Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, General: Economic and Political Matters, Volume I, Part 2

460.509/6–1854

The Director of Foreign Operations (Stassen) to the President of the Board of Trade of the United Kingdom (Thorneycroft)¹

secret

Washington, June 18, 1954.

You will recall that in my last message to you,² and in reply to your proposal that currently agreed items should be decontrolled approximately 20 June, I stated for given reasons I had to reserve my position.

Since the next two weeks may be the crucial period in the Hanoi Delta, and the further period is unpredictable, I should like to advise you that until the situation with respect to Indo-China becomes more clear, I must withhold my concurrence to the decontrol of items agreed for deletion.

I trust that your appraisal of the seriousness of that situation has led you to the same conclusion.

I am sending a copy of this message to M. Schumann.

1. This message was transmitted in telegram 6958 to London, June 18, 1954.
2. Dated June 5, p. 1176.