396.1 GE/7–1954: Telegram

The United States Delegation to the Department of State

confidential
priority

Secto 664. Repeated information Paris 101, Saigon 70. Department pass Defense. With reference to French delegation working paper on control in Vietnam (Secto 5751), French and Viet Minh have agreed on first 17 of 19 paragraphs with following changes:

  • Paragraph two: Insert “observation and” before “control”.
  • Paragraph seven: First sentence: Insert “neutral” before “International Commission” throughout text; insert “observation and” befor “control”.

    Second sentence: Insert “an equal number of” before “representatives”.

  • Paragraph eight: First sentence: Insert “equal” before “number”.
  • Paragraph nine: First sentence: Change “supervising” to “observing”.
  • Paragraph thirteen: First sentence: Substitute “is to be informed of” for “arbitrates”.

    Second sentence: Substitute “recommendations” for “conclusions”.

  • Paragraph fourteen: First sentence: Delete “and the arbitral decisions”; delete “or rendered”.
  • Paragraph fifteen: Sub-paragraph (c): Delete; delete last sentence.
  • Paragraph sixteen: First sentence: Delete “or an arbitral decision”; substitute “the interested sides or the commission itself is to inform the members of the Geneva Conference” for “the latter informs the guarantors”.

    Second sentence: Substitute “members of the conference” for “guarantors”.

    Third sentence: Substitute “members of the conference” for “guarantors”.

    French are proposing following new paragraphs eighteen and nineteen to Viet Minh today:

  • “Eighteen. The International Control Commission in Vietnam will act in close cooperation with the International Control Commissions in Cambodia and Laos.

    A body made up of a representative of each member state of the neutral International Commission is created to coordinate the activities of the three commissions each time that the implementation of the agreements on the cessation of hostilities in Cambodia, in Laos, and Vietnam makes it necessary.

  • Nineteen. The neutral International Control Commission in (Cambodia) (Laos) (Vietnam) can, in agreement with the coordinating body, and taking account of the development of the situation in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, formulate recommendations concerning the progressive reduction of its activities. These recommendations will be adopted unanimously.”

Soviet draft on control in Vietnam (Secto 6572), presumably is superseded by new French-Viet Minh draft.

Communists appear to have conceded two important points.

Soviet version (Article 8) restricts actions zones within which mobile teams can function without agreement of side concerned to “demilitarized zones” and make no mention of “areas neighboring land and sea frontiers of Vietnam” as does French draft. It also retains reference to “guarantors” in paragraph sixteen rather than “members of conference” as in French draft. Therefore, on these points French-Viet Minh version more acceptable than Soviet draft. Although agreed [Page 1452] French-Viet Minh draft reflects desirable change in paragraph sixteen, it weakens role of International Commission by omitting reference to arbitral function and providing only that commission can inform and make recommendations to the sides. (Paragraphs thirteen and fourteen.)

French also will attempt today to get Viet Minh agreement on designation of following twofour [24] points at which fixed teams are to be stationed: Lai Chau, Lao Kai, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Langson, Tien Yen, Cam Pha, Hongay, Haiphong, Nam Dinh, Hanoi, Vinh, Dong Hoi, Hue, Tourane, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Cap St. Jacques, Saigon, Can Tho, Dalat, Ban Me Thout, Pleiku, Kontum.

Smith
  1. Dated July 8, p. 1305.
  2. Dated July 18, p. 1441.