751G.00/6–1154: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State
4812. Repeated information Saigon 598 Geneva 381. Department limit distribution. Saigon eyes only McClintock. Geneva limit distribution. Re Deptel 4508.1 Since question of US training of Vietnamese troops considerably predates recent conversations regarding possible united action, French have always considered training as a separate [Page 1682] problem. If last paragraph of reference telegram represents definite decision that US is now no longer interested in helping with the training of the Vietnamese national army except in the framework of united military action in Indochina, I feel that we should promptly inform French on political level of this change in our position so that there will be no possibility of future misunderstanding.
I assume that Department has considered the fundamental political and psychological importance of this decision including (1) the fact that French Government will most probably consider that this means definite and final writeoff of Indochina by US and so may very well use such a decision by US as an excuse for accepting Viet Minh terms; (2) the probability that our opponents in France may in the future describe such a decision as an attempt on our part to forcefully influence France to request internationalization of the war; and (3) the effect of such a decision on Vietnamese morale.
Department’s instructions are requested as to whether I should inform French of this new US position.