Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Indochina, Volume XIII, Part 1

751G.00/3–2354

Memorandum by the Secretary of State to the President¹

top secret

[Washington,] March 23, 1954.

Subject:

• Indochina Situation

Admiral Radford brought to see me today General Ely and General Valluy. Also, the Chargé d’Affaires of the French Embassy, Mr. Daridan, was present.

In the course of the conversation, General Ely stated that he was submitting a written question to the United States Government asking an answer whether, if the Chinese Communists sent jet fighters into Indochina, the United States would take steps to combat them in the air with its own air force.

I said that I would not, of course, attempt to answer that question. I did, however, think it appropriate to remind our French friends that if the United States sent its flag and its own military establishment—land, sea or air—into the Indochina war, then the prestige of the United States would be engaged to a point where we would want to have a success. We could not afford thus to engage the prestige of the United States and suffer a defeat which would have worldwide repercussions.

I said that if the French wanted our open participation in the Indochina war, I thought that they ought also to consider that this might involve a greater degree of partnership than had prevailed up to the present time, notably in relation to independence for the Associated States and the training of indigenous forces.

Mr. Daridan asked just what kind of an arrangement I had in mind. I said I did not have any particular arrangement in mind and was not proposing any negotiation. I was merely raising certain broad considerations of principle which perhaps should be in the background of our thinking and planning.

I am having prepared a full memorandum of the conversation.² The foregoing covers the high points.

John Foster Dulles

1. A handwritten notation on the source text indicates that this memorandum was delivered to the White House on Mar. 23. The text, with the exception of the last sentence, was transmitted to Paris in telegram 3277 of Mar. 23, for the Ambassador’s eyes only from the Secretary. Ambassador Dillon was advised that this information was being held very closely in Washington and was for his information only. The telegram was repeated for information to Saigon as 1751. (751G.5/3–2354)
2. Infra.