Office of the Historian

751G.00/12–1553: Telegram

The Chargé at Saigon (McClintock) to the Department of State

secret
Saigon, December 15, 1953—3 p.m.

1035. Sent Paris 306. No distribution outside Department. During Streibert’s1 visit with Dejean, former told Commissioner General that possibly delay in furnishing 1954 arms program to General Navarre on which latter had protested (Embtel 1007, repeated Paris 294)2 might be due to fact that Washington was waiting for France join EDC.

This is first time any responsible American official has suggested here that our policy in helping French and Vietnamese win war in Indochina is contingent on ratification by French of EDC.

Yesterday Dejean reverted to Streibert’s comment and added that on basis of his recent visit to Paris, he did not think chances of France’s ratifying EDC were very bright. Dejean said he had seen instructions which French Government had prepared for Laniel and Bidault at Bermuda and had definite impression that Laniel Government [Page 923] was not in a position to bring this matter to a successful issue. Dejean offered as his own comment possibility that, in lieu of ratification EDC, it might be possible to accomplish a limited German rearmament within framework of NATO.3

McClintock
  1. Theodore C. Streibert, Director of the U.S. Information Agency, on visit in Indochina.↩
  2. Dated Dec. 10, p. 918.↩

  3. In telegram 1058 to Saigon, Dec. 15, the Department of State instructed McClintock to confirm to Dejean, on an urgent basis, that the United States policy of providing arms to France for use in Indochina remained based on the importance of the area to the free world and not on French ratification of EDC. (751G.00/12–1553) In telegram 1048 from Saigon, Dec. 17, McClintock reported that Dejean had been most pleased at the receipt of the substance of telegram 1058. (751G.00/12–1753)

    In telegram Secto 10 from Paris, Dec. 16, Secretary Dulles (at Paris for the 12th Session of the NATO Council, Dec. 14–16) reported that in his press conference of Dec. 15 he had stated that the U.S. commitment to France for FY 1954 Indochina aid was a firm understanding unrelated to French action on EDC. (751G.5 MSP/12–1653)

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