Office of the Historian

751G.5/7–2153: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France1

top secret
priority
Washington, July 21, 1953—12:48 p.m.

237. New York Times story datelined Paris July 20 describes Foreign Office reaction to Schreiber story Le Monde regarding Secretary’s meeting with Bidault July 12.2 Penultimate sentence story follows:

“Officials said M. Bidault had merely asked Mr. Dulles to study the Navarre plan and that, far from excluding peace, the two discussed how a peace in Korea could be linked with one in Indochina.”

Department understanding on basis conversations with Bidault (see our 180)3 was that this aspect of question was not to be mentioned to press and in fact Department has given negative reply all press queries this matter. Suggest Roux and perhaps De Margerie be urgently reminded of agreement on this subject between Secretary and Bidault. It appears important to us Bidault’s speech to Assembly tomorrow not refer this aspect.4

Dulles
  1. Drafted by Philip W. Bonsal, Director of PSA.↩
  2. The story under reference appeared in the New York Times of July 21. The Le Monde article upon which it commented is discussed in telegram 264 from Paris, Infra. For the United States minutes of the meeting of July 12, see p. 656.↩
  3. Telegram 180 to Paris, July 15, describing the meeting of July 12, is not printed. (396.1 WA/7–1553).↩

  4. Ambassador Dillon responded in telegram 273 from Paris, July 22, which read as follows:

    “We discussed subject reftel this morning with Roux, who said he would immediately bring matter to Bidault’s attention. Bidault attending Council Ministers meeting this morning, where chief questions will be French reply to Cambodians and Navarre Plan, and is to make report this afternoon to National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee on Washington talks. Roux said it would be impossible for Bidault to avoid telling committee that question of how peace in Korea could be linked with one in Indochina was discussed with Secretary since that is one of burning questions of day and queries inevitable but that committee meeting was executive session and Bidault could explain this was not to be made public. Roux explains statement in Foreign Office communiqué re connection between peace in Korea and Indochina as having been made necessary because of Servan-Schreibers claim that ‘secret pact’ had been concluded between Bidault and Secretary. Communiqué had to show that only exchange of views on this subject had taken place.” (751G.5/7–2253)

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