A pragmatist, McNaughton understood that only one aspect of the war effort was not a double-edged sword and could make the difference in the long term: the effort to turn South Vietnam into a viable political society, able to withstand the North's assault with U. S. help. In March 1965, McNaughton told President Johnson that while such efforts might not pay off quickly enough to affect the present ominous deterioration, some may, and we are dealing here in small critical margins. Furthermore, such investment essential to provide a foundation for the longer run.