The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-07-16
French Premier Is Set Back
In Last-Minute Peace Efforts
BY EDDY GILMORE

N$S- - o1lCc Id(CN SuC
clock today in a quest to win an
1ndochina cease-fire based on divi-
sion Of Wet Nam at the 18th paral-
lei. But his efforts were set back
by q four hour session with
RuSsia's stubborn v. M. Molotov.
French sources said last nights
meeting with the Soviet Foreign
Minister resulted in a complete
deadlock. Both statesmen stuck to
their positions and no progress was
achieved, the informa ants said.
The partitioning of disputed Wet
Nam was said to have been the
main topic Of the parley which
broke up early this morning.
Mendes-France was reported to
have pressed for a cease-fire line
running from Dong Hoi on the Wet
Thakhek, on the Laotian border.
Western diplomats said the
Communists seemed willing to do
business, but that they were dick
ering for a bigger chunk of Wet
Nam-most important of the three
associated Indochinese states.
The Reds appeared to be seeking
a compromise between the 18th
Parallel across Wet Mans narrow
waist and their original demand
for partition at the 14th Parallel.
The French want to hold the
line at least to the 18th Parallel.
To set it below that point would
mean handing over to the Com
munist-led Vietminh the important
air and naval base at Tourane and
the old Annamese capital of Hue.
Loss of the latter particularly
would be a severe blow to the
prestige of ex-Emperor Bao Dai,
chief of state for the government
the French have set up in Wet
Nam.
Mendes-France has limited he
might be persuaded to turn over
Wet Mans northern war capital
Hanoi, to Ho Chi Minis forces.
But the Premier was reported
holding out stubbornly to retain at
least temporary control of Hal
phong, the major port of the rich
Red River delta through which the
French may have to evacuate their
forces.
In return for retaining Haiphong,
IS miles east of Hanoi and well
above the 18th Parallel, the French
have offered to let the Vietminh
keep control of some of their
pockets in the South.
The French believe the Commu-
nistS will agree eventually to a,
naturalization of the other two In
dochineSe states, Laos and Cam
b0dia, based on withdrawal of vi
etminh forces and incorporation of
local Communist resistance move.
mentS into national communi-
ties"
Mendes-France, who has prom
Used to resign if he fails to get a
cease-fire by July 20, is feverishly
trying to iron out points of differ
ence in small, private huddles be-
tween French and Communist del
egates.
While the French Premier took
the lead in dealing with the Reds,
British Foreign Secretary Anthony
Eden backed him up with an ex-
hausting schedule of meetings with
members of both the Western and
Communist delegations.
The French and British hope to
reach a large measure of agree
ment with the Communists on de-
tailed terms of an armistice by
the time us. Under Secretary of
State Walter Bedell Smith arrives
tomorrow to sit in on the negotia-
tons.
Sources in Washington said the
United States does not appear to
have budged from its disappearing
attitude towards any partition of
Wet Nam. But informa ants there
said Mendes-France assured Sec
rotary Of State Dulles at their re-
cent Paris huddle that France
would only agree to an mdochina
truce couched in terms that the
United States could live with.
The Washington informants pre-.
dlcted this requirement would be
met by a declaration that the divi-
sion OF Wet Nam was only tenn
porary, with the country's future
TO be determined finally by even
tuaI supervised free elections -
the same thing that has been prom
ised Korea and Germany.