396.1 GE/7–1454: Telegram
The United States Delegation to the Department of State
priority
Secto 603. Repeated information priority Paris 54. Limit distribution. Eyes only Dillon and Johnson. Cheysson of French delegation told me this morning that when Dong was given draft declaration (Secto 5971) prepared by French delegate, his first reaction was to insist that the conference should also take note of the fact that Democratic Republic of Vietnam has stated its intention of examining the question of membership in the French Union and of engaging in discussions with the French with a view to resuming economic and cultural relations (Viet Minh May 10th proposals2). French rejoined that this would hardly appear to be suitable question for inclusion in final declaration designed to record some measure of conference approval or acceptance of definite items. Cheysson added that if Dong [Page 1368] insists, some satisfactory language of a general character might be found to cover this point, “but of course we do not want them in the French Union”.