851G.00/1–647: Telegram
The Vice Consul at Hanoi ( O’Sullivan ) to the Secretary of State
6. Sainteny told me in recent interview that policy of France in northern Indochina is: a. to restore order; after order is restored, to allow Vietnamese to choose govt they desire, altho he said govt Vietnamese selected would have to respect accords signed.
From recent conversations with various officials and military officers, it is apparent that they are agreed a period of military operations will be necessary. There is disagreement on length of such period but all agree it may be very long, at least 6 months to year.
There is no agreement among them on what will follow period of military operations, that is on what kind of govt will result in northern Indochina.
Repeat to Paris.