Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume VI

Editorial Note

The Indochina situation came under consideration during United States–United Kingdom political-military conversations in Washington, July 20–24, 1950. The United States was represented in the discussions by General Omar N. Bradley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Ambassador at Large Philip C. Jessup. British representatives were Sir Oliver Franks, British Ambassador to the United States, and Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Lord Tedder, Chairman of the British Joint Services Mission. The agreed memorandum of these discussions read in part as follows: “14. It was understood that the U.S. and U.K. would assist the French to the extent of their abilities in case of a Chinese communist attack, but the probability would be great that neither could provide forces for this: purpose. There was no further discussion of the Indochina problem in the absence of the French, though further tripartite discussions were considered to be necessary.” The full text of the agreed memorandum and other documentation on the conversations is scheduled for publication in volume III.