396.1 GE/6–2354: Telegram
The United States Delegation to the Department of State
Secto 505. Repeated information Paris 487, Saigon 200. Dac Khe, Deputy Chief of Vietnam delegation, told Heath that he saw both Ngo Dinh Diem and Bao Dai in Paris over the week end. He had urged Ngo Dinh Diem to appoint a new chief of the delegation with least possible delay to which Diem agreed.
He found Bao Dai “very anxious” over the situation and the possibility of the loss of the northern Delta as a result of French-Viet Minh agreement. Dac Khe said he told His Majesty the only way to ensure that French not surrender north would be for Bao Dai to return forthwith to Vietnam and to take up residence in Hanoi. Bao Dai made no reply to this suggestion.
Dac Khe was extremely worried over the Chinese “concession” to Laos and Cambodia looking towards the “neutralization” of the two countries. Dac Khe said that China was a large cat which was suggesting that the two mice, Laos and Cambodia, be neutralized. But who would ensure the neutrality of the cat?
Dac Khe feared that an agreement acceptable to Laos and Cambodia would be reached shortly which would prevent those countries from carrying their case to the United Nations and this would greatly handicap chances of an eventual appeal of Vietnam to the UN.
Khe felt sure that Vietnam must eventually withdraw from conference. The question was when?