WALT ROSTOW REQUEST FOR STUDY OF NORTH VIETNAMESE MANPOWER - 1967/12/14

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06752206
• Document Creation Date: July 27, 2018

4
Approved for Release: 2018/07/11 C06752206
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MEMORANDUM FOR TOE RECORD
ERODUCTION
1 4 DEC 1967
SUBJECT: Walt Rostov Bequest for Study of North Vietnamese Manpower
1. At Walt Rostores request we have undertaken to reassess
the manpower situation in North Vietnam, An outline of the proposed
study will be prepared by Friday and the final report will be sub,.
rdtted to Mk. Rostov during the first week of January.
2. The study will be a complete reassessment of North Vietnam's
manpower resources and the manpower drain. It will include an analysis
of the labor force; the impact of diversions to the military and war-
related activities such as logistics and bomb damage repair; evidence
of changes in mobilization programs and evabaation of reports of
labor shortages. These factors will be evaluated to assess the
current manpower situation within the existing ranges of estimates
of North Vietnam's population. Finally, the North Vietnamese man-
power situation will be compared with that in Germany during World
War II in order to determine that point at which the manpower drain
in North Vietnam might be regarded as critical.
Distribution:
Orig. & 1 - JUT
2 - OD/OER
1 - ('.h/TRA
OCh/IRA
1 5 DEC 1967 (/)14---)
Approved for Release: 2018/07/11 C06752206
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2018/07/11 C06752206
13 December 1967
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Walt RostowEequest to DCI for Study of North Viet-
namese Manpower
1. The DEVI called me this morning to state that Walt Rostov
asked that the Director lay on a study which mould take a "fresh
look" at North Vietnamese manpower. Roetawhas read our latest
McNamara report, but is not convinced that North Vietnam is still
in reasonably good shape on manpower because:
a. The evidence that 13 yeari.olde are being sent
south,
b. The age of men being called Up Rostaw
mentioned 30 year olds*
c. The Soviets and East Europeans have cited
manpower shorteges in North Vietnam (I'm not sure of
this),
d. There has been some discussion in the North
Vietnamese press of shortages,
2. Rostov further stated that there is often a wide gap
between "formal availability" based on census studies and "actual
availabilitiers" for mililWalrInmposes. Cited Hitler's difficulties
in World War II.
3. The DD/I asked us to look at the problem and let him know
today when me could get out a quick study, since there is some
urgency. The study should convey the "fresh look". 1 mentioned
to him the fact that we could do something On Germany in.World
War 11.
Distribution:
Orig ch 11,A4
OD/OER
Pa 7 e
Economic Research
or
Approved for Release: 2018/07/11 C06752206
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
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. 3.5(c)