Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

MLTCNAvAl Aide)298 DICLASSIFICAZ.402 THE SECRETARY OF STATE State DEB Dept. NLT, Date 9-6-85 E.O. 12065, Guidelines, Sec. March 6, 1982 WASHINGTON By December 18, 1951 TOP SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS INDOCHINA Various intelligence reports recently have indicated that large - scale Chinese Communist intervention in the war in Indochina may be imminent. One unconfirmed and unevaluated report indirectly from Peking states that they will invade Indochina in overt aggression on December 28th and that part of their forces will threaten the Thai border. According to another report reaching the Department through Paris an accord has recently been concluded between Peking and the Viet Minh representative in Communist China according to which General Chen Keng, Commander-in-Chie of the Second Communist Army, will be nom- inated Commander-in-Chief of the Sino-Viet Minh Army, which will shortly launch important offensives. The same report says that a Chinese Com- munist mission has recently been installed in Communist-held Indochina to supervise the integration of Chinese troops into the Viet Minh units, the receipt of equipment and arms for ten divisions for the Viet Minh, the re- organization of Viet Minh units along Chinese models, the assignment of Chinese Communist officers as military advisers to all Viet Minh units, and the repair of rail lines and airfields. A third report came from the Chinese Foreign Minister who told the French Charge in Taipei that indications of a Chinese Communist build-up directed at Indochina are now more serious than ever before and warned against the possibility that the Chinese Nationalist troops long interned in Indochina may desert to the Communists once the trouble starts. The Chinese Minister in Paris reported essentially the same information to the French Foreign Office. The Chinese intelligence reports indicated January 15th as a probable " invasion" date. FRANCE Last Friday Prime Minister Pleven asked General Eisenhower to come to see him. Pleven explained the serious situation in which his government found itself in attempting recon- ciliation between the military tasks called for in the report of the TCC ex- ecutive bureau and France's financial resources. He told Eisenhower that unless the US Government could help him to the extent of over 100 billion francs in the calendar year in addition to the aid promised, he believed his govern- ment would fall over this problem. On Friday evening Pleven also took up the same question with Messrs. Harriman and Bruce. Pleven stated that he has succeeded in having legislation passed on that same day raising an additional 70 billion francs in taxes and that he had placed his program before TOP SECRET SECURITY INF ORMATION