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21 January 1955

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

1. In response to your memorandum, dated 5 January 1955, subject as above, the Joint Chiefs of Staff submit the following views and recommendations.

2. In answer to the eight specific points raised in the above memorandum, the Joint Chiefs of Staff consider it appropriate, in view of the complexity of the problem and the difficulty of considering any of the questions in isolation, to forward a discussion of the points raised. This discussion is attached as the Appendix hereto.

3. The Joint Chiefs of Staff consider that the eight points mentioned involve only a portion of the over-all problem in an examination of the implications of possible courses of action. Accordingly, in response to your request to submit views and recommendations on any other points considered appropriate, the following courses of action are considered available to the United States in the light of the current situation in South Vietnam.


 * . To continue aid to South Vietnam as currently being developed with the cooperation of the French and Vietnamese.


 * . To institute a unilateral program of direct guidance to the Vietnamese government through an "advisory" system. Under this course of action, the amount of U.S. aid should be dependent upon Vietnamese adherence to U.S. direction.


 * . In the event the courses of action in subparagraphs and  above, are not sufficient to insure retention of South Vietnam to the Free World, to deploy self-sustaining U.S. forces to South Vietnam, either unilaterally, or as a part of a Manila Pact force.

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