751G.00/4–2154: Telegram
The Chargé at Saigon (McClintock) to the Department of State
2077. Repeated information Paris 689. I spent yesterday in Dalat with De Jean. He is deeply pessimistic over prospects for Dien-Bien-Phu, and, in fact, feels that battle will be lost unless a diversionary relief operation can be undertaken. However, he is convinced by his military advisers that present contemplated forlorn effort with only four battalions sortieing from Muong Say will be worse than useless unless somehow Navarre can find minimum of six additional battalions [Page 1360] to add to this striking force. (Last night General Alessandri1 told me that in his estimate Navarre could, in fact, find sufficient troops to establish striking force of twelve battalions, but this would mean giving up Operation Atlante and leaving wide holes in defense of lower Laos and Cambodia.)
De Jean said that French Government is determined “at all costs” to hold Dien-Bien-Phu but does not seem disposed to provide essential personnel, both in ground forces and air to accomplish this objective. De Jean said, “Dien-Bien-Phu has brought French Government even to point of considering internationalization of this war.” When I asked if internationalization meant UN or other action, De Jean said it meant participation by US forces with possibly token assistance from UK.
- Gen. Marcel Alessandri, Military Adviser to Bao Dai.↩