790.5/6–1354: Telegram
The United States Delegation to the Department of State
priority
Dulte 178. During Eden’s visit yesterday I read to him suitably expurgated extracts your Tedul 185,1 emphasizing particularly the importance of collective action and the time already lost without serious talks. I said this represented the strong view of the President and yourself, and that while I realized sensitive position of Britain re own public opinion India and Burma, et cetera, I was sure that in this matter we had been right from beginning. Eden repeated that Churchill “would not send troops to Vietnam”. I said that if French could hold Hanoi-Haiphong area, or Haiphong and an enclave along coast, we should decide where to draw line on which we take our stand in south of Vietnam and elsewhere in SEA. If the military talks in Washington were making any progress they should at least have the alternatives ready for consideration and decision at the time of the PMs visit.
I then spoke of the political and psychological factors re withdrawal part of UK forces from Korea and critical nature of period after Geneva. Eden said there was nothing imminent on this and they intended to leave it for discussion in Washington.
New subject. I have just had long talk with Casey and conveyed message your Tosec 406.2 He plans to return via Washington and will let you know. He is convinced of necessity of collective guarantees on Cambodia, Laos, and what can be saved of Vietnam. Also convinced that there must be, as he put it “teeth in those” guarantees. He had expressed these views strongly to Nehru, saying that he hoped that same group Asiatic and European nations that gave the guarantees would provide the teeth, and that India and Pakistan would associate themselves with such a group. Nehru did not reject this, and had apparently discussed it later and at length with Pillai and Mrs. Pandit, who were present at dinner that evening where discussion continued. Casey felt that when he left, Nehru was favorable, but that the influence of Menon, with whom he talked last night, would continue to be bad.