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

751G.00/8–1353: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State

secret

Paris, August 13, 1953—6 p.m.

566. Repeated information Saigon 72, Moscow 29. Reference Deptel 468 (Saigon 235, Moscow 99), August 12.¹ Foreign Office official expresses opinion omission reference Democratic Republic Vietnam from Malenkov speech² in no way lends support view Communists planning “drop” Viet Minh just as they dropped Greek Communists. Foreign Office considers omission deliberately designed further theme of currying favor French through avoidance any reference likely undermine that segment French opinion desirous early negotiated conclusion hostilities Indochina. As consequence, Foreign Office has no present intention use this omission propaganda-wise.

Embassy suggests possibility omission may have also been intended enable Soviets continue fiction they have no connection with what they term “liberation movements” in Southeast Asia.

Dillon

1. Not printed.
2. Reference is to the speech delivered to the Supreme Soviet on Aug. 8 by Georgiy Maksimilianovich Malenkov, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union. For extracts, see Documents on International Affairs, 1953, pp. 2233.