Photo
from Mark Bradley's Page at the
University of MilwaukeePhoto
from Mark Bradley's Page at the
University of Milwaukee
George
Ball occupied several positions in the State Department during the Kennedy
and Johnson administrations. All throughout his time
in office, he remained very critical of American involvement in Vietnam. In
1963, he was one of the senior administration officials supporting a hardening
of the U.S. position towards Ngo Dinh Diem,
which eventually led the U.S. government to allow the coup
against the South Vietnamese president.
During
the Johnson administration, Ball frequently antagonized the general views within
the Cabinet, including the bombing North Vietnam, which he feared would lead
to the escalation of the conflict in the South, and to the deployment of American
combat troops.
April 21, 1965
Memorandum to Johnson on opportunity for peaceful settlement
From the Historian of the State Department
http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/history/vol_ii/261_270.html
(Doc. #267)
In light of the increased U.S. involvement in South Vietnam, Ball urges Johnson to consider a peace settlement before the Administration decides on further deployments. Ball analyzes Hanoi's "four points" for peace talks, concluding that they are not too far from the Administration's goals in Vietnam.
July 1965 George
Ball's Memorandum to Lyndon Johnson
From the Historian of the State Department
http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/history/vol_iii/040.html
(Doc. #40)
In this polemic memorandum to President Johnson, Ball points out the shortcomings of the American military strategy in Vietnam, and advocates for a negotiated solution.
July 3, 1965
Telegram from the State Department to the Embassy in Saigon about covert contacts
with NLF
From the Historian of the State Department
http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/history/vol_iii/040.html
(Docs. #46 & #47)
These two telegrams, signed by Dean Rusk but cleared by Ball, instruct the Embassy to study the possibility of initiating contacts with the NLF "...by someone who disclaims any official connection and whose reference to official US views would be in terms of his impression of thinking in Washington..."
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