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

S/S—NSC files, lot 66 D 95, “Record of Actions”

Record of Actions by the National Security Council at Its 158th Meeting, August 6, 1953 ¹

top secret

[ Washington , undated.]

[Extract]

. . . . . . .

874. Further United States Support for France and the Associated States of Indochina (Memo for NSC from Executive Secretary, same subject, dated August 5, 1953)²

a. [The National Security Council] Noted and discussed the report by the Department of State on the subject enclosed with the reference memorandum, on the basis of an oral presentation by the Acting Secretary of State.³

b. Agreed that the Department of State, the Foreign Operations Administration, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff should proceed promptly with further exploration, in consultation with the French, of the proposed French program.

c. Agreed that, if the Department of State, the Foreign Operations Administration, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff find that the proposed French program holds promise of success and can be implemented effectively, the U.S. should agree to furnish necessary additional support for the French program and the Department of State and the Foreign Operations Administration should submit for Council consideration detailed recommendations for doing so, including consideration of such factors as:

(1) The provision at this time of additional aid approximating $200 million out of present appropriations, with the understanding that efforts will be made to provide an additional $200 million in the spring of 1954 and possibly comparable further funds in FY 1955, provided the results of the French program at the time appear to justify the additional funds.

(2) Continued implementation by the French of their promises to enable the peoples of the Associated States to progress toward independence.

d. Agreed that it would be very helpful, in working out common problems of France and the United States:

(1) To keep close contact with French military planning and operations in Indochina through participation in an advisory capacity of a high-ranking United States officer, and

(2) For the French Government to make a concerted effort to obtain early French ratification of EDC.

e. Noted that the President would be willing to release the French battalion in Korea for service in Indochina at an appropriate time.

Note: The actions in b, c, d and e above subsequently transmitted to the Secretaries of State and Defense and the Director of the Foreign Operations Administration for appropriate implementation.

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1. This record of actions indicates that the President presided at the meeting. The Secretary of the Treasury (George M. Humphrey) and the Director of the Bureau of the Budget (Joseph M. Dodge) participated in the actions of the Council. The set of NSC memoranda of discussion at the Eisenhower Library does not include a record of the 158th Meeting.
2. Reference is to the report printed Supra and the brief covering memorandum by which it was circulated.
3. An undated and otherwise unidentified “Outline for Oral Presentation”, not printed, accompanies the text of the report here under consideration ( Supra ) in S/S–NSC files, lot 63 D 351. It is essentially a condensed version of the report.