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Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3
NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
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| 20. | Secretary of State Byrnes requests information on conditions in Indochina and especially on the status of French-Viet Minh negotiations. Byrnes 53 to Bangkok, 28 January 1946 | 53 |
| 21. | Gen Gallagher, OSS, reveals that, in his view of Indochina, "one or two modern French divisions could defeat the Annamese" and that after de Gaulle's October pronouncement of colonial policy, the Annamese (Ho Chi Minh) refused to negotiate with the French and became hostile. "Ho himself will not deal with the French…and will be behind any continuing Annamese movement." The Viet Minh administration is young and inexperienced but "the demand for independence is widespread and even in the villages the peasants refer to the example of the Philippines…however, the Viet Minh should not be labeled full-fledged doctrinaire communist." Memorandum of Conversation by R.L. Sharp, SEA Affairs, 30 January 1946 | 53 |
| 22. | Landon reports that d'Argenlieu-Ho Chi Minh negotiations have been proceeding and may be completed in two or three weeks, and that only temporary and local Franco-Chinese agreements have been realized. Landon (Saigon) O927 to Byrnes, 5 February 1946 | 58 |
| 23. | Caffery informs Byrnes that present French government "will try to follow a conciliatory and moderate policy in Indochina and will be more progressive in its outlook than de Gaulle." Caffery 595 to Byrnes, 6 February 1946 | 59 |
| 24. | Landon states that: "it seems certain that Annamese plan desperate resistance to French. Ho Chi Minh stated that he considering petitioning all United Nations to mediate Annamese independence and prevent extensive bloodshed." Landon (Hanoi) 2 to Byrnes, 16 February 1946 | 59 |
| 25. | Landon refers to two letters to President Truman from Ho Chi Minh which request the USA as UN member to support Annamese independence according to the example of the Philippines. Landon summarizes the points in Ho Chi Minh's petition to the United Nations which includes a review of French conquests, Ho's governmental accomplishments, and requests for intervention by the Big Four. Landon (Hanoi) to Secretary of State, undated (received 27 February 1945) | 61 |
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