Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Indochina, Volume XIII, Part 2

S/S–NSC files, lot 63 D 351. NSC 5421 Series

Memorandum by the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Lay) to the Secretary of State

top secret

Washington, May 18, 1954.

Subject:

• Studies with Respect to Possible U.S. Action Regarding Indochina.

1. The President has authorized that requests be made of various departments and agencies to prepare, with the highest urgency and secrecy for submission to the National Security Council, appropriate studies on the assumption that United States armed forces intervene in the conflict in Indochina, and on the alternate assumptions that the Chinese Communists:

a. Intervene with armed forces in Indochina; or

b. Do not intervene with armed forces in Indochina.

2. Accordingly, it is requested that the Department of State, in cooperation with other interested departments and agencies, prepare for submission to the National Security Council not later than Tuesday, May 25, the following studies under the above assumptions, including the alternate assumptions stated in 1–a and b above:¹

a. Economic Warfare Studies

(1) Plan for keeping China out of war or reducing its effectiveness by economic warfare means.

(2) Plan of economic warfare campaign against Viet Minh.

(3) Plan for economic warfare organization as integral part of intervention.

b. United Nations Consultation

(1) Possible types of UN action.

(2) Relation of UN action to “united action”.

c. Juridical Relationship in French Union

(1) How to give best effect to promise of full independence for Associated States.

d. Draft of President’s Message

3. Attention is invited to the necessity for preparing these studies under the highest security safeguards, including restriction of participation in and knowledge of such studies to the minimum number of individuals with a “need-to-know”.

James S. Lay, Jr.

1. The studies prepared by the Department of State pursuant to this memorandum were included in NSC 5421. “Studies With Respect to Possible U.S. Action Regarding Indochina,” June 1, 1954, a collection consisting of studies prepared by various government agencies. For an extract from NSC 5421, including its table of contents, see p. 1649.