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

317. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Sebald) to the Secretary of State¹

Washington, March 23, 1956.

SUBJECT

• Despatch of “Temporary Equipment Recovery Mission” to Vietnam

1. After your talk with Nehru on TERM,² the GOI informed our Delhi Embassy³ that on the basis of the information they had available they would not consider our proposed operation inconsistent with the Geneva Agreement if its purpose was to reduce the volume of armament in South Viet-Nam.

2. The GOI indicated that the operation should take place under supervision or with the cognizance of the ICC. We should have the French (as liaison with the ICC) notify ICC of the dates of entry and exit of personnel and of the exit dates and inventory of equipment; ICC would then exercise the necessary controls. Within this principle, there was precedent for the introduction of personnel for a limited time and purpose, in that a Communist Chinese group had entered North Viet-Nam for a short time after giving notice to the ICC.

3. The Department and the Embassy at Saigon consider the initial Indian reaction far more flexible than anticipated. The Department believes that if the establishment of TERM satisfies the minimum personnel objectives of our Defense Department in Viet-Nam, the notification and supervisory procedures indicated by the GOI may be acceptable, even though our compliance might establish a present practical ceiling for TERM (350). Our compliance would also almost certainly have the effect of encouraging ICC to insist on receiving notification of the movements of MAAG as well as TERM personnel. In this respect, we have already indicated to the French and Canadians that we have no objections to the French and/or Vietnamese notifying the ICC of the entry and exit of U.S. MAAG personnel on the basis of information available to them from their own resources.

4. The Defense Department’s understanding is that the function of TERM pertains both to supervising recovery and outshipment of excess MDAP equipment and to assistance in improvement of Vietnamese logistical capabilities so as to preserve the equipment now in the hands of Viet-Nam aimed forces. Subject to this understanding, and assuming the retention in Viet-Nam of 1,000 French military technicians for equipment redistribution and of certain French naval and air training and maintenance personnel, the establishment of TERM would satisfy the Defense minimum personnel objectives for Viet-Nam, at least for the immediate future. Under those circumstances Defense would agree with State that ICC notification and supervisory procedures would be acceptable for TERM personnel.

Recommendations

1. a. That we provide the Government of India with any additional information on TERM that may be required and continue to request their support for the operation.

b. That we inform the Government of India that we will authorize the French and/or Vietnamese to supply the required notifications to the ICC and that we will cooperate in supplying relevant information.

2. That you approve the despatch of a “Temporary Equipment Recovery Mission” in uniform⁴ to Viet-Nam under the understanding described in para 4 above, and that you authorize us to notify the Defense Department immediately to that effect.

3. That we inform the French, Canadian, British and Vietnamese governments of our decision to proceed, expose the Indian government’s point of view fully to these governments, and continue to request their support.

Approve: J[ohn] F. D[ulles]

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/3–2356. Secret. Drafted by Kattenburg with concurrences by Defense and PSA (in draft) and by SOA, WE, L, C, and G.
2. See Document 311.
3. See Document 312.
4. Dulles in his own hand deleted the words “in uniform” and wrote in the substitute language, “in civilian clothes”.