MENDES-FRANCE'S INDOCHINA POLICY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01443R000200340008-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 3, 1998
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: June 23, 1954
• Content Type: BRIEF

`Approved For Release 1999/09/08 $ 4 01443R000200340008-6
NSC BRIEFING NOTES 23 June 1954
MENDES-FRANCE'S INDOCHINA POLICY
1. Premier Mendes-France is firm on achieving a "satisfactory
cease-fire" in Indochina by 20 July.
A. He obtained his Assembly majority on 17 June largely
by publicly promising to resign if he fails.
B. He recognizes that his main interest--an economic
reform program--depends on an Indochina settlement
because:
1. His program is technically impossible so long as
drain of war continues.
2. He needs prestige of an Indochina settlement to
put program through the Assembly.
II. Mendes-France's plans for.negotiations
A. Will conduct them himself as foreign minister.
B. Meets Chou En-lai at Bern on 23 June.
C. He hopes that the present nine-power technical discus-
sions on a cease-fire will lead to an agreement permit-
ting the foreign ministers to return to Geneva before
12 July.
D. It is not clear what terms he has in mind.
1. Laniel fears Mendes-France will trade EDC for
minor concessions in Indochina.
E. Cabinet line-up on EDC (as reported in late April):
1. More than 1/3 pro-EDC,
Approved For Release 1999/09/08 : CIA-RDP80RO1443R000200340008-6
 Approved For Release 1999/09/08 : CIA-RDP80RO1443R000200340008-6
SECRET
a. Faure and Guerin de Beaumont, however, have
since publicly favored delay or modification
2. Less than 1/4 opposed,
3. 1/3 undecided.
Approved For Release 1999/09/08: C c 80R01443R000200340008-6