751G.00/5–2254: Telegram
The Chargé at Saigon (McClintock) to the Department of State
priority
2499. Repeated information priority Paris 885, Geneva 144, Manila 286. Manila eyes only Ambassador. General O’Daniel had a three hour [Page 1600] conference this morning with General Ely. O’Daniel reported to me before his departure at 1300 for Manila. He said Ely had agreed that a greatly enlarged MAAG training section should be established and that two large training camps would at once be turned over for American training of Vietnamese national troops. Command responsibility for camps, however, would remain either in French or Vietnamese hands in respect of mutually accepted principle of unity of command. However, US instructors would be permitted to serve in active units as military advisors to Vietnamese commanders and this entailed possibility of US military participation in combat. Ely repeated to O’Daniel remark he had made in my presence as reported earlier this week that more Americans got into war here better he would be pleased.
On basic issue which disturbs General O’Daniel, namely formation of Vietnamese army in divisional units, General Ely would not commit himself to divisions but merely told O’Daniel he would agree to training of larger units than heretofore. He mentioned five battalions as maximum strength of such units. General O’Daniel is disappointed at this reluctance on part of French and I informed General O’Daniel that in my opinion so long as Navarre is Commander-in-Chief here he will continue to operate in terms of battalions or at utmost groupes mobiles. When I later saw General Ely after O’Daniel’s departure, I raised this question. Ely said he thought it was only a matter of detail. I said that he was mistaken, at least so far as General O’Daniel was concerned, because latter attached utmost importance to creation of divisions and might indeed be prone to recommend that we do not undertake proposed training unless his requirement as to divisions is met. I suggested as possible compromise that maybe Ely could agree on six battalions and call this unit a division (O’Daniel had previously told me he would be agreeable to a six battalion division). Ely said he thought this could be worked out upon his return to Paris. Ely likewise told me, although apparently he did not mention this to O’Daniel, that he would be willing for US instructors to take over four training camps if suitable personnel could be found.
I feel that there must be a very clear understanding between US and French Governments as to what we are getting into in this training proposal, since it is possible that French will expect us to train troops which they will use according to their own doctrine, while we will be training troops in expectation they will be used according to our doctrine. I cautioned General O’Daniel that we should not give easy assent until we had looked at every aspect of this problem and he said he had not indicated his final agreement to General Ely. I recalled to General O’Daniel that once as a little boy I had seen a water snake in a creek which had swallowed a catfish. The spines of [Page 1601] the fish had pierced the snake’s throat and he could get the fish neither down nor up. We do not want to get ourselves in a similar position here.