<--PREV Doc #177  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #179 Document #178; May 6, 1953 To Clarence Dillon Series: EM, AWF, International Series: France ; Category: Personal The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XIV - The Presidency: The Middle Way Part II: Settling into "the long pull"; May 1953 to August 1953 Chapter 3: "A time for continued vigilance"   Dear Mr. Ambassador:1 The situation in Indo-China continues to be one of grave concern to all who are striving to increase the strength and stability of the free world. To the people of the United States, conditions there seem to be worsening rather than improving, despite our outlays for material support.2 After much thought on this subject, my associates and I have arrived at two convictions, a knowledge of which may be of some value to you in your contacts with French officials.3 The first is that an outstanding leader is needed, empowered with the means and authority to win victory--a man who is at once eminently qualified in the training and organization of military forces, and who is at the same time a forceful and inspirational leader. With such leadership in the person of the late Marshal de Lattre de Tassigny, French Union forces made extensive progress against the insurgents and I believe the progress would have been maintained had this outstanding soldier lived.4 The second requirement, as I see it, is for a clear and unequivocal public announcement on the part of the French Government, repeated as often as may appear desirable, that France seeks self-rule for Indo-China and that practical political freedom will be an accomplished fact as soon as victory against the Communists is won. France would, thereafter, have such relationships with the peoples of Indo-China as are agreed between the two peoples to be of mutual benefit. Such a declaration would place this tragic conflict in an appealing perspective and win millions of friends for France, not only in Indo-China but throughout the world. A short time ago, I mentioned to our State Department my views as to the urgent requirement for a top-flight commander in Indo-China. I specifically referred to General Guillaume as the type of man capable of providing the leadership required.5 Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing Lieutenant General Jean E. Valluy.6 I understand that he is receiving consideration for appointment as Commander in French Indo-China. Based on my personal impression of him, and on reports reaching me of his work at SHAPE, I feel that General Valluy may well be the man who can perform this critical task successfully. If such be the decision of the French authorities, I strongly urge that he be sent as early as practicable and that he be given powers and support equal to the great task that will be his.7 With warm personal regard, Sincerely 1 The State Department drafted this message and sent it as a telegram on May 7 (State, Foreign Relations, 1952-1954, vol. XIII, Indochina, pt. 1, pp. 550-51). 2 On the Vietminh invasion of Laos see no. 174. On May 5 Eisenhower had sent Congress a fiscal year 1954 budget request for the Mutual Security Agency proposing "substantial additional resources" to combat Communist aggression in Southeast Asia (see Public Papers of the Presidents: Eisenhower, 1953, p. 258; and no. 172 in this volume). 3 On April 26 American Ambassador Dillon, joined by Secretary of State Dulles, Secretary of Defense Wilson, MSA Director Stassen, and U.S. Special Representative in Europe Draper, had met with French leaders in Paris. Earlier this same day, at a meeting of the NSC, the President had outlined what he believed to be the two steps necessary for French victory in Indochina (State, Foreign Relations, 1952-1954, vol. XIII, Indochina, 2 parts [1982], pt. 1, pp. 507-10, 547-48). 4 One of Eisenhower's subordinates in World War II, de Lattre had died of cancer in January 1952 (for background see Galambos, NATO and the Campaign of 1952, nos. 28 and 607). 5 Augustin Guillaume was Resident General of French Morocco. He would remain in this post until May 1954, and he would later chair the NATO Military Committee. 6 Jean E. Valluy had served as Deputy Chief of Staff at NATO headquarters in 1952-53. In 1953 he was the French member of the NATO Standing Group in Washington. 7 On May 9 the French would name General Henri Navarre as French Commander in Chief in Indochina. Responding to the President's message that same day, Dillon would report that he had spoken to the French authorities after announcement of the appointment. According to Dillon, the French Prime Minister wished Eisenhower to know that he had considered both Guillaume, whose poor health had disqualified him, and Valluy, whose earlier record in Indochina had made him unpopular with the Vietnamese. In regard to Eisenhower's second point, the French Prime Minister would promise to make public references to French plans for the independence of Indochina "at every appropriate time" (State, Foreign Relations, 1952-1954, vol. XIII, Indochina, pt. 1, pp. 561-62; see also Dillon's reply of May 15, ibid., pp. 567-68). Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. Personal To Clarence Dillon, 6 May 1953. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 178. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/first-term/documents/178.cfm <--PREV Doc #177  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #179

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