751G.00/3–3154: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in India1
1139. Embtel 1487.2 On March 30 I explained to Indian Ambassador grave concern with which we view possibility extension of communist control through Southeast Asia.3
He asked me what I meant in Overseas Press Club speech by reference “united action”. I informed him I did not wish specify what I [Page 1218] had in mind, but that military action was always the last resort. United action might involve a UN consideration of the question or possibly countries in the area might exchange views. I said I hoped military activity would not spread but that this possibility was not excluded; my feeling was this would not occur. I said I did not consider a peaceful settlement could be acceptable if it meant a giveaway of Indochina to the communists. We cannot be content with mere promises and we would not make any down payments until time and communist action had provided evidence of good intentions.
In response to question about possibility of French declaration of intention I pointed out French had issued declaration last July.
FYI Believe it important for tactical reasons that at present we should not make plain our intentions in suggesting united action, and in any case nature of such action still under consideration.
- Drafted by William L. S. Williams and Nicholas G. Thacher of the Office of South Asian Affairs.↩
- Dated Mar. 31, p. 1193.↩
- A memorandum of the conversation of Mar. 30 between Secretary Dulles and Ambassador G. L. Mehta, drafted by Williams of SOA, is in Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation, lot 64 D 199.↩