751G.5/9–852: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France1
1328. No distribution outside Department except Defense. Eyes only Dunn and Heath. Deptel 1168 Paris, Saigon 434 Aug 29.2 Secy Lovett has approved plan furnish transport aircraft to IC for forthcoming offensive operations as originally negotiated with Fr by MAAG Paris and formalized by Pentagon.3 It has already been put into action. Details available MAAGs.
MAAG Paris reported Sep 5 to Pentagon Fr had now stated it wld be impossible for them carry out their share of the plan by date scheduled, specifically that they cld not make pilot and maintenance crews available in time both to move those aircraft coming from Fr and Belgium to IC and man those to be delivered in IC by FEAF. They therefore have requested postponement from Nov first to Dec first. That timing is one of most essential features of overall plan, as originally projected by Gen Salan, and as now being made possible largely by Amer materiel aid shld be too obvious to Fr to require argument. Pentagon has been obliged assign special priority this project and withdraw planes from other vital areas order to make transport aircraft required available in IC by date scheduled. They have now agreed to do so, not without considerable sacrifice but in recognition urgent need and prospective dividends They and Dept expect Fr make similar sacrifices as necessary.
Dept is informed that wheels of plan are now turning to such an extent that Pentagon wld be required to make complete new study of problem before decision cld be made on setting back process one month. It wld be regrettable if after major obstacles of availability of aircraft had been met and overcome, operations were to be postponed and their success jeopardized by Fr failure carry out their share responsibility at this stage.
Therefore urge you make strong approach appropriate auths Paris and Saigon separately or in conjunction Chiefs MAAGs to end that Fr agree carry out their share responsibilities.4
- Drafted by William M. Gibson, Deputy Director of PSA. Repeated to Saigon as telegram 500.↩
- Not printed.↩
- By letter of Sept. 12, William C. Foster, Deputy Secretary of Defense, informed Secretary of State Acheson of approval of the plan by the Department of Defense. (Secretary’s Letters, lot 56 D 459, “Defense”)↩
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Telegram 573 from Ambassador Heath at Saigon, Sept. 12, read as follows:
“Yesterday I presented in strongest terms Fr failure carry out their share responsibilities for new additional aircraft to Janet who is Letourneau‘s real deputy here and he promised to send urgent telegram immediately to Letourneau now in Paris urging him to intervene strongly with Fr mil authorities to provide pilots and maintenance crews without delay.” (751G.5/9–1252)
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