Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Indochina, Volume XIII, Part 1

FE files, lot 58 D 258, “Indochina”

Memorandum by the Officer in Charge of Vietnam–Laos–Cambodia Affairs (Hoey) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Allison)¹

secret

[Washington,] March 16, 1953.

Subject:

• Visit of Working Group to Paris March 8–13²

The Working Group which visited Paris from March 8–13 has now returned and we have documentation of the replies submitted by the French to the lists of economic and military questions which were previously submitted to the French for their replies.

The documents are now being translated and will be reproduced for our use in discussing Indochinese problems with the French Ministerial Mission later this month.

There were no political questions as such put forward by the Working Group since it was recognized that matters of broad policy would have to be reserved for talks at the Ministerial level. However, the information developed will be of considerable interest to us not only in preparing for the Ministerial Talks, but to indicate the general French line of reasoning with respect to Indochina. The major pertinent points are summarized below:

1) The augmentation of the Viet-Nam National Army by 40,000 additional troops during the balance of calendar 1953 has already begun with the call-up of 10,000 men during March. Subsequent increments will develop the total number by the Fall of 1953. The cost of pay, maintenance and training of these troops will be jointly borne by the French and Vietnamese Governments with no anticipated French request for U.S. funds for this purpose. A request has been made to Defense through MAAG, Saigon, for U.S. carbines, machine guns and ammunition for the new units, but supply action has not yet begun. In the interim, the French Union Army in Indochina is advancing to the Vietnamese Army Program the necessary arms and equipment to set up the training camps and to initially equip the units produced therefrom. Upon the arrival of U.S. equipment the loaned equipment will be returned to the French Union stores.

2) The 40,000 additional troops planned are in addition to the regular program of eight Divisions for the National Army of Viet-Nam. This regular program has by now developed five “divisions” (actually with only one Division Headquarters), with the sixth scheduled to be activated by the end of 1953. By mid-1954 the balance of the eight are expected to be activated, less certain administrative and supply functions.

3) Although never stated definitely, it was certainly put forward by implication that the United States will be requested to supply funds for the pay and maintenance of any future augmentation of a similar type during calendar 1954. Tentative Franco–Vietnamese plans for calendar 1954 now call for an additional 40,000 increase over the regular program, but this figure may be raised depending upon the success of the 1953 Program as well as upon the U.S. reaction to a request for monetary assistance. In addition, the United States would be called upon to supply matériel equipment for such a future force.

4) The Franco–Vietnamese military authorities have drawn up a definite plan to substantially increase during 1953 officer and NCO cadres for the additional army units.

5) The French Union Army has a plan, which will be explained during the Ministerial Talks, of gradual turnover to the Vietnamese Army of authority in portions of South, Central and North Viet-Nam now administered by the French Union Forces.

6) There may be additional requests made on the United States during the balance of calendar 1953 for transport aircraft over and above that now requested.

7) On the economic side, the French gave the Working Group considerable useful information and data concerning the French military budget as well as general economic information which had not previously been available. Paris telegram No. 5068 attached summarizes economic points brought up.³

Conclusion

The data developed by the Working Group will be most useful to us in preparation for the Ministerial Talks. The French Working Level Delegation was very frank and answered the great majority of questions put to them both verbally and in writing in a complete and accurate manner.

1. Transmitted through Philip W. Bonsal, Director of PSA.

2. The Chief of the U.S. Delegation in the working group discussions was Philip D. Sprouse, First Secretary of the Embassy in Paris. The French Delegation was headed by Robert Tézenas du Montcel, Director General of the French Ministry for the Associated States. U.S. participants from Washington included Hoey; Edgar J. Beigel, French Affairs Officer, Department of State; Cmdr. Wade Wells, USN, of the Office of Military Assistance, Department of Defense; Lt. Col. Robert Storey, of the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations, U.S. Army; Col. Robert Fergusson, of the Office of Foreign Military Affairs, Department of Defense; John B. Nason, Indochina Officer, MSA; and John Coppock, French Affairs Officer, MSA.

   The working group discussions centered on questionnaires submitted by the U.S. representatives. In addition to daily plenary meetings, subcommittee sessions on economic, military, and budgetary matters were conducted. Questionnaires, minutes, and other documentation of the U.S.-French working group proceedings are in Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 138.

3. Telegram 5068 from Paris, Mar. 13, not printed, summarized points raised during the proceedings of the economic subcommittee of the working group. The message concluded as follows: “Allusions were made informally by members of French delegation that interest of French Government, as widely reported in press, is to ‘share’ larger part of overall Indochina burden with United States, in context of global French military effort. No precise ideas of what French Government may have in mind were imparted to economic working group.” (751G.5/3–1353)