751G.00/11–1953: Telegram
The Ambassador at Saigon (Heath) to the Department of State
880. Repeated information Paris 254, Hanoi unnumbered. I accompanied Senator Smith (N.J.) and Dr. F. Wilcox, Staff Chief of Senate Foreign Relations Committee on call on Bao Dai. Latter indicated [Page 878] negotiations with French will not begin before next January certainly not until after French presidential election December 22. The rather harsh resolutions against joining French Union in present form passed by what Bao Dai termed “so-called national Congress” [garble] had produced tension in France and a certain “exaltation” in Vietnam which needed to be calmed down before negotiations began. All representative Vietnamese Nationalists, however, whom Bao Dai had seen since his return have expressed realistic understanding of need of continued French military and economic assistance to win war against Viet Minh and that French price would be membership in French Union. However, Bao Dai said, French must make some gesture, which he did not specify, which would make membership in French Union more palatable to Nationalists. Latter did not like adjective “French.” If organization could be known simply as “the Union.” The way British Commonwealth is frequently referred to as “the Commonwealth,” it would tend to dispel Vietnamese Nationalists’ objections to membership. Actually, Bao Dai indicated, Vietnamese Nationalists’ reluctance to being members French Union was ridiculously lacking in realism and membership meant only attendance at an unimportant and brief annual meeting. Once war was successfully ended Vietnam would be free to take any line it wished in French Union.
Bao Dai expressed optimism as regards military operations here and spoke well of General Navarre. Bao Dai said he had not been alarmed by Laniel’s recent declaration indicating possibility of French negotiations with Viet Minh.1 He noted declaration did not invite Viet Minh to negotiate but was made to appease that portion of French opinion desiring early termination of war. Bao Dai did not believe that Viet Minh would suggest negotiations at this time. There was a danger, however, if French continued to harp publicly on negotiations, that some months later when blows of expanding Franco-Viet Forces began to hurt Viet Minh, latter might suddenly tell France to set forth idea of basis of such negotiations. Since France could not offer acceptable terms to Viet Minh, latter would gain propaganda advantage for a decision to continue fight.
Bao Dai did not believe that Communist China planned to become a belligerent in war in near future but admitted such danger would exist when Viet Minh began to suffer significant reverses. In conclusion Bao Dai expressed thanks for American aid, saying that without it war would already have been lost.