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    "title": "Indo-China",
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        "Pre-Presidential Papers of Richard M. Nixon",
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    "seq": 13,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
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    "ocrText": "Page\n2 of\nPage\nof\nEncl. No.\n3\nUNCLASSIFIED\nDesp. No.\nDesp. No.\n195\nFrom\n(Classification)\nFrom\nSeigan\ntroops and the people, and I can say the same thing about the troops that\nI have had an opportunity to see representing the French Union. The morale\nis present in both instances among the forces who must forge the victory,\nand then, second, I have had an opportunity to see some of the leaders\nwho have been responsible for crating some of that morale. For example,\nHis Majesty Bao Daig President Tam, Governor Tri and General Hinh (and\nI could name many others) who have been responsible for creating the type\nof leadership which has instilled the will to victory in the troops of\nVietnam. On the French side the Commissioner General himself, who is our\nhost this evening, General Navarre and General Cogny. I could name many\nothers on both sides, but we have here the combination of determined people\nand troops with morale and good leaders, and that combination can only end\nin victory.\nThe other reason why I am convinced that the forces of freedom have\nfinally gained the initiative here is that the appeal which the enemy\nis making and has made is now beginning to fall on deaf ears. Why?\nThere are two major appeals the enemy has made in order to win the people\nof Vietnam to their side. One 8 they have held themselves up as those who\nadvocate freedom and independence. Second 0 they have said that if they\ncome into power they will deal with the problems of poverty and economic\nconditions under which the people suffer at the present time. And on both\nthese scores the people have learned, sometimes the hard way, that the\nCommunist appeal is one which speaks one way but always acts the opposite\nway. The people have learned that the true friends of Vietnam are not\nthe Communists, but they are their own leaders and the leaders of the French\nUnion forces, both of whom strive for freedom, both of whom recognize\nthat it is necessary to defeat the aggressor before there can be any\nfreedom either here or anywhere else in the world. For that matter, they\nalso realize as they study what the Communists have done that there is\nno freedom and independence in any country in the world where they have\ncome to power a in every country where they have come to power the freedom\nand independence of the people have been destroyed and the freedom and\nindependence of the people have been subjugated to the domination of the\nCommunist ideology. The people of Vietnam know this and that is why they\nare turning from the Communists to their true leaders. On the other hand,\nthe Governments of the three States of Indochina have taken far-seeing\nsteps in dealing with these conditions. May I say that my Government,\nthe Government of the United States, is proud of the part we have been\nable to play in the common battle against the Communist aggression.\nNow with those comments which would appear to be optimistic, may\nI also leave a word of caution? I recognize as we should all recognize,\nthat there are troubles ahead. I realize that the build-up which w would\nhave hoped would take place may not in some instances have been as fast as\nwe would have hoped that it would be. I realize that we have to expect\nreverses to come until our build-up is completed. And certainly we are\ndealing with a fanatical enemy controlled from abroad by a foreign power.\nUNCLASSIFTED\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum"
}