396.1 GE/6–2254: Telegram
The United States Delegation to the Department of State
priority
Secto 501. Rptd information Paris 483, Saigon 196. Paris eyes only Ambassador, Saigon eyes only. Department limit distribution. Chauvel told me this afternoon that Chou En-lai–Mendes-France meeting had been arranged for tomorrow at Bern “under cover” courtesy visit by Mendes-France to Bern. However, announcement will probably be made this evening that he will also see Chou En-lai.
There was opportunity only to obtain brief account Chauvel’s meeting with Dong today. Chauvel said that Dong stated agreement on Vietnam could be reached within ten days in “underground military talks”, and Chauvel added it would take another five days “to sell” the Vietnamese.1 I asked him what this portended as far as Hanoi-Haiphong perimeter was concerned and received vague answer to effect was making attempt to hold on to that area “for time being” on grounds of military necessity and that with passage of time lots of things could happen.
- In telegram Secto 506, June 23, the U.S. Delegation instructed the Department of State to “Correct second sentence paragraph Secto 501 to read as follows: ‘Chauvel said that Dong stated agreement on Vietnam could be reached within ten days in “underground military talks” (which Chauvel expects to be resumed Thursday) and Dong expected it would take another five days “to sell” the Vietnamese.’” (396.1 GE/6–2354)↩