Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Indochina, Volume XIII, Part 1

751G.5/3–2453: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State

secret

Paris, March 24, 1953—5 p.m.

5202. Repeated information Saigon 205. Ministry Associated States today handed us copy report¹ on recent Franco-Vietnamese Mission to Korea for inspection US training methods. Tezenas du Montcel, Director General Ministry Associated States, taking report to Washington for use during Mayer–Bidault talks.

Report reviews findings of mission and says study basic principles instruction methods and general conditions necessary for their success indicate impossible use “Korean solution” beneficially in Vietnam. Report makes points: Front does not exist, enemy everywhere, war has special character different from classic form combat and base unit is battalion and not division as in Korea. Report says impossible France and Vietnam meet great expense of “troop factory” of American type, difficulties of communication prevent centralization instruction as in Korea, and Vietnamese and French temperaments do not lend themselves to these instruction methods which tend to extreme specialization, automatism and absolute subordination to instructors.

Report concludes however that without abandoning concepts appropriate to French army inherited by Vietnamese forces, adaptation of American methods to IC might bring about increased output, unity of doctrine and more rapid formation of units. Text being forwarded by air pouch.

Dillon

1. Not identified in Department of State files.