751G.00/4–2754: Telegram
The Ambassador in France ( Dillon ) to the Department of State
niact
4089. Repeated information niact Geneva 134. I think there is a direct connection between Pleven’s request for assistance contained in Embassy’s telegram 40851 and statements made by Secretary to Laniel last Saturday (see Dulte 17).2 During course of conversation with Laniel, Secretary at one point further defined phrase “next few weeks” referring to time required to bring military assistance to France in [Page 1422] Indochina as being “maybe three, four or five weeks”. I believe Laniel Government is making every effort to hold at Dien-Bien-Phu for at least three weeks in the hope that United States will be able to overcome internal political problems and find constitutional means of bringing military assistance to France in Indochina. I think request by Pleven in Embassy’s telegram 4085 should be viewed in this light.
While French fully understand from Secretary that United Kingdom concurrence is a prerequisite for United States action, I am sure they hope that in last analysis United States will not maintain this position. French now know that United Kingdom aid will not be available in Indochina but they certainly hope that United States Government will not feel itself bound by this United Kingdom decision in reaching final determination whether or not to take action alongside French forces.
- In telegram 4085 from Paris, Apr. 26, not printed, Ambassador Dillon reported that Defense Minister Pleven had that evening entered a request with General Norstad for U.S. assistance in airfield construction in Indochina and for additional American transport aircraft and crews. Dillon and Norstad recommended that the requests be granted for political and psychological reasons. (751G.00/4–2654) For a memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense regarding the French requests, see United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 9, pp. 392–394.↩
- For text of telegram Dulte 17 from Paris, Apr. 24, see p. 1394.↩