Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Minister of Foreign Affairs of France Robert Schuman, Foreign Secretary of Great Britain Anthony Eden, and Jean Letourneau

TOP SECRET 397 890 SECURITY INF FORMATION 335 (Dec. 18) S/S-R December 22, 1952 mexms MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION ssp ic INDOCHINA On Thuryday afternoon, December 18, 1952, in Paris, Mr. Schuman asked Mr. Bden and me to meet him alone at the Quai DIOrsay at 7:00 o'clock. Ve met in Mr. Schuman's office. He had present Mr. Letourneau, an interpreter, and an officia of the Foroign Office to take notes. Hr. Schuman made a short introduction and Mr. Letournesu then took over. He apoke for about three-quarters of an hour, but hiss three points may be summed up as follows: 1. Mr. Letourneau! a Idea of the Viet Minh Strategy for the Coming Känter, He said that the Freneh believed that the attack on NeSan and the heavy concentrations in that area indicated that the Viet Minh intended this year to conduet an intensive campaign in the Thai country and against Lags for the purpose of overrunning the latter area. He believed that they intended to do this becnuse they believe, first, that it is the most difficult part of Indochina for the French to defend on account of the long distances, difficult communications, small local forces for resistance. Second, it vould open a new frontier with China and, most importantly, it vould open a considerable frontier with Thailand. He believed that the Viet Minh believed that the reduction of Laos vould adcomplish a considérable part of their purposes in Indochna and exert strong pressure against Thailand without having to coma to grips with the French Union Forces in the Hanoi Delta. This analysis led to his second point. 2. French Plane for Raising Troops. The French had two plans for raising consideral ble num- bers of lightly armed troops for the purpose of relieving combat divisions of security duties and allowing a concentra- tion of forces to take part in offensive operations against the Viet Minh in the Thai country. The first plan was to raise what he described as militia regiments of between forty and sixty thousand men, who would be lightly armed and would require A number of Freneh officers and NCO's DECLASSIFIED STATE OEPT. LTR. 5-5-73 TOP SECRET SEGURITY INFORMATION Project NLT 82-4 By NLT- HC NARS, Date 6-7-23