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NIACT

SENT DEPARTMENT 4383, REPEATED INFORMATION NIACT GENEVA 237,

LIMIT DISTRIBUTION

EYES ONLY UNDER SECRETARY

I SAW LANIEL AND SCHUMANN THIS EVENING REGARDING DEPTEL 4023. BEFORE DISCUSSION STARTED ON REFTEL, LANIEL MADE A NUMBER OF OBSERVATIONS AND ASKED TWO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. HE SAID THAT HE WAS SENDING GENERAL ELY TO INDOCHINA IMMEDIATELY. HE WILL LEAVE ON SATURDAY OR SUNDAY AND WILL STAY IN INDOCHINA ONLY TWO TO FOUR DAYS. PURPOSE OF HIS VISIT IS TO CHECK UP ON MILITARY SITUATION ON THE SPOT AND ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CONDITION OF GENERAL NAVARRE. BECAUSE OF ELY'S PROSPECTIVE ABSENCE FROM PARIS, LANIEL SUGGESTED THAT GENERAL TRAPNELL, OR WHOEVER ELSE WE PLAN TO SEND TO PARIS IN ANSWER TO LANIEL'S REQUEST FOR AMERICAN MILITARY ADVICE, ARRIVE APPROXIMATELY THURSDAY OF NEXT WEEK. GENERAL ELY WILL UNDERTAKE SUCH REGROUPING OF FRENCH FORCES AND SHORTENING OF LINES AS MAY BE NECESSARY. THIS WILL PROBABLY INCLUDE WITHDRAWAL OF PORTION, AND MAYBE LARGE PORTION, OF THE FRENCH FORCES NOW IN LAOS. FINAL DECISIONS, HOWEVER, WILL ONLY BE TAKEN UPON RETURN OF GENERAL ELY TO PARIS.

LANIEL THEN POSED FOLLOWING TWO QUESTIONS Rh