Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western Europe and Canada, Volume VI, Part 2

751G.00/6–1854: Telegram

No. 639
The Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State¹

top secret
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Paris, June 18, 1954—1 p.m.

4914. Limit distribution. I delivered President’s letter² personally to Coty at 12:15 today. Coty was most pleased with the contents of the letter and said it had come at a most opportune time. He asked me to thank the President and said he would send him a personal answer very promptly.

Coty then said that it was true that there had been a certain amount of misunderstanding between France and the U.S. regarding Indochina, but that he wanted to make it clear that he fully realized that France bore a full share of responsibility for any such misunderstanding.

He then spoke highly of Mendes-France and said that it should be possible to obtain clear cut statements of position from him, which would be helpful in dispelling misunderstanding. He particularly praised Mendes-France’s categoric refusal to accept Communist support for his investiture and said that it was the strong position that Mendes-France had taken on this subject, applauded by all anti-Communist parties in the National Assembly, which had given the necessary impetus to his candidacy to assure his investiture.

Regarding publication of the letter, Coty felt that it would be most helpful to have it publicized but said that he would like to discuss it with Mendes-France this afternoon, after which he would let us have his definite feelings on the matter. I told him that when I received his views I would communicate promptly with Washington and get the views of my government regarding publication.

I personally feel that the letter is excellent and that it would be helpful to have it publicized. I hope that arrangements can be made for its immediate release should Coty so desire.³

Dillon

1. Repeated to Geneva eyes only for Under Secretary Smith, who was there to attend the Geneva Conference.
2. Reference is to President Eisenhower’s letter to President Coty on June 18 giving him courage “in these troubled days” of the French Government crisis. For the text of this letter, see Department of State Bulletin, June 28, 1954, pp. 990–991. For the text of President Coty’s reply of June 23, see ibid., July 5, 1954, pp. 13–14.
3. President Eisenhower’s letter was released to the press by the White House on June 18.