851G.00/9–1547: Telegram
The Vice Consul at Hanoi (O’Sullivan) to the Secretary of State
291. At his request, I called on Bollaert this afternoon. After exchange pleasantries, he talked of Indochina. Said he thought Ho Chi Minh had lost ground past 6 months but that he unsure this giant [meant] gain for Bao Dai. He said he thought peasants really wanted only security, order, peace, that politics were played only by small group elite.
He asked my impressions country. I said unfamiliar Cochin-China, that Tonkin composed 7,000 villages, each one closed entity, that had seen only few of them, that was impressed by difficulties discovering sentiment people. I noted, however, that educational program, as I had seen it last year, was very widely developed and I believed it possible sentiment villages might well be profoundly affected.
He said he had stopped at various places during his several trips to and from France (Cairo, Karachi, New Delhi, Rangoon, Calcutta) and that he found situations with which that of Indochina compared favorably.
He asked whether I had noted any connection between Viet Nam and Moscow. I replied that while I considered Ho was Nguyen Ai Quoc and that I thought there was Chinese Red network in Hong Kong [Haiphong?], I was unable discover any direct connection Viet Nam and Moscow. He said he agreed with me and that he was unable himself to find any direct connection. However, he warned that US [Page 137] should be wary Rusian influence in Asia and pointed Russian representation India and Singapore.
He said was prepared remove French administrators when local government so requested, that if independence came too quickly to any people disorder resulted. I asked if that meant France was prepared to give Viet Nam independence at some future time date when people more prepared. He promptly hedged and said that when people learned to use liberty they would be given more. He added he was preparing statute for currency emitting agency of which all states would be represented. He concluded he thought Viet Namese gave impression being disappointed with his Hadong speech. He noted however that so far he had detected no questioning of his good faith in what he promised.
Had distinct impression that he felt revolutionary sentiment was declining, that the [he] prepared play waiting game long time if necessary.
Copy sent Saigon air courier.
Repeat to Paris.