751G.00/2–1954: Telegram
The Consul at Hanoi (Sturm) to the Department of State
445. Repeated information Saigon 339, Paris 187. Paris limit distribution. French Army Secretary Dechevigne, discussing widely published reports that General O’Daniel may head military mission in Indochina, said last night “we know nothing of the matter,” but declared that French would gladly accept whatever US wished contribute to war here, “including Generals”. He spoke highly of American equipment furnished to forces here, both as to quality and quantity, but added that by itself equipment could not alter present equilibrium which might, in theory at least, continue as much as “10 or 15 years longer”. However, Dechevigne said, French people are tiring so rapidly of this war that if elections were held today they would produce “250 Communist Deputies and 200 others, non-Communist but pledged to end war here”.
Asked what his formula was for solution in Indochina acceptable to non-Communist world, Dechevigne replied there were only two possibilities for any kind of solution, acceptable or otherwise: Total war or negotiated settlement. France alone is not capable of waging [Page 1060] total war; therefore this solution, if adopted, of necessity implies internationalization of conflict. Dechevigne let it be understood that he would not be averse to such a development. With regard to negotiated settlement, he said there was clearly nothing to be gained now in seeking an arrangement with Viet Minh.
Returning to question of French public opinion, Dechevigne said that end of fighting in Korea had profoundly influenced French thinking, despite obvious differences between two situations. Net impression left in French minds is simply that enormous difficulties were overcome in Korea to put an end to the fighting, and that what was done there should somehow be possible here. He referred approvingly to Walter Lippmann’s article “Mr. Dulles and the basic decision” (Paris Herald Tribune January 18) as offering a realistic appraisal of France’s position in Indochina and suggesting a reasonable US attitude toward that position. Dechevigne remained unresponsive to suggestion that progressive build-up of Vietnamese National Army might be substitute for internationalization of Indochina War, saying only that small increases in strength on this side would automatically be offset by Viet Minh and their Chinese Communist allies.
Comment:AFP correspondent set off flurry yesterday by filing press despatch to effect French Defense Minister Pleven met with Chinese Communist representatives at Haiphong airport. (Pleven actually spent yesterday in Phnom Penh, returning Hanoi late last night.) Follow-up despatch, which was suppressed by censorship, claimed Governor Tri’s administration had launched this rumor as trial balloon to discover what Pleven is really doing here. General Cogny told me last night it had even been reported he was harboring Chinese Communist delegates in his headquarters.
Wild though these rumors be, ready audience they find is still symptomatic of suggestibility of local population, which has been heightened by extension of military operations and successive visits here in recent weeks of most leading figures of French defense establishment. AFP has long been source of damaging rumors regarding local political and military scene.