NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
TOP SECRET
-3- 4383, MAY 14, 10 PM, FROM PARIS
principally air and sea, "and others". They asked me to find out what was meant by other forces. Laniel indicated that it would be very important to have artillery forces as well as some ground forces. In this connection, they mentioned the possibility of the use of marines. Comment: I feel that while French Govt would not look forward in present circumstances to the necessity of any substantial involvement by U.S. ground forces, they nevertheless feel that it is very important that we provide at least some token ground forces so that our participation is not limited strictly to naval and air forces.)
Both Laniel and Schumann accepted without question as being wholly justified U.S. requirement that conditions be accepted by French Cabinet and endorsed by National Assembly. They then said that they would probably want to speak to me over the weekend after they had had time to think further regarding U.S. conditions. I made it clear that conditions as outlined represented present high level thinking in Washington and did not represent as yet any commitment on the part of U.S. Govt. Schumann then said that negotiations should be pursued in the greatest secrecy until such time as full agreement had been reached. He said that premature press leaks could make things most difficult and he referred to an AP press story today from Washington. Laniel and Schumann then said that they hoped that negotiations could continue rapidly and that when and if full agreement had been reached, we would be in a position to make public declaration of a sort which would influence communist negotiators at Geneva.
