751G.00/3–1154: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State
3315. Repeated information Saigon 382. Limit distribution. Am advised Pleven lunched today with five senior American correspondents (AP, New York Times, Herald Tribune, CBS, Newsweek) on pre-arranged basis anything he said could be used but without quotation or attribution to any French Government source and spoke along following lines:
He saw no prospect of satisfactory military solution and no point in negotiating with puppet Ho. On other hand, French Government was pinning great hopes on finding solution at Geneva. Key to situation was China and only nation in position to offer China anything of interest was US. China would want lightening of embargo and recognition. He asked whether US could make any concessions on either line if Korean and Indochina wars could be ended on satisfactory basis. On other hand, he felt it would be mistake for US to commit itself in advance not to intervene by force in Indochina since Chinese and Russian uncertainty on this point would be one of West’s valuable cards. He said that if Geneva failed to produce Indochina solution, present government would fall and with it Southeast Asia since next government would get out of Indochina at any price. He said it would also mean end of EDC and probably French Atlantic Policy.
Pleven regretted he could not go to US at this time himself but was sending General Ely within next few days and hoped he would have [Page 1107] opportunity to talk fully with Acting Secretary as well as Admiral Radford.
While substance of foregoing will presumably be used by correspondents who attending, this message marked limit distribution with view to maintaining secrecy as to source.1
On Mar. 12, Walter Bedell Smith, the Acting Secretary of State, sent a copy of this telegram to the White House for the President. The memorandum of transmittal read as follows: “If there is a press and Congressional uproar over the possibility of U.S. concessions to Communist China at Geneva, the attached telegram may explain its origin. M. Pleven has told five senior American correspondents that the Indochina problem could be resolved only by Communist China, that Communist China would want recognition and an easing of the trade embargo, and that the key nation in making these concessions must be the United States. It seems to me that Pleven has been extremely free with our negotiating position.” (751G.00/3–1154)
A memorandum of Mar. 15 from Ann Whitman, the President’s personal secretary, to Under Secretary of State Smith, read as follows:
“The President saw your memorandum of March 12th regarding an interview M. Pleven had in Paris, with the attached message from Ambassador Dillon, #3315.
“The President wrote the following long hand note to you:
‘Bedell:
‘If first sentence of second paragraph is final French conclusion, why don’t they withdraw request for military aid? Might be well to ask.!!!’” (751G.00/3–1554)
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