.

October 12.-The 200th U.S. ship carrying military aid arrives in
Saigon.

1 This chronology has been compiled primarily on the basis of "Deadline Data on World
Affairs," Deadline Data, Inc., New York, and Memorandum RFE-14, Department of State,
Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Jan. 10, 1962.