Editorial Note
On January 29, René Pleven, Premier of France, arrived in Washington for conversations with President Truman. Three meetings were held during which the situation in the Far East, European problems, and United States military and economic assistance to France received consideration. Among those participating in the discussions for the United States were the Secretaries of State, Defense, and the Treasury; General of the Army Omar N. Bradley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Ambassador Bruce; and Minister Heath. French participants included Jules Moch, Minister of National Defense; General of the Armies Alphonse Pierre Juin, Resident General in Morocco; Alexandre Parodi, Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Henri Bonnet, French Ambassador in the United States. The minutes of the three meetings, the final communiqué issued on January 30, and Other documentation on the conference are scheduled for publication in volume IV.
Secretary of State Acheson summarized the results of the conversations in a report to the National Security Council, document NSC 105, February 23. Here follows the portion of that report devoted to [Page 367] discussions on the Far East, particularly Indochina. The passages quoted within the report were taken from the communiqué.
“Far East
4. a. ‘The President and the Prime Minister found themselves in complete agreement as to the necessity of resisting aggression and assisting the free nations of the Far East in their efforts to maintain their security and assure their independence.’ The U.S. and France should not over-commit themselves militarily in the Far East and thereby endanger the situation in Europe.
b. ‘The President and the Prime Minister agreed that continuous contact should be maintained between the interested nations on these problems.’ The Prime Minister’s suggestion to create a U.S., U.K., French consultative body to coordinate the three governments’ Asiatic policies was not accepted by the President, who preferred to rely on existing mechanisms.
c. ‘The situation in Korea was discussed and they concurred that every effort must be exerted to bring about an honorable solution there. Until that end can be accomplished, resistance by United Nations forces to aggression must continue. Both France and the United States will support action directed toward deterring aggression and toward preventing the spread of hostilities beyond Korea.’
d. With regard to Indochina, ‘the Prime Minister declared that France was determined to do its utmost to continue’ its efforts to resist ‘the Communist onslaught in order to maintain the security and independence of the Associated States, Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Laos.’
e. It was desirable to build up the native Indochinese forces as rapidly as possible. We held out no hope for the provision of U.S. budgetary assistance for the National Army in Indochina. We cannot become directly involved in local budgetary deficits of other countries.
f. ‘The President informed the Prime Minister that United States aid for the French Union forces and for the National Armies of the Associated States will continue, and that the increased quantities of material to be delivered under the program authorized for the current fiscal year will be expedited.’ Additional measures for U.S. aid to Indochina included: (1) an indication of our willingness to relax the original restrictions placed on the use by the French of the U.S. aircraft carrier Langley in the Mediterranean in view of our inability to provide another U.S. carrier for service in Indochina; and (2) an agreement to study the possibility of reallocating funds now available in an effort to provide equipment for four Vietnamese divisions.
g. The President said that the United States was agreeable to U.S., U.K., French military consultations on Indochinese matters.
h. In the event of a Chinese Communist attack on Indochina, the U.S. desires to assist in the evacuation of French forces if such action becomes necessary. The extent of the aid would be limited by other demands on our forces, such as Korea, which exist at the time any request for assistance is made.” (S/S Files: Lot 63D351: NSC 105 Series)