Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-11
Britain and France
Want Dulles 10 Delay
United Front Plan
By the Associated Press

AONOON, ApIu 1U.-pI lIdlu
and France appeared set tonight
to hold out for postponement Of
Washington's united front" pro-
gram to block Communist seizure
of Indo-China.
This was the official stand as
United States Secretary of
State Dulles flew toward Europe
to press for immediate action.
There was a hint in the con-
sentative press that the British
may prove more cordial to Mr..
Dulles idea of setting up an
Asiatic coalition in the Pacific
than to the proposal to warn
Communist China against ex-
pansion.
And there was hope q COM
promise could be worked out
with Mr.. Dulles.
Agreed to Wage Delay.
The British and French gov
ernments have agreed in diplo-
matte exchanges to urge Mr..
Dulles to delay his proposed
''hands-off" warning to Red
China until after the Geneva
conference. This parley with the
Russians and the Chinese Com
munistS opens April 26.
British official sources said
London and Paris disagree with
Mr.. Dulles contention that
action on the united Front"
right now will strengthen the
Vests bargaining hand at
Geneva.
The British and French fear
that any strong-arm moves now
would only serve to make the
Reds clam up entirely at the
parley table.
Britain and France repeatedly
will offer to get in line on Mr..
Dulles proposals if Moscow and
Peiping spurn an ndo-China
settlement at Geneva.
Value Of Warming Questioned
The conservative London Daily
Telegraph, which often reflects
the views of the Churchill gov
eminent, said today:
1T is difficult to see what
profit there would be in issuing
a warning to the Chinese before
the Geneva conference. If the
Chinese mean to create further
trouble in Southeast Asia, they
will not be deferred by a prior
intimation that their conduct
will meet with Western disap-
prevail"
Giving an indication that the
British may be more willing to
do business with Mr.. Dulles on
his proposal for a defense or
ganization to safeguard South
east Asia, the Telegraph added:
"An Asiatic NATO would be
q more solid deterrent to the
Chinese than unspecified
threats"
Mr.. Dulles will get warm
official welcome when he flies
into London tomorrow afternoon
for a two-day visit before going
on to Paris. Prime Minister
Churchill and Foreign Secre-
tary Anthony Eden are anxious
to talk over his Indo-C China
proposals.
But the secretary of state will
find many Britons somewhat
nervous and worried about
where the United States is head
ing and the possibility of a
Transatlantic rift over Asia pol
icy.
The feeling expressed by some
Britons is that the United
States is speeding too fast and
boldly in Southeast Asia.
French Papers Cool.
Several French newspapers to-
day gave a cold shoulder to Mr..
Dulles effort to persuade Brit
ain and France to act now on
his united front" program.
The conservative and influen-
tial Voix du North of Lille said
the French reply must be a
a courteous no" Why? The
newspaper said: Because the
Chinese role in Indo-China was
facilitated by the United States
signing an armistice with the
Communists in Korea, because
there has not been enough time
to study such a proposal. and
because Franch, which fights at
Diem Bien Phu, has no need
for advice from anybody on the
kind of barrier to be erected in
this region against Communism"
In Moscow, the Soviet army
newspaper Red Star Joined
Pravda and Izvestia in charges
that the United States was try
ing to prejudice and sabotage"
the Geneva conference with
poisonous intrigues on Indo-
China"