Newscaster Edward R. Murrow
On the Leadership Crisis in South Vietnam
May 4, 1955

The crisis in South Vietnam is getting worse. Some 700 local and regional officials from all parts of the country came to Saigon today, trying to decide whether to oust Emperor Bao Dai, or whether just to oblige him to yield his power to Premier Diem. They could decide to set up a constitutional monarchy with Bao Dai as merely a sort of figurehead ruler. Bao Dai, who is still on the French Riviera, today asked Diem to disavow all action taken by what he termed, "the seditious minority, which is far from representing our people, and risks being carried away by the Communists."

In this confused situation, a spokesman for our State Department said it's not true, of a constitutional monarchy in free Vietnam. He said, "it's up to the Vietnamese to resolve their own problems and decide their own form of government." Nevertheless, Secretary of State Dulles is apparently still determined to keep Diem in office.

The French, and Bao Dai, claim that Diem's so-called Revolutionary Committee has been infiltrated by the Communists. American authorities say privately that this is just not true.

So, we seem to have a four-cornered situation: Premier Diem and his supporters, Emperor Bao Dai, the French, and the Americans. Apparently, no two of the four can agree as to what should be done. If Diem should proclaim a republic and ask for recognition, the French have threatened to pull out their troops and wash their hands of the whole mess. If this happens, we will inherit the mess.