Page:Pentagon-Papers-Part-V-B-3c.djvu/257



-2- 4396, APRIL 9, 5 PM (SECTION THREE OF FOUR), FROM PARIS THE EXECUTIVE ROLE OF GOVERNING THE COUNTRY BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. WE ASKED HIM TO BE MORE PRECISE AND HE STATED THAT HE HAD IN MIND A FORM OF "SUPREME COUNCIL" OR "COUNCIL OF ELDERS" WHICH WOULD SERVE AS A GOVERNING BODY. IT WOULD FUNCTION UNDER BAO DAI'S OVERALL DIRECTION AS CHIEF OF STATE, BUT WOULD ENJOY THE SAME POWERS NOW ENJOYED BY DIEM. BAO DAI'S CHIEF FUNCTION WOULD BE THAT OF "SUPREME ARBITRATOR". THE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO INCLUDE, IF IT WERE TO BE EFFECTIVE, REPRESENTATION OF ALL (ALL) FACTIONS IN VIETNAM INCLUDING THE CATHOLICS WHO MIGHT DECIDE THAT DIEM IS THE BEST QUALIFIED MAN TO REPRESENT THEM. WE ASKED WHETHER IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD REPLACE THE GOVERNMENT OR SIMPLY ACT IN CONJUNCTION WITH IT AND DE SAID THAT FOR THE MOMENT HE THOUGHT THAT BAO DAI'S THOUGHTS WERE ALONG THE LATTER LINES BUT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT. THE ONE RESTRICTION OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE THAT ALL ITS MEMBERS BE ANTI-COMMUNIST.

WE ASKED WHETHER BAO DAI HAD ANY VIEWS ON RETURNING TO VIETNAM AND WERE TOLD THAT HE HAD NONE FOR THE MOMENT BUT WAS PREPARED TO DO ANYTHING THAT WE AND THE FRENCH FELT WOULD HELP TOWARD A SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS. DE STATED THAT BAO DAI HAD WANTED TO RETURN MANY TIMES DURING RECENT MONTHS WHEN IT BECAME MORE AND MORE CLEAR THAT DIEM WAS INCAPABLE OF GOVERNING BUT THAT HE HAD BEEN PREVENTED FROM DOING SO BY DIEM HIMSELF WHO ARGUED THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS OPPOSED TO BAO DAI'S RETURN AND THAT IT WOULD BE INADVISABLE FOR HIM TO COME BACK FOR THERE WAS GREAT OPPOSITION TO HIM IN VIETNAM AND THAT HE, DIEM, WAS "PRESERVING BAO DAI'S INTEREST". BAO DAI WAS NOT IMPRESSED BY ANY OF THESE ARGUMENTS EXCEPT THAT THE UNITED STATES DID NOT WISH HIM TO RETURN, WHICH WAS CONFIRMED TO HIM BY LA CHAMBRE. HE HAD NOT PRESSED THE ISSUE BECAUSE HE FELT THAT, AS IN THE HINH CASE, HE MIGHT ACTUALLY WIELD MORE INFLUENCE FROM AFAR WHERE HE WAS REMOVED FROM PETTY LOCAL SQUABBLES AND COULD EXERCISE HIS AUTHORITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AS HE HAD IN THE HINH CASE.

DILLON AB/3245093

Note: Read by Mr. Young (PSA) 7:45 p.m. 4/9/55 CWO-JRL