NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
7510,00/9-1451: Secret File ,
SECRET
Extracts from memorandum of conversation among
Acheson, Schuman, and DeLattre, Sept. 14, 1951
General de Lattre opened the conversation with the remark that he was particularly pleased to see the Secretary today for he had not expected to see him until after the Ottawa talks. That he should meet him on his first day in the United States and on the same day he had met the President was especially gratifying. He spoke of the cordial and "encouraging" interview he had had at noon with the President. He believed that the President had a thorough understanding of the Indochina problem and had been very reassured by his statement to the effect that "we would not let Indochina fall into enemy hands".
After the formalities had been completed, Mr. Schuman made a particular point of stating to the Secretary that he was glad to be able to present General de Lattre himself and to state that General de Lattre would be speaking on behalf of the French Government during his visit to the United States. The Secretary acknowledged this fact and remarked that General Marshall, Mr. Lovett and our own officials in the Department were all looking forward to discussing the details of the Indochina problem with the General.
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The General spoke in some detail on the subject of the national armies. … He hoped more progress would be made after his return from the United States with news that the Americans had promised to support the Franco-Vietnamese program on the basis that in Vietnam, as in the rest of the Orient, nothing succeeds like success.
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At this point General de Lattre referred again to his hope that he would return to Vietnam, with news of a successful American trip. The Secretary stated, referring to the Department's responsibilities in the
