MILITARY PLEDGE TO SAIGON IS DENIED BY EISENHOWER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000300430063-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 8, 1999
• Sequence Number: 63
• Publication Date: August 18, 1965
• Content Type: NSPR

Military Pledge to Saigon
:Js ' Denied by Eisenhower
BY MAX FRANKEL
t RG.HT special to Ths New York Time.
WA-
D. Eisenhower, demurred gently today at President John
son's frequent suggestion that United States military ac
tions in Vietnam were theltocol appended to.the Southeas
consequence of a Republican
commitment given 11 years
Although 'asserting strongly
Vietnam," Mr. Eisenhower de-
to the Government of. South
Vietnam. His Administration
saw no need for such a com-
mitment in 1954, he said,l and
General Eisenhower's state-
ment appeared to be a mild ob-
nterpretation of a letter he
the President of South 'Viet-
nan, in October, 1954. The dis-
of the continuing debate about
Whether the United States must
"word" and "honor."
Letter Often Quoted
or the commitments given not
only' by his Democratic prede-
cessor, President Kennedy, but
also by General Eisenhower.
The President has often cited
and quoted from the 1954 letter
as evi4lence.
Last June, for Instance, Mr'
Johnson read the entire letter
at a news conference and then
remarked.: "In- the case of Viet-
;nam, our commitment today is
just. the same as the commit
ment made by President Eisen-
,bower to President Diem in 1954
people help themselves." .
When asked abiout. the letter!
today, Mr. 'Eisenhower said:
"We said we would helpl
that country. We were not talk+1
ing. about military programs,
but foreign aid.
The formei