851G.00/5–2046: Circular telegram
The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Officers48
D’Argenlieu to meet President Vietnam soon prior departure French, Vietnam delegs Paris for final negotiations re governmental structure Indochina and Vietnam’s status therein. French propose federal organization under High Commissioner who exercise French Union’s powers and with Assembly initiate federal legislation. Assembly composed 10 French members, 10 members each from Tonkin, Annam, Cochinchina, Laos, Cambodia. Each state form own govt, elect Parliament, vote own constitution, recruit defense army, fix budget, organize administration, enact internal laws. Vietnam counter-proposal would limit federal powers to customs policy currency and supplies coordination, would place relations between Vietnam and federation on status international relations with High Commissioner as ambassador to federation’s member states.
- At Nanking and The Hague. This telegram was based on telegrams 160, May 14, 1946, 3 p.m., and 163, May 15, from Saigon, neither printed.↩