396.1 GE/4–4354: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the President
Secto 10. Eyes only for the Acting Secretary from Secretary. Please pass to the President. Have had two days of very satisfactory talks dealing not only with Indochina but with other acute international problems. Churchill, Eden and others most cordial, and send you their warm regards. Believe accomplished considerable in moving the British away from their original position that nothing should be said or done before Geneva.1 The communiqué issued today2 indicates a large [Page 1323] measure of acceptance of our view of the danger and necessity for united action. However, obviously, the British are extremely fearful of becoming involved with ground forces in Indochina, and they do not share the view of our military that loss of northern Vietnam would automatically carry with it the loss of the entire area. They think more in terms of letting a buffer state be created in the north; then attempting to hold the rest of the area by a south Asia NATO. This would give Churchill the enlarged ANZUS which he has always sought. Despite remaining difference in emphasis and timing, feel satisfied that a very big step forward has been taken in bringing British thinking into harmony with our own.
Press generally friendly, and Daily Worker pays compliment of saying am most unwelcome guest since 1066.3
Leaving now for Paris.
Secretary Dulles summarized his final meeting with Eden on the morning of Apr. 13 in telegram 4523 from London of the same date. He stated the following with respect to discussions of united action in Southeast Asia: “I told Eden I intended to press French re real independence for Associated States, and hoped he would use influence in same direction. Also told Eden after we completed this trip we would get in touch with British to see how best we might proceed in organizing united will to resist aggression in SEA. One possibility was to establish informal working group in Washington. Eden thought this good idea and said Makins would be available.”
For the full text of telegram 4523, see volume vi. For Eden’s account of the discussions of Apr. 12 and 13, see Full Circle, pp. 108–109.
↩- For the pertinent portion of the communiqué, see telegram Secto 2, p. 1321.↩
The following message from President Eisenhower to Secretary Dulles was transmitted in telegram 3646 to Paris, Apr. 14: “Dear Foster: Thank you very much for your cable. I agree that the Daily Worker has succeeded in giving you one of the finest compliments of the year. If you should feel a real desire to come down here on Monday and chat with me during lunch, I will be glad to pick you up and return you. The trip is on the order of a little over two hours each way. Alternatively, of course, we can have a telephonic conversation. With warm regard, D. D. E.” (110.11 DU/4–1454)
Secretary Dulles accepted the President’s invitation to visit him at Augusta, Georgia, by letter of Apr. 15. (Eisenhower Library, Dulles papers, “Meetings with the President”) For information on their discussions of Monday, Apr. 19, which dealt largely with various aspects of the Geneva Conference, see Dulles’ memorandum of conversation, vol. xvi, p. 532.
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