751G.00/5–354: Telegram
The Chargé at Saigon ( McClintock ) to the Department of State
priority
2186. Sent Geneva 37, Paris 746; repeated information London 46. Offroy, who has just come back from Geneva, last night told DeJean and me that British policy whether unintentionally or by design seemed almost certain to sabotage Geneva Conference. He said that when French had appealed for US aerial and naval intervention, which was turned down by the President, it was because among other things it had been agreed that there would be no US military intervention [Page 1459] unless British made at least some token contribution along same lines. Offroy says that when French Ambassador called on Churchill after Secretary’s last visit to London Churchill said: “I cry for those at Dien Bien Phu but I will not risk world peace by intervening”.
Offroy likewise states that British in Geneva are actively pushing concept of partition of Vietnam and he and DeJean agreed that there must be some conscious British policy in this regard. They infer that British contemplated a Communist Chinese zone of influence in Tonkin which would be partitioned off to a Viet Minh Government, a sort of buffer state in Central Annam, and a French–US protected independent Cochin-China. Cambodia would be annexed by Thailand which in turn would be in a British zone of influence based on Malaya.
Whether these suspicions have any basis in fact is beyond my province to judge but they certainly influence thinking of top French officials here.