751G.00/4–654: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy at Saigon1

secret

1877. Saigon’s 1914 repeated Paris 620.2 Information given by Secretary April 5 to House Foreign Affairs Committee reflected following information given Ambassador Dillon by Laniel and Bidault April 4:3

  • “First. Fourteen technical advisors at Giap headquarters plus numerous others at division level. All under command of Chinese Communist General Ly Chen-hou who is stationed at Giap headquarters.
  • “Second. Special telephone lines installed, maintained and operated by Chinese personnel.
  • “Third. Forty 37 mm. anti-aircraft guns radar-controlled at Dien Bien Phu. These guns operated by Chinese and evidently are from Korea. These AA guns are now shooting through clouds to bring down French aircraft.
  • “Fourth. One thousand supply trucks of which 500 have arrived since 1 March, all driven by Chinese army personnel.
  • “Fifth. Substantial material help in guns, shells, etc., as is well known.”

Neither Department nor Defense have received this material from any other source in such detailed form although presence Chinese on advisory technical levels has been frequently reported. Instead of “no [Page 1284] comment” it is suggested that USIA and others reply to press and other inquiries that Secretary’s information based on French sources which we have every reason to believe reliable.

Secretary specifically said that these reported Chinese actions came “awfully close” to the type of overt aggression referred to in his earlier statements but he did not state that the boundary into overt aggression had in fact been crossed. Purpose of statement among others was to indicate to Chinese Communists that they are getting perilously close to point of serious risk to themselves.

Dulles
  1. Drafted by Bonsal of PSA. Also sent to Paris as telegram 3530.
  2. Telegram 1914 from Saigon, Apr. 6, not printed, reported on allegations appearing in the local press concerning testimony by Secretary Dulles before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Apr. 5. The Secretary was quoted as saying that the Chinese Communist role in Indochina “terribly resembles direct intervention.” The Embassy reported that the immediate reaction among the French in Saigon and among many Vietnamese might be that the United States was preparing to enter into war with Communist China and to involve them as involuntary allies. (751G.00/4–654) For the public portion of Dulles’ testimony of Apr. 5, see The Mutual Security Act of 1954: Hearings before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives (83d Cong., 2d sess.), pp. 1–25.
  3. See telegram 3710 from Paris, Apr. 5, p. 1236.