26 October 1963 CAS Saigon-152 to CAS Washington REF - 63590 z EYES ONLY MCGEORGE BUNDY FROM AMBASSADOR LODGE AS REGARDS PROSPECTS OF ACTION BY OON THE BEST INFO - 1 TION IS THAT HE PLANS TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE NOVEMBER 2 BUT TH@ IS STILL NOT AT ALL DEPENDABLE AND I HAVE NOT YET CONVINCED Q J w MYSELF THAT HE HAS THE IRON IN HIS SOUL 0 2 AS TO POSSIBLE ACTION BY OTHERS WE WILL HAVE A TELE- '- t GRAM LATER 3 0 I AGREE THAT AN UNSUCCESSFUL COUP WILL BE LAID AT OUR DOOR BY CERTAIN PERSONS WHO WISH TO DAMAGE US v 0 BUT I BELIEVE THAT IF WE COVER UP OUR TRACKS AS I THINK WE ARE DOING AND WILL DO THAT WE CAN ENTER A VERY VIGOROUS DENIAL AND EFFECTIVELY CHALLENGE THOSE WHO CRITICIZE US TO PRODUCE PROOF THE TRUTH IS THAT THERE IS A WIDE-SPREAD DESIRE IN THIS COUNTRY FOR A CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT AND THIS HAS NOT BEEN CAUSED BY US BUT BY THE INCOMPETENCE OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT 4 YOU CAN COUNT ON ME TO LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED TO GIVE YOU EVERY CHANCE OF JUDGING AND WARNING IF THERE EVER IS A COUP IN THIS COUNTRY THE TIME WILL COME WHEN IT HAS STARTED ROLLING AND WE COULD NOT STOP IT BUT I WILL DO ALL IN MY POWER SO THAT PRESIDENT HAS INFLUENCE ON THE SITUATION RIGHT UP TO THE VERY LAST MINUTES Approved For Release 2001 08 16 NLF-16-5-1---3-2 - i 1 DEc lssiFiib AUTHORITY W- 1Ji4Jm $A4 fkpt fuc JJ u IY k_6H NL OAT i uhiQ j I ·- ' I - 26 Octob r 1963 FROM THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON D C 0 TO AMERICAN EMBASSY SAIGON TOP SECRET EYES ONLY VIA CAS CHANNELS CITE CAP 63590 AMERICAN EMBASSY SAIGON FOR AMBASSADOR LODGE AND GENERAL HARII NS 0 - FROM MCGEORGE BUNDY 0 µ 0 YOUR 1964 MOST HELPFUL l 0 W-l WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE GRATEFUL FOR ALL ADDITIONAL INFORMA TION GIVING INCREASED CLARITY TO PROSPECTS OF ACTION BY DON OR L OTHERS AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING WITH YOU THE WHOLE r 'I- - - 0v QUESTION OF CONTROL AND CUT-OUT ON YOUR RETURN ALWAYS ASSUMIN 0 THAT ONE OF THESE D-DAYS DOES NOT TURN OUT TO BE REAL r WE AREo PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT HAZARD THAT AN UNSUCCESSFUL COUP HOWEVER CAREFULLY WE AVOID DIRECT ENGAGEMENT WILL BE LAID AT OUR DOOR BY PUBLIC OPINION ALMOST EVERYWHERE THEREFORE WHILE SHARING YOUR VIEW THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE IN POSITION OF THWARTING COUP WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE OPTION OF JUDGING AND WARNING ON ANY PLAN WITH POOR PROPSECTS OF SUCCESS WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A LARGE ORDER BUT PRESIDENT WANTS YOU 'IO KNOW OF OUR CONCERN DECLASSIFIED Authority fiffi llid M rn l' Col 1 3_y_a1 II Zl1