751G.00/12–2951: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bruce) to the Secretary of State
priority
3856. Embtel 3823, Dec 27, rptd, Saigon 224, London 1014.1 Foreign Office has given us aide-mémoire dated December 28 setting forth French Govt reply questions outlined Deptel 3613, December 21 [20] and additional comment, informal translation of which follows:2
“I. French command know military potential Viet Minh forces and follows its development closely. It knows these forces already benefit from Chinese aid in form equipment and material all kinds, advisers and technicians in Tonkin and training Viet Minh units or personnel in Chinese territory. There is, therefore, already certain Chinese Communist intervention Indochina, such intervention preserving for time being more or less concealed character.
“In order define criteria according which justification wld exist for considering there is attack or aggression against Indochina by Communist China, French Govt cld take into account either effectiveness Chinese intervention or form under which it appears.
“From last point view French Govt wld be justified denouncing Chinese aggression especially in following cases:
“Intervention by air forces under conditions such that their take-off from bases in Chinese territory cld not be technically contested (for example, medium or heavy bombers, modern or jet pursuits, for which no air strip now exists in Viet zone);
“Penetration maritime forces Indochina territorial waters when they clearly originate only from home ports outside Indochina peninsula;
“Identification Chinese combatants, volunteers or not, as individual reinforcements or as units incorporated among enemy forces.
“From point view effectiveness, Chinese intervention under present forms can be intensified to point of” upsetting, to Viet advantage, equilibrium of opposing forces out of proportion to known possibilities of Viet alone. French Govt in this case wld also consider Chinese intervention as genuine aggression.
“II. As French Govt has already made known to US Govt, it wld, [Page 581] in these eventualities, appeal to UN. It wld do so in agreement with Associate States Govts and wld not fail to consult beforehand with US and UK.
“III. It wld ask China be declared aggressor and immediate application to China of political and economic sanctions under UN Charter. Finally it wld request member states to have their available forces participate in defense Indochina territory.
“IV. If its request met Security Council veto, French wld request meeting GA.
“V. It is essentially on Atlantic Pact member countries and British Commonwealth dominions of white race, as well as SEA countries more directly threatened by Chinese aggression, that French Govt wld consider itself able to count principally for conduct military action recommended by UN. It wld furthermore anticipate adherence to other measures by all UN member states which have decided oppose Communist bloc aggressions in Asia and elsewhere in world.
“French recourse to UN wld be effected without prejudice to requests for immediate aid by French to US and UK.
“Massive increase Chinese aid to Viet wld clearly create situation whose sudden aggravation wld not permit awaiting development slow UN procedures and wld call for immediate decisions on strategic plane.
“In contrary sense, it might happen that Chinese intervention wld be of character insufficiently defined to have UN decision interpose without very long discussion on real character Chinese aggression while extremely grave threat hanging over expeditionary corps.
“With this double hypothesis in view French Govt continues consider necessary speedy implementation Singapore conference recommendations.
“It is not unaware such implementation poses certain number important problems for Washington as well as London, and it is with view facilitating their solution that French Govt has supported British suggestion prior Rome conference have meeting three powers Chiefs of Staff.3
“French Govt can, therefore, only confirm to US Govt its very keen desire have such conference convened immediately.” End verbatim text.
Foreign Office tells us aide-mémoire approved by Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Minister Associates States and stresses highly classified nature information therein. With reference SEA countries French Govt wld expect support military action, Foreign Office explains it wld expect such support only from Philippines and Thailand and apparently is dubious re support it wld obtain on any measures in UN from Burma, India, Pakistan and Indonesia.
Embassy is forwarding original text by air pouch. Both this telegram and original text being furnished UsDel.
Dept pass Saigon. Sent Dept 3856, rptd info Saigon 229, London 1027.