Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, Asia and the Pacific, Volume VI, Part 1

751G.5/3–1151: Telegram

The Minister at Saigon (Heath) to the Secretary of State

top secret
niact

Saigon, March 11, 1951—7 p. m.

1602. Urgent for Ambassador or Bonsal.¹ If you see no objections please transmit urgently following message from me to: General Eisenhower.

General de Lattre de Tassingny expects arrive Paris Thursday, March 15. Main purpose his trip is obtain for 1951 the reinforcements about which he recently wrote you.² He asks me to inform you that he would greatly appreciate your receiving him for few moments early Friday, March 16. I understand he wishes explain necessity of reinforcements at this time and bespeak your understanding and possible support of his point of view. He suggests that there be no publicity about this first visit to you; in his words that he would call “incognito”. Later, if you are agreeable, he would like call formally and publicly to pay his respects. His reason for making first visit incognito is that his call on you would precede his call on the President of the Republic and President of Council of Ministers and if that fact became known it might arouse criticism.

I believe that you receiving him as requested would be most helpful to our problem and situation here. Would appreciate your replying urgently by cable through Embassy. Regards. Heath American Minister. End message to Eisenhower.

I hope Embassy will push Delattre’s request,³ perhaps giving Eisenhower copy my immediately following telegram.⁴

Sent niact Paris 692, repeated information Department 1602.

Heath

1. Philip W. Bonsai, Counselor of the Embassy in France with personal rank of Minister.
2. Letter not found in the Department of State files.

3. Telegram 4729 to Paris for Ambassador Bruce, March 11, repeated to Saigon for information as telegram 1175, read as follows:

   “With re to 1602 Mch 11 from Saigon, while not objecting to delivery Heath’s msge to Gen Eisenhower, Dept’s belief is that Delattre shld not be encouraged to try to secure commitments from Gen Eisenhower before he consults his own Govt; Moreover, that visits of this sort without approval of French Govt might prove embarrassing in our relations with other French mil and pol figures. Dept of course defers to Gen Eisenhower’s judgment in the matter but Emb shld not ‘push Delattre’s request’.” (751G/3–1151)

   In telegram 851 to Saigon, March 12, repeated to the Department as telegram 5321, Ambassador Bruce stated that the message had been conveyed to General Eisenhower and that “while General would, of course, be very happy to receive De Lattre openly after his arrival Paris, could not agree to a visit on any kind of incognito or clandestine basis.” (751G.5/3–1251)

4. Telegram 1603 from Saigon, sent to Paris as telegram 693, March 11, not printed, contained Heath’s account of an extended exposé of the military situation presented to him by General de Lattre de Tassigny on the evening of March 10 (751G.5/3–1151). See telegram 1608, p. 394, for a brief summary.