751G.00/12–553: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Achilles) to the Department of State
2190. Repeated information Saigon 220. In interview today with Senator Smith,1 Jacquet confirmed fact that Buu Loc had been offered Prime Ministry 3 days ago but had not yet accepted and was “hesitant” because he feared for his personal safety in Vietnam. Minister considers replacement present government encouraging step forward but regrets losing Tam “who will probably be eliminated from active political life by being given a top Ambassadorship.”
Minister expects Ho Chi-Minh Swedish “feeler” to be followed in very near future by overture through official channels. Both he and Maurice Schumann whom Senator Smith saw yesterday stated that Paris Communists are taking active if not leading role in determining moves.
Jacquet developed his previously expressed thesis that essence of present policy should be gain time. If any eventual settlement is to be satisfactory negotiation can only take place in atmosphere military and political strength. War must be fought harder than ever while government is attracting nationalist support so that it can face general election which will be inevitable condition any settlement.
“If the present military and political programs (Navarre Plan, [Page 899] Franco-Vietnamese Treaty of Association, etc) are fought through hand in hand and American aid is continued, we should hold enough trump cards by the end of 1954 to permit us to negotiate with the enemy without risking the two things which we wish to prevent at all cost—the absorption of Indochina into the Moscow-Peking axis and the loss of the three states to the French Union.”
- Senator H. Alexander Smith stopped at Paris during his return trip to the United States following his visit to Indochina.↩