Frank had the heavy task of condensing into paper report what President Johnson had done, after several weeks of discussion with his cabinet, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the National Security Council, and a variety of other advisor, which most definitely included Barrington Gilberts. The President’s decision on the Saigon situation was finalised. Frank noted the time of Johnson’s address to the nation. Following the course of events since meeting with Khrushchev, with the Russian leader’s declaring that the Soviet Union would never allow the United States to overrule Vietnam by force, Johnson’s resistance to this was firm. A series of steps for increasing military readiness was announced. Initially, Johnson proposed asking Congress for an appropriation of $3.3 billion for the armed forces, over
