233. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State1
Secto 64. 1. With Faure present and speaking for French, three Foreign Ministers this afternoon2 took up Vietnam following Eden’s receipt Nehru’s [telegram] on Saigon riots and ICC protection. Molotov has same message and apparently wishes raise matter. We agreed Eden should inform him French authorities will take appropriate measures protect ICC.
2. It was also agreed Eden should not raise election issue. But if Molotov mentions Viet Minh proposal of July 20,3 Eden would indicate we will be in touch with Vietnamese on matter.
3. Faure discussed elections and consultations, stating it is indispensable Vietnamese make contact with Viet Minh. After some discussion it was agreed some contact desirable. Roux, Caccia, and Young instructed prepare draft message4 to our representatives Saigon take up matter with Diem together or individually. Message would advise him contact Viet Minh and assure him our support on genuinely free elections.
4. French del informed us Viet Minh asked French transmit July 20 letter5 officially to Bao Dai and Diem, which they are doing.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–GE/7–2255. Secret; Priority. Repeated for information priority to Saigon, London, Paris, New Delhi, and Ottawa.↩
- July 21.↩
- On July 20, the DRV broadcast a statement announcing that Pham Van Dong had sent Diem and Bao Dai a letter proposing joint consultations beginning on July 20, “as provided for by the Geneva Agreements, at a place agreeable to both sides, on the Vietnamese territory, in order to discuss the problem of reunification of our country by means of free general elections all over Viet-Nam.” For the rest of the relevant portion of the letter of July 19, see Cameron, Viet-Nam Crisis, vol. I, pp. 388–389.↩
- The telegram as sent is infra.↩
- The reference is to the DRV letter of July 19, the contents of which were broadcast on July 20.↩