Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, Asia and the Pacific, Volume VI, Part 1

611.51G/9–1151

Memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (Marshall)¹

top secret

Washington, 31 August 1951.

Subject: Washington Foreign Ministers Meetings (Tripartite Talks) Draft Position Paper (WFMT–13a, Dated 25 August 1951) Entitled “Additional Aid to Indochina.”²

The Joint Chiefs of Staff have reviewed the Department of State draft position paper, subject as above, and concur in those parts of the paper having military implications, subject to the following:

Change subparagraph C under paragraph II, U.S. Objective, to read (changes indicated in the usual manner):

“C. To make clear that U.S. aid to Indochina is necessarily among other things conditioned by U.S. global commitments and available resources and manpower.”

Reason: For clarity and to avoid any possible implication that United States armed forces might be committed to Indochina.

For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

General Omar N. Bradley

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

1. In a letter of September 11 transmitting this memorandum to Secretary of State Acheson, Secretary Marshall indicated that it represented the position of the Department of Defense. (611.51G/9–1151)
2. Not printed. Regarding the Washington Foreign Ministers meetings, see footnote 2, p. 491.