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

40. Telegram From the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins) to the Department of State¹

Saigon, February 11, 1955—7 p.m.

3343. References: A. Paris telegram 2870 to Department, repeated Saigon 443.² B. Department telegram 2726 to Paris, repeated Saigon 3232.³

1. Three documents designed to replace Ely–Collins Minute of Understanding on Training of Vietnamese Forces dated 13 December 1954 were signed and delivered 11 February: (a) Ely letter to Diem granting complete autonomy of Vietnamese forces by 1 July 1955; (b) Ely letter to me placing French advisers and instructor with Vietnamese forces under direction of Chief MAAG; and (c) joint recommendation of Ely and me to Diem relative to organization and training of Vietnamese forces. Final texts quoted below.

2. Ely letter to Diem: “I have the honor to bring to Your Excellency’s attention that the French Government has instructed me to inform you that the autonomy of Vietnamese armed forces will be complete on 1 July 1955, that is to say all units of these forces (cette armee) will be staffed and commanded by Vietnamese officers”. Comment: We specifically raised question about meaning of words “cette armee” and were assured by Ely’s assistant that expression in French clearly means “armed forces” referred to earlier in sentence, and not just army.

3. Ely letter to me: “My government has instructed me to bring to your attention its agreement with the following arrangements: All American and French training and advisory personnel assigned or attached to the Vietnamese armed forces will be under the direction of the Chief MAAG acting under the overall (haute) authority of the Commander in Chief of the French Union forces in Vietnam. As the efficiency of the Vietnamese armed forces increases, the number of American and French advisers and trainers will be progressively decreased”.

4. Joint Ely–Collins recommendation to Diem classified confidential:

“Joint Recommendation of French and American Governments Relative to the Organization and Training of Autonomous Vietnamese Armed Forces

1. The undersigned consider as desirable the adoption by the Government of Viet-Nam of the provisions of Annex ‘A’ attached hereto relative to the initial structure of Vietnamese forces as they should be organized on 31 December 1955.

2. This force structure would be attained by reduction of the strength of Vietnamese armed forces based, as far as possible, on discharge of the least effective personnel, until the structure defined in Annex ‘A’ is achieved. Some adjustments could be made in the rate of reduction in the light of the political and economic situation in Viet-Nam.

3. The undersigned consider that the direction of a program in the fields of organization and training of autonomous Vietnamese armed forces in order to be effective should be entrusted to a single authority; and that, as far as they are concerned, full responsibility for the assistance to be accorded to the Government of Viet-Nam in the organization and training of these armed forces should be assumed by the Chief of the United States MAAG on 12 February 1955 under the overall authority of the Commander in Chief.

4. American personnel would then be maintained concurrently with French personnel as advisers and instructors of Vietnamese armed forces. As the effectiveness of these armed forces increases, the number of French and American advisers and instructors would be progressively reduced.

5. The undersigned agree that the above provisions ought to be applied in conformity with existing agreements.

6. The present recommendation will be valid subject to approval by the United States Government of a program of direct aid to the State of Viet-Nam.”

Comment:

a) Annex “A” referred to in paragraph 1 contains 100,000 man force structure outlined in Part II, Embassy telegram 2676.

b) Department will note that parenthetical phrase included in paragraph 6 of text as cited in Reference A is omitted. Paragraph 6 formerly began: “The present recommendation (which will require the approval of the interested governments) etc”. Ely and I agreed to delete parenthetical phrase since U.S. and French Governments have already approved joint recommendation as title of paper states, and Vietnamese Government has formally proposed identical force structure and has requested that U.S. assume responsibility for advising and training its forces. Phrase therefore serves no useful purpose, and could be interpreted as leaving joint recommendation contingent on further U.S. and French Governmental approval.

5. Diem is scheduled hold press conference 12th at which he will announce prospective autonomy of Vietnamese armed forces and MAAG take-over of full training responsibility.

[

Collins

]

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5/2–1155. Confidential. Repeated for information to Paris, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane and passed to the Department of Defense and CINCPAC.
2. Document 10.
3. Document 30.