851G.00/8–3147: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
3542. For Department’s eyes only. Chauvel3 told me last evening that on condition it was not disclosed to our representatives in Indochina he would tell me about the present plans of the French Government for Indochina. He gave me an account of the recent difficulties within the French Government as to whether or not Bollaert should make a speech and if he made the speech what he should say. It was finally decided that he should make the speech on September 7. He will say that it is up to the populations of the three Kys to decide whether or not they want to “fuse” the Governments of the three Kys, and in any event for foreign affairs and defense “Indochina would act as a unit within the French Union”. Otherwise the speech will be along the vague lines set out in my 3419 of August 23.4 On September 17 he will set up provisional governments in the three Kys. Chauvel asked Bollaert if these would be puppet governments. Bollaert said no, they would be representative governments, but did [Page 134] not say exactly how he would bring that about. Chauvel asked Bollaert if the present government in Cochin-China would continue. He replied “probably”.
Chauvel then saisd, “What will you do next?” Bollaert replied, “Obviously if we negotiate with Ho Chi Minh, that will inevitably end in setting up a Soviet state in Indochina and we will be ousted. Strong sentiment has developed recently in favor of Bao Dai and practically everyone who is not pro-Communist is turning towards him, not that they think highly of Bao Dai, but because they are afraid of the Communists and he is the only man in sight we can build up to face Ho Chi Minh and his Communist gang. Therefore, inevitably the provisional governments in the Kys will desire to enter into communication with Bao Dai, and if negotiations with him progress he will eventually be invited to return as head of the three Kys.”
Chauvel went on to say that the French are not enthusiastic about Bao Dai. When he was Emperor he took little or no interest in government affairs, preferring “to play tennis and drive his car and stay a lot around the palace with his wife, to whom he is devoted”.
I repeat that Chauvel stressed the top secret character of this information.
- Jean Chauvel, Secretary-General of the French Foreign Office.↩
- Telegram not printed; the lines set forth were as follows: “a) Form in which union of the three Vietnam provinces is to be achieved, b) the question of separate diplomatic relations, c) the question of joint federal services in Indochina, d) question of how the overall authority of France is to be exercised, which of course includes question of military bases.” (851G.00/8–2347)↩