033.1100 NI/11–553: Telegram
The Consul General at Hong Kong (Harrington) to the Department of State
873. Sent Saigon 38, repeated information Department 873, Paris 2. Codel–Nixon. For Ambassador from Vice President. Please convey following message from me to General Navarre:
“On leaving Indochina I wish once more to express my profound admiration for the French Union Forces in the field. Yesterday I had an opportunity to visit the troops in the Tonkin area and to talk with your excellent commanders. I am deeply impressed by the gallantry and devotion of these men. In casting about for ways in which the war can be brought to an even more speedy conclusion I have not failed to note the requests which you and others have made for more transport aircraft and I shall mention these requests in my report to the President. Although my examination of the military situation in Indochina admittedly has been very brief it has seemed to me that the training program does not come up to our expectations. I know you share the same concern. Might I with all respect offer the suggestion that possibly the goal we mutually desire to achieve of an early end to the war might be more quickly reached if there were increased emphasis on the training program. It has seemed to me that if a greater output were forthcoming from schools for all ranks the Vietnamese National Army [Page 857] would have the necessary cadre and trained men to meet the requirements suggested by the French National Assembly in first paragraph of the resolution it recently voted to Indochina.
Mrs. Nixon joins with me in warm regards to Madame Navarre and in sincere wishes for your success.”1
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In telegram 19 from Saigon to Tokyo, Nov. 11 (repeated to Washington as 829), Ambassador Heath transmitted the text in translation of the response of General Navarre to the Vice President’s letter, which read as follows:
“I thank you sincerely for the good wishes which you were kind enough to express for myself and my troops.
“I am most grateful for your intention to support to the President of the US my request for matériel and in particular, with regard to airplanes of which I have the greatest need.
“I share your point of view that a better organization of training would, without doubt, improve the conditions for placing armies of Associated States on a war footing. I plan to study question with General O’Daniel who has already offered me the benefit of the experience of American officers who are conversant with methods employed by Korean army. We should not, however, hide fact that there are profound differences in type of war in Indochina and that in Korea with result that Korean experience is only partially applicable to Indochina and would be dangerous if it were not most carefully adapted (the situation here). In consequence, the training problem, as I remarked to you during our interview, is not the principal problem for forming armies of Associated States.
“I beg you to convey my respectful homage to Mrs. Nixon as well as the best wishes of my wife and remain,
“Most sincerely yours, H. Navarre.” (033.1100 NI/11–1153)
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