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 INCOMING TELEGRAM

PRIORITY

SENT DEPARTMENT 450, REPEATED INFORMATION PRIORITY GENEVA 309.

LIMIT DISTRIBUTION

I saw Schumann this afternoon and gave him information contained in DEPTEL 4286. He made careful note of points 1 and 2, and said he felt personally that they were entirely satisfactory. He did not get into any discussion of details so subject matter in FYI portion of DEPTEL 4286 never came up. Schumann also told me that he had been informed by Parodi regarding my discussion with him yesterday and that Schumann again personally was very pleased with the information in DEPTEL 4272.

While we do not as yet have formal French answer on either of these two DEPTELs, Schumann said that only things that now remained unsettled were military conversations to arrange details of training, command structure, and war plans. He said that French were most anxious to get at these conversations immediately. He then read me portion of telegram from Bidault in which Bidault said that an increased show of Franco-American solidarity in Indochina was now vitally necessary in order to hove any hope of sound progress at Geneva. As possible concrete steps Bidault suggested:

1. US promptly to take over responsibility for training Vietnamese National Army.

2. US agree to provide assistance toward improving airfields in Indochina for use of jet aircraft.

Schumann told me that at Cabinet meeting this morning it was decided to leave to Pleven's discretion decision as to whether Ely or Vallny should represent France at 5-power military discussions opening in Washington next week. In view of French understanding that Radford will not be present for these meetings Ely has told Trapnell that he is disinclined to go himself. However, Schumann today asked whether it would be possible to 43986

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