NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
Page 3 of telegram toAmembassy PARIS
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- (e) France would undertake not to withdraw its forces from Indochina during period of united action so that forces from U.S. — principally air and sea — and others would be supplementary and not in substitution;
- (f) That agreement was reached on training of native troops and on command structure for united action.
FYI Radford contemplates French Supreme Command with U.S. Air Command. END FYI
3. U.S. would require all these conditions to be accepted by French Cabinet and authorized or endorsed by French National Assembly. This would be especially important in view of uncertain tenure of any French government: U.S. would have fully committed itself once it agreed to intervene and would have to be able to rely on adherence to conditions by any successor French government.
4. You will realize that intervention might involve consequences of utmost gravity. Reactions of Communist bloc could not be predicted. Also, if it became necessary to proceed without active U.K participation, the
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