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Despite all misgivings, the U.S. still stands behind Diem for a simple reason that he himself spelled out in a blunt warning last week: "For a moment, imagine that another government replaces this one: it could not help resulting in civil war and dreadful dictatorship." Washington has considered alternatives to Diem, but fears that the confusion of a coup could only benefit the Viet Cong and might end up with a regime no better than the present one. Thus U.S. Ambassador Frederick Nolting, who is soon to be replaced by Henry Cabot Lodge, returned to Saigon from Washington consultations last week with a personal message of confidence for Diem from John Kennedy. But Nolting also lightly rapped Diem on the knuckles for letting the Buddhist crisis continue. "The U.S. stands for and supports freedom of religion for all people," he said. "It would be a tragedy if the gains against the Viet Cong were wiped out by dissensions among Vietnamese citizens, who desire above all freedom of choice for themselves and for their country."
* Watching one Buddhist demonstration in Saigon last week, nine U.S. reporters were jostled by government police and had their cameras smashed. The cops said the reporters had started the row. The vociferously anti-Diem U.S. press corps in Saigon protested to President Kennedy.