Office of the Historian

751G.5 MAP/4–1950

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Military Assistance, Department of Defense (Lemnitzer), to the Director of the Mutual Defense Assistance Program (Bruce)

top secret
Washington, April 19, 1950.

Subject: Military Assistance for Indo-China

1.
The Department of Defense has completed a study to determine those initial increments of military assistance which should be furnished Indo-China as a matter of urgency. Contained herein are the formal views and recommendations of the Department of Defense on this subject.
2.
From the military point of view, the key area in Southeast Asia for stopping the spread of communism, is Indo-China. In view of this fact the Department of Defense recommends the provision of initial increments of military assistance for Indo-China as a matter of urgency and on a shipment priority higher than any other military assistance program. The maximum immediate assistance can be given by the implementation of the following two parallel projects:
a.
The diversion, subject to French concurrence, of the second shipment of 40 U.S. Naval aircraft for France to Indo-China by the French aircraft carrier Dixmude at an estimated total cost of $6,500,000. Sixty days are required to get these planes, spare parts and the ammunition ready for delivery to Indo-China after approval of the project. It is also pointed out that such diversion would entail a delay of three to four months in delivery of replacements of the 40 Naval aircraft to France.
b.
The provision, within thirty to sixty days, of all available high priority items of military assistance requested by the French for Indo-China, [Page 788] from available U.S. military stocks at an estimated total cost of $9,799,680 (Inclosure 1).1
The items referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) above are now being entered on Form DD318 and will be forwarded to the Department of State at the earliest possible date.
3.
It is further recommended that the Secretary of State forward, as soon as possible, to the President, a request to increase the allocation for military assistance to Thailand and Indo-China from $25 million to $27 million to permit the accomplishment of the projects described above without affecting the currently proposed $10 million program for Thailand, and that immediate action be taken to allocate to the Department of Defense the funds necessary to initiate supply action on the Indo-China program. This increase of $2 million will provide funds for high priority items only and it appears probable that, from a military point of view, funds over and above the $27 million herein requested will be required for the Indo-China Program.
4.
From a military point of view, the military assistance recommended herein should, as an interim policy, be delivered to the French authorities in French Indo-China with such participation by the representatives of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia as the Secretary of State may deem appropriate. It is further recommended that such military assistance as may be provided, be further subjected to observation and supervision by a U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group. The Group should be aided by such temporary mobile training teams as may be required.
5.
It is recognized that the political situation in Indo-China may require special arrangements regarding the transfer of equipment and the relationship of U.S. military personnel with the representatives of the French Government and the native governments. The Department of Defense, therefore, requires immediate guidance from the Department of State as to the latter’s views regarding such arrangements in order that detailed plans may be worked out in connection with the shipment and transfer of equipment and size, composition and functions of the Advisory Group.
6.
If initial assistance is to be provided to Indo-China as a matter of urgency it is requested that the Department of State at the earliest possible date:
a.
Indicate its approval to the recommendations contained in paragraphs (2), (3) and (4) above.
b.
Take immediate action to make the necessary funds available to the Department of Defense.
c.
Advise the Department of Defense of its views regarding the arrangements that are to be made in connection with the transfer of equipment and the responsibility of U.S. military personnel to French and Indo-Chinese authorities.
L. L. Lemnitzer

Major General, U.S. Army
  1. The 10-page enclosure, not printed, consisted of a list titled “Initial Increments of Military Assistance for Early Shipment Based Upon Partial French Lists of Military Assistance Items for Indo-China.”↩