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I.


 * 1. M. SCHUMAN gave a short review of French commitments in Indo-China and explained the difficulties facing the French Government. He emphasised that it should be recognised that France was serving the interests of the common cause and that the French Government needed urgently extensive military help.


 * 2. The Ministers agreed that paragraph 7 should be amended to read:


 * 7. Although the security of South East Asia is of strategic importance to the United States, the British and French have direct responsibilities in the area which make its security of even greater concern to them. The forcible expulsion of French and British forces from Indo-China and Malaya, respectively, would be both a military and politico! disaster. The United Kingdom therefore reaffirms its intention to continue to discharge its responsibilities in British and British-protected territory in the area. The French Government considers that it is only within the framework of close and active co-operation with the United Kingdom and United States Governments that it will be able to continue effectively to discharge its particular responsibilities in this region."

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