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 INCOMING TELEGRAM

PRIORITY

SENT DEPARTMENT 4663, REPEATED INFORMATION PRIORITY PARIS 1209

FOR SECRETARY FROM COLLINS. PARIS FOR AMBASSADOR.

LIMIT DISTRIBUTION.

1. I CALLED ON DIEM 1800 APRIL 19 AND ASKED WHETHER HE HAD CONSIDERED FURTHER MODIFIED THOAI PROPOSAL. DIEM HANDED ME FOLLOWING NOTE (IN ENGLISH)

BEGIN VERBATIM TESTTEXT [SIC].

1) I AGREE WITH IDEA OF COALITION IF IT IS TRULY TO OBTAIN REPRESENTATION FOR THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE

2) THIS IS IN ACCORD WITH MY BELIEF IN GOVERNMENT WHICH REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE -- AND TOWARD WHICH I HAVE BEEN TRYING KHARDHARD [SIC] TO BRING VIETNAM AGAINST SO MANY DIFFICULTIES;

3) I DO NOT FEEL THAT THE NAMES GIVEN TO ME AS SUGGESTIONS FOR MEMBERS OF MY CABINET -- MEN FROM SMALL OPPOSITION PARTIES WHO ACTUALLY REPRESENT ONLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE -- ARE IN ACCORD WITH THE PRINCIPLE OF HAVING THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE REPRESENTED IN THE GOVERNMENT -- WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS OUR MUTUAL DESIRE. CERTAINLY THIS IS THE POLITICAL PRINCIPLE OF THE UNITED STATES IN ITS OWN GOVERNMENT

4) I AGREE THAT NO ONE MAN SHOULD MANIPULATE THE ELECTION OF A NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SO THAT HE DOMINATES IT FALSELY. THIS IS THE VERY REASON WHY I HAVE PROPOSED THAT WE HOLD A GENERAL ELECTION -- IN A MANNER WHICH WILL BE MOST FAMILIAR TO MY PEOPLE -- TO ELECT A NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; 5) WITHPERMANENT45178 RECORD COPY