751G.00/6–1854: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State
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4914. Dept limit distribution. Geneva eyes only Under Secretary. I delivered President’s letter personally to Coty at 12:15 today.1 Coty was most pleased with the contents of the letter and said it had come at a most opportune time. He asked me to thank the President and said he would send him a personal answer very promptly.
Coty then said that it was true that there had been a certain amount of misunderstanding between France and the U.S. regarding Indochina, but that he wanted to make it clear that he fully realized that France bore a full share of responsibility for any such misunderstanding.
[Page 1721]He then spoke highly of Mendes-France2 and said that it should be possible to obtain clear cut statements of position from him, which would be helpful in dispelling misunderstanding. He particularly praised Mendes-France’s categoric refusal to accept Communist support for his investiture and said that it was the strong position that Mendes-France had taken on this subject, applauded by all anti-Communist parties in the National Assembly, which had given the necessary impetus to his candidacy to assure his investiture.
Regarding publication of the letter, Coty felt that it would be most helpful to have it publicized but said that he would like to discuss it with Mendes-France this afternoon, after which he would let us have his definite feelings on the matter. I told him that when I received his views I would communicate promptly with Washington and get the views of my government regarding publication.
I personally feel that the letter is excellent and that it would be helpful to have it publicized. I hope that arrangements can be made for its immediate release should Coty so desire.
- The letter from President Eisenhower to President Coty, dated June 16 and released June 18, began as follows: “I write to assure you that in these troubled days my country remains warm in its sympathy and staunch in its friendship for your country.” With specific reference to Indochina, the President stated: “In Indochina our nation has long shown its deep concern by heavy financial and material aid which continues. The proposals for a united defense which we submitted to Monsieur Laniel represented on our part a momentous and grave decision. Nothing has happened here to change the attitude thus expressed, even though the lapse of time and the events which have come to pass have, of course, created a new situation. But I assure you that we shall be ready in the same spirit to open new discussions as the forthcoming French Government may deem it opportune.” For the full text of President Eisenhower’s letter and the reply by President Coty of June 23, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1954, pp. 583–584.↩
- On June 17, Pierre Mendès-France was elected Premier of France by the National Assembly. The vote was 419 to 47 with a large number of abstentions. In his statement of policy delivered prior to the vote, Mendes-France undertook to resign if he were unable to obtain a cease-fire in Indochina on reasonable terms by July 20. For the record of his speech, see France, Journal Officiel, Assemblée Nationale, 1954, Débats, pp. 2992–2994. For an English translation of the pertinent part, see Cameron, Viet-Nam Crisis, vol. i, pp. 275–277.↩