HILLSMAN RESIGNATION STIRS NEW U.S. DEBATE ON VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000300280014-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 10, 2003
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: February 27, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

pprovee For Release 2003/12/02: CIA-IRDP PO R000r 080 /
BALTIM ;:ti: SUN
FEB 2 7 1964
ililsisian Resignation tirs
New U.S. Debate Ch'i't, Vietnam
Washington, Feb. 26 - Debate service officer in 1947 after war-
here about the United States1timc service in the Navy, was a
Vietnamese dilemma was intcnsi- special assistant to W. Averell
Pied today by the White House's Harriman, Under Secretary of
overnight announcement that State for Political Affairs, until
Roger Hilsman, Assistant Secre- his appointment Monday to his
nary of State for Far Eastern Af- new post. It makes him, instead,
fairs, is quitting. a special assistant to Dean Rusk,
But in the wake of that. an- Secretary of State. .
nouncement, there were several Richard I. Phillips, State De-
bits of evidence to support Hits- partment press officer, said this
man's own denials of reports that afternoon that no decision has yet
his resignation resulted from in- been made about a successor to
bra-governmental differences over Hilsman or as to when Hilsman;
United States policy on South will actually give up the post he
Vietnam. has held since last April 25. Hils%
Not Leaving At Once man himself said he hopes to ge6
Chief among these were the away before July 1. ' 1
facts that: There is already one vacancy
1. Hilsman is not leaving the in his office, Edward E. Rice4
State Department immediately one of his two deputies, having
and may remain at his post for left a week ago to become con-4
several more months. sul-general at Hong Kong. Rice,
2. His resignation was presented who is 55 and has been a career
and made public last night only diplomat for more than 28 years,
as to correct a report published speaks Chinese, unlike Marshall
in New York a few hours earlier Green, Hilsman's other deputy,
to the effect that he was being whose foreign language is French.
forced to quit by Pentagon critics Hilsman, who, according to
of his State Department opera- State Department records, does
tions' not speak any foreign language,
Hilsman said in his letter of is a 44-year-old native of Waco;
resignation that he wanted to re- Texas, and product of West Point,
(turn to teaching, which President class of 1943.
Johnson's letter of acceptance
called his "chosen profession." Library Of Congress
The White House announcement Ile was drawn into the State
also inspired speculative reports Department by President Ken-
linking Hilsman's resignation' to nedy, who, while a Senator, had
a State Department announce- become acquainted with Hilsman
ment Monday that William H. through the latter's work as chief
Sullivan had been named to head from 1956 to 1958 of the foreign'
a new interagency committee to affairs division of the legislative
coordinate policy on Vietnam. reference service at the Library
Hilsman, it was suggested, found of Congress and deputy director
himself thereby "by-passed" and of that service from 1958 until
February, 1961, when he joined
countered by resigning.
the State Department.
reports encountered not .
only official denials today but no- Hilsman, who started as director of intelligence e out there
and
tations that a similar arrange- research, tried to resign ten
ment has long existed in respect months later in order that he
to Cuban problems without arous- might accept an endowed chair
ing any reports or displays of at Yale University as a professor
resentment on the part of Thomas of political science but was dis?
C. Mann, Assistant Secretary of suaded by President Kennedy.
State for Inter-American Affairs.
John H. Crimmins, who trans-
ferred to the United States for-
eign service in 1946 from the
Army, in which he had served
as a lieutenant colonel, has been
coordinator of Cuban affairs since
January, 1963.
Sullivan, who became, a .foreign
Approved For Release 2003/12/02 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000300280014-0