396.1 GE/6–1954: Telegram
Sixteenth Restricted Session on Indochina, Geneva, June 19, 6:45 p.m.: The United States Delegation to the Department of State
priority
Secto 479. Paris priority 465, London 306, Tokyo 152, Saigon 184, Moscow 137. Department pass Defense; Tokyo pass CINCFE; Saigon pass Phnom Penh and Vientiane. Following is text Under Secretary’s statement 16th Indochina restricted session, Saturday, June 19:
“I refer to the last phrase of paragraph (b) of the French proposal to the effect that due regard is to be had ‘to the observations and proposals presented by the various delegations at the Conference’. The position of my delegation on the question of Laos and Cambodia is perfectly clear, and has been repeatedly stated to this Conference. The problems of Laos and Cambodia, as has been so ably demonstrated by the representatives of those two countries, arise primarily in our view from an invasion of their territory by Viet Minh forces. It seems to us their problems can be simply resolved by the withdrawal from their territories of these Viet Minh forces. If military staff talks are to be held, it is clear that they should be held between the Cambodian and the Viet Minh commands in the case of Cambodia, and the Franco-Laotian and Viet Minh commands in the case of Laos, and that they should be devoted primarily to the question of the withdrawal of Viet Minh forces from Cambodia and Laos.
[Page 1204]“The United States delegation has certain misgivings regarding the formula proposed as to whether it clearly provides for staff talks which will follow the principles which I have just stated. It has the gravest doubts regarding the Molotov amendment. I sincerely hope my associates realize what they are being asked to agree to. The small Cambodian and Laotian forces have a few French officers and noncommissioned officers. If they are deprived of these, their capacity for self defense is materially reduced. The United States delegation considers that in the same way as any other sovereign state, the States of Laos and Cambodia should be free to request and obtain technical assistance and advice, and certainly from the French Union of which they are members.
“I am not prepared to say, however, that the formula necessarily conflicts with these principles. I would assume that the military representatives will, in fact, produce recommendations which will provide for the withdrawal of Viet Minh forces from Laos and Cambodia. On this assumption and upon the understanding that these proposals are acceptable to all of the other delegations participating in this Conference, the United States will not oppose convening of the military representatives as originally proposed by France. My delegation, of course, reserves its right to decide for itself whether the solutions ultimately proposed by the military representatives are consistent with the positions which we have previously taken and which have been set forth by the delegates of Laos and Cambodia. These we support.”