751G.5 MAP/8–750: Telegram
The Minister at Saigon (Heath) to the Secretary of State
secret
170. State pass to CNO, CINCPAC, CIKCFE. Tomap. Survey mission has completed initial report on military assistance for Indochina which is being dispatched to FMACC by courier.1 Basically the French objectives appear to coincide with US objectives in the country. The military situation confronting the French in Indochina [Page 845] is internal against the Viet Minh and impending external against Communist China. The French forces after approximately 5 years of warfare are stalemated against Ho Chi Minh and appear to have lost considerable amount of offensive spirit. This failure to restore internal security is attributed by French to lack of cooperation of noncommunist people and deep seated hatred and distrust of French which exists among large part of the population. Military action alone cannot solve this internal security problem. A political solution which includes concessions on the part of France and definite plans possibly backed by the US or the UN for eventual independence of Vietnam Cambodia and Laos is a necessary complement to military action. The overall assistance (military, economic and political) requested up to this time is considered inadequate to fully consummate US broad objectives in Indochina and assistance will have to be provided to the French Indochina on an increased scale to resist the encroachment of Communism in SEA. Recommend immediate assistance be provided in accordance with the requests contained in the mission reports being forwarded by courier.…
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- See covering letter of the report, supra. ↩