Office of the Historian

751G.00/8–251: Telegram

The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Holmes) to the Secretary of State

secret
London, August 2, 1951—4 p. m.

692. Dept may have failed to notice report of alleged speech by Joliot-Curie1 to World Peace Conference2 on July 20 in which he is quoted by Tass as stating:

“This important event (Korean negotiations) instills a great hope among a vast number of honest people … it is important that … negotiations to end the war in Vietnam be started. Now more than ever before must we intensify the struggle for realizing our appeal and this will lead to the triumphs of the spirit of peaceful negotiations over the disastrous striving to gain decisions by violence.”

It wld seem such an important statement cld hardly have been made by him without clearance from high quarters, certainly from Moscow and perhaps other world capitals.3 Perhaps USSR and CPG wld wish wind up shooting war in Indochina as well as in Korea in hope of later “peaceful penetration.” Judging from reports from Saigon, [Page 469] prospect of peaceful settlement with Ho Chi Minh might strike responsive chord among Fr authorities some of whom seem anxious for any solution which wld permit their graceful exit from present costly and unpopular impasse.

Dept pass Saigon. Sent Dept 692; rptd info Paris 257, Moscow 14, Saigon 3.

Holmes
  1. Professor Frédéric Joliot-Curie, French High Commissioner for Atomic Energy, 1946–1950.↩
  2. Documentation on the Soviet-sponsored World Peace Conference is scheduled for publication in volume iv.↩

  3. Telegram 216 from Moscow, August 6, in which Ambassador Alan G. Kirk commented on the above telegram, read as follows:

    “Emb confident as suggested in reftel that Joliot-Curie statement (at Helsinki WPC meeting) re Vietnam negots not made without previous consultation Moscow, wherein he visited shortly before attending Helsinki. Previous WPC refs to Vietnam include: (1) WPC Berlin (1951) res on ‘struggle for peace in colonies and dependencies’; (2) Nenni WPC Berlin speech which stated ‘as in Korea, so in Vietnam the war is continuing owing to the absence of an authority capable of compelling cessation hostilities and resort to mediation’, and which mentioned burden of war on France. WPC (Warsaw November 1, 1950) address to UN called for ‘cessation hostilities against Vietnam Republic’. Vietnam rep at Warsaw congress, trans-Tanh [sic], made rather aggressive speech including refs to Vietnam counter offensive, but subsequent military events plus present Kor negots may well have increased Vietnam desire negots.” (751G.00/8–651)

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