851G.00/12–446: Airgram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 11—10:26 a.m.]
A–1869. I had a visit this morning from Admiral Thierry d’Argenlieu who talked at some length about the situation in Indochina. He said in brief that the overall situation in Indochina is not as bad as described hi the press and that he is confident that unless Thorez72 heads the French Government, which he thinks unlikely, he will be able at long last to bring Indochina back to more or less normal without embarking upon a campaign of reconquest for which he said “We have neither the means nor the disposition.” “However”, he remarked, “we must face the fact that all the members of the Ho Chi Minh government are Communists and use Communist methods.” He insisted that the Ho Chi Minh government represents a very small part of the population of Indochina and even of Annam. He observed that it is important for him to return to Indochina at a very early date but that obviously he cannot return until a government is set up here and he will not return unless he feels that he is backed by the government. I asked: “Under those circumstances, when do you think you will leave?” He replied: “In about 10 days.”
- Maurice Thorez, Secretary-General of the French Communist Party.↩