ROSTOW LUNCHEON -- THURSDAY, 30 DECEMBER 1965

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01720R000500020016-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2004
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: January 21, 1966
• Content Type: MFR

Approved. Release idk3l: CIA-RDP8Og4MDR000500020016-4
21 January 1966
i AIQ M FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT Rostov Luncheon -- Thursday, 30 December 1965
PERSONS PRESENT s
lam. Wait W. Bestow
Mr. Alain Enthoven, DoD
Mr. Adam Tarmolinsky, DoD
Mr. Fred kyle, DoD
W. Desmond FitzGerald, CIA
Mr. George A. Carver, Jr., CIA
General Goodpaster, JCS
General Lansdale
Mr. U. Alexis Johnson, State
Cdr. Jean Fitzgerald, DoD
Mr. Harold Saunders, NSC Staff
3r. Leonard Unger, State
Mr. Samuel Berger, State
Col. Robert Qinsburgh, State
Mr. Robert Johnson, state
1. At the discussion session which preceeded the actual
luncheon, Mr. Rostow developed the thesis which he subsequently
wrote up and circulated as a memorandum entitled "Su'' y of
Statement on Politics of Development and Vietnam," 3 January
1966. His esseutietl argtsnenis that, in broad e operational
terms, the most prcmising general
problems of underdeveloped countries is to be found in the
creation of a "big, national -- but not monopolistic ---
political party;" that this is particularly true in the
case of Vietnam; and that the Vietnam situation has a nber
of parallels to the situation existing in Korea, f'ran which
profitable lessons can be learned.
2. The general discussion following Mr. Rostow's
presentation picked up, amplified, and batted about various
detailed points in his argument. His general thesis was
not severely attacked, but then -it hardly classes as a
revolutionary new idea. It was pointed out that a distinction
needs to be drawn between a mass political organization and
an actual political party, the latter requiring a certain
legal and institutional framework within which to operate --
a framework which does not now exist in Vietnam. There were
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some reservations taken about the direct applicability of
certain Latin American exemples cited by Mr. Rostov, but
on the whole such criticism as was voiced against his was
directed largely at points of detail. Ambassador Berger
took the flow and gave a lucid resume of the Korean
experience in political development over the past five
years calling attention to those aspects which were and
those which were not directly relevant to the situation
in South Vietnam.
3. After the general discussion: the meeting broke
up for a luncheon which was hosted by Mr. Rostov and attended
by Undersecretary Johnson, Ambassador tiger, General Lansdale,
General Goodpaster, Mr. PitzGerald, and Mr. Carver. The
heon conversation wan highly informal and devoted
Primarily to questioning General Lansdale about his assessment
of the current political scene in nth Vietnam. He was,
on the vb01*, extremely optimistic, somewhat more to then
I Would consider warranted by the actual situation. He had
ICy and for General Thong
describing
,
the former as a barn politician 3 natural leader and the
latter as a very premising head of the GVR's pacification
effort.
tGE A. CARVER, JR.
Vietaumese Affairs Staff
o/DcI/SAVA/VAS:GAC:jag:20Jan66
Distribution:
trig DDI
I - Mr. de Silva
VAS Chrono
1 - Mr. Carver t
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