751G.00/4–2954
The united States Representative at the United Nations ( Lodge ) to the President 1
Dear General: Your reference to the United Nations in your Chamber of Commerce speech2 was excellent and it raises the question as to why there is not more talk about the United Nations in connection with the situation in Indochina.
Most of the stories coming out of Washington, beginning with the Vice President’s interview, gave the impression that we are pondering a unilateral venture consisting practically entirely of United States forces.
I know that this is not your thought at all. Let me, therefore, call your attention concisely to the following advantages which would accrue if the Indochinese affair could be given a United Nations status:
- 1.
- Large numbers of Members of Congress and corresponding segments of American opinion would be pleased. (My own mail indicates this.)
- 2.
- It would give automatic and unquestioning assurance to the people of Indochina that they were at last really independent.
- 3.
- This would tremendously increase the fighting potential of the native Indochinese troops.
- 4.
- It would open the way to the obtaining of military help from other nations, chiefly with respect to manpower, which could mean a great deal.
- 5.
- It would forestall the communist propaganda line that the Indochinese struggle is a colonial war.
This would involve calling the General Assembly (which can be done in certain circumstances on twenty-four hours’ notice) and the passage of an appropriate resolution at the General Assembly.
There are good and sufficient reasons why this has not been done in the past and it might well be a mistake to do it now while the Geneva Conference is in session. The French viewpoint and the French interest, of course, must be reconciled and taken into account.
But we certainly should be planning for it while the Geneva Conference is still in session and while we are trying to build up a united action front among the countries particularly interested in South East [Page 1427] Asia. We should plan to do these things more or less concurrently not seriatim.
I have not discussed this letter with Foster Dulles, and am sending him a copy of it. But I have on many occasions discussed the general proposition with him and I know that he has always felt strongly that it would be most advantageous if the lndochinese matter could become a United Nations matter and has been hoping that the French viewpoint on this would change.
Faithfully yours,
- The source text was transmitted by Ambassador Lodge to Assistant Secretary Key (UNA) with a note of Apr. 29 indicating that copies had also been sent to Secretary Dulles and Acting Secretary Smith. (751G.00/4–2954) No reply by the President has been found, but for the response by Secretary Dulles, May 10, see p. 1529.↩
- For text of the address by President Eisenhower at the annual meeting of the United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington, Apr. 26, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1954, pp. 421–424.↩