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August 26, 1954

Dear Mr. Secretary:

As you are aware, the President has approved a policy message to the Prime Minister of France indicating that henceforth the United States would provide such aid as it deems necessary for the three states of Indochina directly, rather than through the medium of the French Government.

The Cambodian Government, on May 20, 1954, officially requested the assistance of the United Stats in training the Royal Cambodian Army according to the accelerated methods of instruction used in Korea with the objective of forming three divisions in the shortest possible time. To date no response had been made by this Government to the Government of Cambodia.

The Department of State feels in the national interest that this Government should respond affirmatively to the Cambodian request and recommends that a bilateral agreement be negotiated with Cambodia for the establishment of a Military Assistance Advisory Group which would likewise have a training function.

It is understood that the present Chief of MAAG, Saigon has undertaken preliminary study of the requirements for a MAAG/Phnom Penh. If you concur in the recommendation of this Department, it would be our intention to authorize the new American Ambassador to Cambodia officially to inform His Majesty, the King of Cambodia, of our intention to accede to the Cambodian request and promptly to negotiate a MAAG bilateral agreement. If the Department of Defense agrees in this proposed line of policy and has special considerations which it desires should be incorporated in the proposed bilateral agreement, I shall be grateful for your courtesy in indicating the main heads of agreement which would be desired by the Department of Defense.

The Honorable Charles E. Wilson, Secretary of Defense. Rh