751G.00/2–554: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State, at Berlin1
Tedul 25. Eyes only for the Secretary. Your Dulte 372 re Indochina arrived at same time I received long and most unfavorable estimate from American Military Attaches Saigon. Latter has also been read by Pres who just phoned me.3 In brief American officers say that after [Page 1018] auspicious beginning Navarre’s actions reveal beyond question same conservative strategy and tactics as predecessor. They are primarily defensive even in areas where French have overwhelming fire power and strategic transport capabilities. Battalions dispersed throughout Indochina exactly as one year ago and they put their trust in barbed wire. Our people comment further that little progress has been made in important fields of training and psychological warfare and concluded with estimate that Navarre has been directed by Paris to conduct a minimum action in Indochina, improving his position where feasible but with objective of producing negotiations. His opponents are fighting a clever war of attrition without chance of major military victory but we feel that time working in their favor and that French and US public opinion will force eventual unfavorable negotiation.
The final consensus of informed US military opinion is that the greatest deterrents to military action are lack of military officers, inadequate training (including poor staffing work) and a defensive psychology. They do not believe that the addition of unlimited supplies of US equipment would correct these deficiencies.
I have consulted with no one on this and send it for your eyes only with the thought that it may be necessary for you to have a frank and friendly talk with Bidault and possibly with Laniel.
We have begun to send technicians which the French requested and in other ways are moving as rapidly as possible to meet their latest emergency requests but I sense from the Pentagon a feeling of grave apprehension lest we may be putting in place costly military equipment which will be lost to us and Western cause.
- Drafted by Acting Secretary Smith.↩
- Supra.↩
- The reference telegram of Feb. 3 was relayed to Berlin via military channels on Feb. 4 for the Secretary of State, and arrived on Feb. 6. A copy of the telegram from the Department of the Army to Secretary Dulles at Berlin is in Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 212. The unfavorable report from Saigon was discussed briefly and inconclusively by President Eisenhower and Acting Secretary of State Smith in a telephone conversation of Feb. 5. (Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file, “Telephone Conversations”)↩