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for the support of the national army project without consultation with Bao Dai and determination exactly where he stands and what role he proposes to assume vis-a-vis the Viet national army.

"Finally, but with equal importance, I would strongly urge that definition of U.S. participation in policy and strategic decisions affecting the use of national armies and of American assistance furnished to them accompany any underwriting of the sort French have requested. This participation would involve continuing consultative relationships with French commanding general, with French military missions to the Associated States and with the high military committee and cannot be worked out, in its initial phases, away from Indochina."

4..

According to the military agreements concluded, between France and the Governments of the three Associated States, in 1949, the French High Command retains operational control over all military and security forces in Indochina as long as an emergency exists. The total number of non-Communist forces in Indochina, French and indigenous, amounts to 340,000 troops. French ground forces number about 150,000. These include 44,000 indigenous regulars. The remainder of the total forces, amounting to some 190,000, are divided approximately as follows:

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