751G.00/12–953: Telegram
The Ambassador at Saigon (Heath) to the Department of State
986. Repeated information Paris 284, Hanoi unnumbered. Commanding [Commissioner] General DeJean returned Saigon today. He is very insistent that we should not worry over clamor in Paris for peace negotiations with Viet Minh provoked by Ho Chi-minh’s “peace offer.” He said he participated Inter-Ministerial meeting prior departure French delegation for Bermuda, during which without any contradiction he pointed out there was absolutely no basis for an armistice at present (a conviction which General Navarre expressed to me yesterday) except on terms that would allow Communists to take over Vietnam. A cease-fire and freezing of units on both sides would simply allow Communists to expand their infiltration of northern delta and other sections.
DeJean said that general thinking in Paris is that Laniel Government will not be continued in office after Presidential elections and betting seemed to be that successor Cabinet would be a Pinay–Mendes-France one. Either man might be Premier and other would take over Portfolio of Finance. He said he is not worried by this prospect as Mendes-France’s thinking has come a long way since he called for an armistice last June. He feels sure that if Mendes-France were to head AS [Fr] Government it would have to continue the fight and the Navarre plan in face of impossibility of making any armistice which would not be a sell-out to Communists. At same time, DeJean said he did not like Mendes-France’s general views on IC but thought they were susceptible of change. He made suggestion that it would be well for our Embassy to cultivate contacts with Mendes-France and help bring him along to a correct view of situation here.
With regard to French Presidential elections, he said that feeling when he left Paris was that it would be almost impossible for any candidate to get an absolute majority and in face of such situation Auriol might step forward for a second term and would be, DeJean felt, re-elected.
DeJean had had a long briefing by Navarre and felt extremely encouraged by military situation. Navarre expressed himself much as he did in my last talk with him (see my telegram 968, December 5) and felt quite certain that Viet Minh would attack Dien Bien Phu where they would meet, he was quite confident, a costly repulse.
DeJean saw Tam briefly at airport today when latter returned from seeing Bao Dai at Ban Methuot. He remarked that Tam, who had left Paris in a very optimistic frame of mind believing that while there would be a reshuffle (remaniement) of Cabinet he would continue to [Page 915] head government, seemed very “out of countenance” on his return from Ban Methuot. Tam avoided direct questions as to what Bao Dai had said to him and DeJean believes that while Bao Dai did not definitely inform Tam of his impending dismissal, he probably intimated it very strongly.
DeJean is seeing Bao Dai tomorrow1 and I have appointment to see Tam.
- In telegram 996 from Saigon, Dec. 10, Ambassador Heath reported that Dejean had been relieved and satisfied with his conversation with Bao Dai. According to Dejean, Bao Dai understood that France was not going to relax its military effort and that negotiations to define French-Vietnamese relations must not be delayed. Bao Dai had also indicated that he intended to name a new government within a few days. (651.51G/12–1053)↩