751G.00/8–1854: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State
[Received 8:04 a.m.]
668. Repeated information Saigon 70. Informed yesterday by Brohon, military advisor to LaChambre, that to date Viet Minh have released only 6300 prisoners of 30,000 French list as missing. Of 30,000 French group 13,000 under category “dead, missing, deserted, etc.” and 17,000 as “known certainly to have been taken prisoner alive”.
Of 23,700 still unaccounted for Viet Minh admit only to holding 9800, thus leaving gap of 13,900.
French very much concerned that present publicity both in France and US concerning deplorable condition of prisoners released to date will work against facilitating release remainder. Past experience has [Page 1954] shown that Viet Minh would prefer to either kill off prisoners or allow them to die of illness and starvation than to release them if release is accompanied by widespread unfavorable publicity. French therefore urge everything possible be done to soft-pedal publicity while releases are going on. They are preparing full dossier of facts for publication as soon as they believe prisoners will not be released as result other methods.1
- Telegram 649 to Paris, Aug. 20 (repeated to Saigon and Hanoi), read as follows: “Your 668 repeated Saigon. USIA instructing media soft pedal accordance reftel. Reference French concern publicity US press Department does not consider practicable or desirable approach US correspondents here. Department repeating reftel Hanoi.” (751G.00/8–2054)↩