396.1 BE/2–754: Telegram
No. 440
The Secretary of
State to the Department of
State
niact
Dulte 47. Eyes only for the Acting Secretary from the Secretary. As result of objections raised by Bidault on instructions from Paris this morning to Indochina paragraph of draft resolution on Political Conference which we had provisionally agreed to last night (Dulte 441), following revision drafted by me this morning has just been definitely accepted by the French:2
“Agree further that as soon as actions of the Chinese People’s Republic at the Korean Political Conference and in Southeast Asia provide proofs of its spirit of peace, such Four Power representatives will settle by common agreement the conditions for the convening of another conference designed to restore peace in Indochina.”
At meeting late this afternoon, Eden expressed misgivings about this paragraph. He argued that it would be impossible for the Soviets to accept a resolution which stigmatized and placed on probation their Chinese partner. He said draft imposed two conditions on which Communist China alone would be required to meet. He felt that the specific reference to the Chinese foredoomed the resolution to rejection by the Soviets. He believed we would be vulnerable to future criticism along the line that we were bound to have [Page 990] known the Soviets would not accept this language; hence we could not have been serious about introducing the resolution; and therefore presumably do not actually want conferences on Korea and Indochina with Chinese Communist participation. He said that he did not want to make a nuisance of himself in regard to a difficult issue on which his American and French colleagues, who were more directly concerned, had already reached agreement. However, he felt he should telegraph the text to London immediately.
Secretary pointed out that this language applied only to a proposed Four-Power agreement, and was not proposed to use in an invitation. It was somewhat risky to propose a conference on Indochina under any conditions at this time. If publicized, it might undermine the will to resist of the French Union. The fixing of express conditions provided the only safeguard. It would be unthinkable to remove the conditions imposed on Communist China.
Bidault supported the Secretary very strongly and effectively. He said that from French standpoint it was essential to insert specific conditions in the proposal.
We expect to introduce resolution tomorrow assuming that British will reluctantly concur. We are considering recommending Geneva as place, April 15 as date for Korean Political Conference.
- Document 436.↩
- The exchange of correspondence between Bidault and Dulles on Feb. 7, in which Bidault indicated the reaction in Paris and Dulles transmitted his draft, is in Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 215.↩