Office of the Historian

795.00/6–2650: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Bruce) to the Secretary of State

secret
priority
Paris, June 26, 1950—9 p. m.
[Received June 26—6:15 p. m.]

3118. Saw Parodi1 tonight at his request. He read me telegram from Massigli2 reporting latter’s conversations with British Foreign Office. Gist of report was that British seemed rather calm over Korean episode, were busy analyzing Russian motives and because of their Far Eastern commitments, especially Hong Kong and Malaya, would be unable to make any military contribution to South Korea. Parodi disappointed over what he considers phlegmatic British attitude and puzzled over reasons their amendment requiring time-consuming report from UNCOK.3 Parodi said that in absence of a French Government, any views expressed by him were personal, but that he hoped US would send American troops and throw back Northern assault. Further, he believed that if such action were taken, the Russians would not send their own troops to attack ours or use our action as a reason to wage war there or elsewhere. If we do not send American troops, he thinks Korea will quickly be overrun and Western prestige irretrievably impaired. Bidault4 compares situation [Page 176] at present to Hitler tactics in 1938 and 1939 and the plucking of the leaves of an artichoke. Parodi expressed grave concern at repercussions in Indochina in event all Korea fell to Communist forces, a sentiment known to be fully shared and strongly expressed earlier today by Pignon.5

We will repeat all messages this subject to London, HICOG, Moscow and hope they will keep us similarly informed.

Department pass Moscow. Repeated information London 879, Moscow 118, Frankfort 441.

Bruce
  1. Alexandre Parodi, Secretary General of the French Foreign Ministry.↩
  2. René Massigli, French Ambassador in the United Kingdom.↩
  3. Reference is to the British amendment (S/1498) to the U.S. draft resolution (S/1497) introduced at the June 25 meeting of the U.N. Security Council; for the record of the proceedings, see U.N. document S/PV.473.↩
  4. Georges Bidault had been French Prime Minister from October 28, 1949 until June 24, 1950.↩
  5. Léon Pignon, French High Commissioner in Indochina, was at this time in France.↩