740.0011 P.W./11–344
Memorandum by President Roosevelt to the Under Secretary of State (Stettinius)
Washington, November 3,
1944.
I have yours of November second, enclosing memorandum on recent developments in relation to Indo-China. I wish you would make it clear that:
- 1.
- We must not give American approval to any French military mission, as it appears we have done in the first sentence of the first paragraph.
- 2.
- Referring to the third paragraph, it must be made clear to all our people in the Far East that they can make no decisions on political questions with the French mission or anyone else.
- 3.
- We have made no final decisions on the future of Indo-China. This should be made clear.
- 4.
- In the final paragraph it is stated the British and Dutch have arrived at an agreement in regard to the future of Southeast Asia and are about to bring the French into the picture. It should be made clear to all our people that the United States expects to be consulted with regard to any future of Southeast Asia. I have no objection to this being made clear to the British, the Dutch or the French.
F[ranklin] D. R[oosevelt]