Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Vietnam, Volume I

274. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State¹

Geneva, November 13, 1955—6 p.m.

Secto 279. Re Tosec 231, November 11.² During meeting Saturday, November 12, Secretary and Macmillan together with DeMargerie in absence Pinay, Macmillan mentioned Vietnam and discussed forthcoming visit from Molotov scheduled Monday.³ Mentioned Chou En-lai letter and Fourth Interim Report International Supervisory Commission.

Macmillan outlined substance reply⁴ he proposes make to Molotov with regard Chou En-lai letter. Secretary mentioned Mau letter⁵ and Macmillan said he thought he might make mention of oblique reference in Mau letter to subject general elections Vietnam but his principal point would be that Geneva Agreements only called for consultations and do not specify form this should take.

Secretary asked Macmillan whether he intended raise subject Laos. Macmillan said that for some reason Soviets had not been pressing too hard on Vietnam and that perhaps there might have been some problem between them and Chinese Communists. He thought he would not raise Laos unless Molotov pressed him hard on Vietnam. French observed that while obvious there has been clear violation of Agreements by Communists in Laos, might be undesirable raise matter at this juncture unless Molotov presses hard on Vietnam because might not be to advantage of West to draw attention to Laos, in view weakness government. Macmillan said he wanted avoid formal meeting of the two co-chairmen of 1954 Geneva Conference and would much rather keep any meetings with Molotov on Indochina on purely informal basis. However if Molotov pressed for formal meeting then he would raise strongly subject Laos.

Secretary made point that International Control Commission has nothing to do with elections in Vietnam. Macmillan agreed and said it was armistice commission only.

Dulles

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–GE/11–1355. Secret. Repeated for information to Paris, London, and Saigon.
2. In this telegram the Department expressed its concern over “British defensiveness in their attitude toward talks with Molotov” on Vietnam, and suggested that Macmillan take a firmer line and reject any attempt by Molotov to link the Fourth Interim Report of the ICC and the question of consultations-elections. The Department strongly endorsed the position that the ICC had no jurisdiction or relevance to the subject of consultations-elections. (Ibid., 396.1–GE/11–1155)
3. November 14.
4. See footnote 6, supra.
5. See footnote 5, supra.