Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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176-10036-10072

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY : NARA

RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10072

RECORD SERIES : National Security Files

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

ORIGINATOR :

FROM : Johnson

TO : Rostow

• TITLE : Meeting of Vietnam Task Force May 15 1961

DATE : 5/17/1961

PAGES : 2

SUBJECTS :

DOCUMENT TYPE :

CLASSIFICATION :

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS :

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS : National Security Files, Box 193: Vietnam General 5/8/1961-

5/19/1961. Box 1

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May 17, 1961

SEE SANTIZED

VERSION

EXEMPTED

2119/78 Nik=93

9

MEMORANDUM FOR MR.' ROSTOW

SUBJECT:

Meeting of the Viet Nam Task Force on

Monday, May. 15, 1961

After briefings on the military and political situation

in Viet Nam and surrounding areas in Southeast Asia, Mr. Cottreli

summarized actions taken over the weekend, referring to a

series of outgoing and incoming telegrams.

These covered the

following matters:

The establishment of the Task Force in Washington

and a request to the Ambassador in Saigon to form a

similar Task Force there.

NSC Action Memorandum No. 52 and indicating that these

May 19:

s?:

A message to Saigon summarizing the substance of

the Task Force report for the field advising that the

report itself would be pouched.

A message to Saigon indicating that the jCS was

making the study called for by paragraph 4 of the Action

Memorandum (relating to commitment of.U. S.. forces):

"The Secretary of State had authorized the dis-

patch

of "93 additional MAAG personnei from Clark Air

Force Base in the Philippines

to Saigon.

I asked whether the status of the Task Force report had

been clearly indicated in sending it to the field.

It de-

veloped that the status had not been indicated in the messages

and I was asked to prepare a brief statement of the points

that needed to be made for inclusion in a subsequent message.

In connection with the reference to NSC discussion of the

Action Memorandum, Mr.. Cottrell asked that agencies make known

at the wednesday meeting of the lask force any views. they plar

to express on the Memorandum.: (I subsequently emphasized to :

Mr. Cottrell

the fact that this Memorandum was being scheduled

on the agenda for information and that it was intended that

the Memorandum" should stand and that there would be no dis-

cussion of it in the NSC unless an agency had a serious point

that it wished to

argue in front of the President.

Mr. Cottrell

agreed to make this point to Defense and at the beginning of

Wednesday's Task Force meeting.)

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C

Mr i

Cottrell referred to the fact that it was planned to

add an additional individual to the Public Relations Staff of

the

Far East Bureau to handle public relations on Viet Nam;

that is, to put out information on South Viet Nam and to be

available to answer questions.

In response to a question,

Mr. Cottrell indicated that there would be no connection be-

tween this püblic relations man and the Task Force.

Mr. Cottrell also noted that this Task Force would be running

the Viet Nam desk, although the former Assistant Desk Officer

would now be naned the Desk Officer and would handle routine

matters.

Mr. Cottrell asked me whether the planned weekly

status report should not be so timed that it could be

scheduled on a Friday NSC agenda.

separate status report would be prepared on covert activities

and transmitted to the NSC. I pointed out that there was no.

established meeting time for the NSC and that,.

therefore, it

would be difficult to relate work on the report to NSC

meetings. I indicated that I would check on the matter of

scheduling such reports on NSC agendas.

This matter sub-

sequently taken

up with you and

with Mr. Bundy.)

question a bede meter pastries * pointek

Force report could be downgraded or de-classified..

out that we ordinarily proceeded, in handling NSC documents,

on the principle that the agency having primary responsibility

should make

'determination as to the classification of ar'

particular item in an NSC document and had the authority to

downgrade or de-classify as necessary"in the course of im

plementation.

Reference was made to the fact that a meeting was

scheduled in the White, House on Thursday (under Mr. Dutton's

leadership) to discuss the fate of "Project Hope", Although

this hospital ship is supposed to be a private enterprise, the

Government (ICÄ) has been picking up the tab for some time.

It is said to have considerable public relations value, but

there is considerable doubt as to whether it makes economic

sense

- it costs $5,000 a day to operate the ship. It was

the consensus of the meeting that, in view of the preparations

that had been made to receive the ship in Saigon, it would

not be desirable to cancel the stop in Saigon, although, if

necessary,

it could be kept short.

9

Robert

H.

Johnson

CC:

Mr.

Smith

Mr. Komer

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