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Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3 NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011 41 060655 DIEM INSISTED THAT FRANCE HONOR THE PROMISE MADE BY MENDES-FRANCE AT GENEVA TO WITHDRAW FRENCH TROOPS FROM VIETNAM SINCE THIS WAS THE ONLY WAY THAT FRENCH COLONIAL AEGIS COULD BE REMOVED. FRANCE WAS WILLING TO WITHDRAW BUT WAS NOT ABOUT TO LEAVE ITS LOGISTICAL SUPPORT UNDER VIETNAM CONTROL AS DIEM HOPED. /JCS HIST.

062055 GENERAL ELY LEFT SAIGON AFTER TURNING OVER HIS COMMAND TO GENERAL PIERRE JACQUOT, WHO WAS DESIGNATED ACTING COMMISSIONER GENERAL AND COMANDERCOMMANDER [sic] ANDIN [sic] CHIEF OF FRENCH UNION FORCES IN INDOCHINA, PENDING NOMINATION OF ELY'S REPLACEMENT. /JCS HIST.

070155 FRANCE FORMALLY RELINQUISHED COMMAND AUTHORITY OVER THE VIETNAMESE NAVY AND AGREED THAT FRENCH AND VIETNAMESE FORCES SHOULD BE UNDER INDEPENDENT COMMANDS.

070155 THE ARVN BEGAN OPERATIONS AGAINST THE HAOHOA [sic] HAO IN THE THAT SON AREA.

070255 THE DEPENDENCE OF THE VIETNAMESE ARMY COMMAND ON THE FRENCH HIGH COMMAND AT LAST CAME TO AN END. THE EXPEDITIONARY CORPS WAS THEN CONCENTRATED IN THE CAP ST. JACQUES VICINITY AND HAD BEEN REDUCED FROM 175,000 TO 30,000 MEN. /J.B. DRAGON.

070355 THE U.S. APPROVED DROPPING THE PLAN TO CUT THE ARMY TO 100,000 MEN SO THE ARMY COULD ABSORB THE ARMIES OF THE RELIGIOUS SECTS.

070755 ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF HIS INSTALLATION AS PRIME MINISTER, DIEM ANNOUNCED THE NATIONAL REFERENDUM SET FOR OCTOBER 23, 1955. /J.B. DRAGON.

070755 FRENCH FORMALLY TRANSFER NHA PRANG AIR BASE TO VIETNAMESE CONTROL.

071655 NGO DINH DIEM DECLARED THAT SOUTH VIETNAM, NOT HAVING SIGNED THE GENEVA AGREEMENT, WOULD NOT TAKE PART IN GENERAL ELECTIONS UNLESS THEY WERE GUARANTEED TO BE FREE IN THE NORTH AS WELL AS IN THE SOUTH. /J.B.DRAGON.

071855 AFTER AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF AID BY THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA TO THE DRV ON JULY 7, MOSCOW ALSO CONCLUDED AN AID AGREEMENT WITH HANOI.

071855 THE NATIONAL ARMY BATTLED THE HOA HAO IN HA TIEN.

071855 U.S. OFFICERS STARTED TO TRAIN VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS IN QUANG TRI.

071955 NGO DINH DIEM REFUSED TO ATTEND TALKS WITH DELEGATES FROM THE NORTH ON ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN 1958. TALKS WERE SCHEDULED BY THE GENEVA TO BEGIN JULY 20, 1955. SVA REJECTED THE NORTH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT'S INVITATION TO DISCUSS ELECTIONS OH THE GROUNDS THAT IN THE NORTH THE PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EXPRESS THEIR WILL FREELY AND THAT FALSIFIED VOTES IN NORTH VIETNAM COULD OVERRULE THE VOTES IN SOUTH VIETNAM. /READER

072955 THE ASST.SEC.DEF. (ISA) REQUESTED A JCS EVALUATION OF THE MAAG–RECOMMENDED 150,000 MAN VNA FOR FY 1955–56. ISA REITERATED FORCE REQUIREMENTS TO MEET INTERNAL NOT EXTERNAL AGGRESSION. /323-1 EE