Office of the Historian

751G.00/12–1253: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in France1

confidential
priority
Washington, December 12, 1953—5:33 p.m.

2174. In view impending Commie Indochina peace campaign on occasion Dec 19 anniversary2 resulting recent WFTU resolution as well as possible future developments Ho Chi-Minh so-called offer negotiate Indochina, we are considering what should be our position in order counter patent propaganda maneuver and place Ho “offer” in true light for audiences Indochina, France, elsewhere. Should of course bear in mind possibility Ho reply French Dec 2 communiqué through official channels. USIS Saigon reports local reaction “unbelieving” re apparent lack of US policy Ho interview; suggests we take publicity line to counter apathy which may follow false hope satisfactory armistice, but cautions against Commie counterpropaganda line that while French willing consider negotiations U.S. insists they and Vietnamese continue fight.

Unless French take lead in discrediting Ho “offer” Dept realizes difficult take line inoffensive to them and free of charge U.S. taking lead. However, following line suggests self:

(1) Peg our approach on anticipated Dec 19 Commie propaganda campaign and possible other future moves as coordinated maneuver Commie high command to divide and confuse; (2) Without making categorical statements, raise doubts and questions sincerity, purpose, timing, ultimate authorship Ho “offer”; (3) Indicate French communique calls Ho’s hand and assures solidarity with Associated States; (4) Suggest Ho move dictated by military weakness and desire gain time; (5) Give heavier play Indochina than France.

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Request soonest your views whether some such approach would be desirable and if so your suggestions re precise line and your recommendation whether should be by official statement here and/or USIA media play, in order that Dept may consider further action and give appropriate policy guidance USIA.3 Suggest Paris and Saigon not consult French and Vietnamese authorities in order avoid prejudging of possible US action.

Smith
  1. Drafted by Richard A. Poole, public affairs officer, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs. Also sent to Saigon as telegram 1050 and repeated for information to Moscow and London.↩
  2. For Ho Chi-Minh’s Appeal on the Occasion of the Seventh Anniversary of the Nationwide Resistance War, Dec. 19, 1953, see Ho Chi-Minh, Selected Works, vol. III, pp. 429–432.↩

  3. In telegram 1037 from Saigon, Dec. 15, Chargé McClintock cautioned that any move of the type suggested by the Department of State be handled with care since the armistice issue was a sensitive matter in both Vietnamese internal politics and in Vietnamese-French relations. (751G.00/12–1553) Telegram 2299 from Paris, Dec. 15, read in part as follows:

    “Although Embassy fully appreciates Department’s wish to place ‘Ho offer in true light for audiences Indochina, France, elsewhere’ we cannot emphasize too strongly that effective way impede this purpose in France is for US official information agencies to embark on active publicity campaign designed berate Ho démarche. Any such campaign would tend to further widespread impression here that US pulling strings more and more in Indochina (which even those who realize why resent) and would lend credence to existing suspicion that France staying on in Indochina and [sic] because US has bought her services (pushed by Communists as French bodies for American dollars, etc).” (751G.00/12–1553)

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