The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-07-20
Long Negotiations Come To
Climax AT Geneva Conference
Bv LYNN HEINzERLINc

and the Communists came to the
climax of their long negotiations
for an Indochina peace today.
There were indications that a
cease-fire for the Far Eastern
battle-ground might be signed be-
for midnight.
Frances determined, fast-mov-
ing Premier Pierre MendeS France
has promised to resign if he does
not get an armistice by that hour.
Although all issues were not de-
cided as he went into his final
day, he appeared to have won
his gamble.
II was expected that the full
nine-party conference would re-
main In session today until a cease
fire was signed.
Reports from various conference
sources indicated an armistice
agreement was shaping up along
these lines:
/. Wet Nam would be partition
ed Temporarily" at approximate
ely the 18th Parallel, with Ho Chi
Mimi and the Vietminh taking over
the North and the French,prop.
sored Wet Nam government of
ex-Emperor Bao Dai retaining the
South.
2. The Vietminh and the French
would withdraw their troops from
the other two Indochinese states
of Laos and Cambodia, leaving
the French-SponSored royal gov
ernments in control.
3. French military personnel
would remain in Laos, Cambodia
and south Wet Nam to help the
three states develop defense forces.
4. Wet Nam would be reunited
by supervised elections in both
North and South, to be held at
an agreed future date.
S. South Wet Nam, Laos and
Cambodia would be barred from
participation in the Southeast Asia
Treaty Organization (SEATO)
which Western sources last night
said the United States, Britain and
France had agreed to form to
oppose further Communist pene-
tratiOn In that area.
6. The armistice would be super
vised by an international commits
sion composed Of Canada, India
and Poland. A unanimous vote
would be required for decisions
on issues which might lead to a
resumption of hostilities; otherwise
only a majority vote would be
required in the commission. = s.
(The New York Times in a dis
patch from Geneva said Commun-
list China last night had suddenly
demanded that the United States
join In guaranteeing the InOchina
armistice. This dispatch said
Mendes-France had replied at once
there was no question of getting
the United States to become a
guarantor since it already had re.
fused such a role.
(Another Times dispatch from
Geneva said the Communists had
demanded that native Red-led
guerrillas in Laos and Cambodia
be allocated territorial pockets"
in those kingdoms and allowed to
keep their arms until elections
could be held in which they would
participate. The Laotian and Cam
bodian governments were report
ed opposed to the new red de-
mands.)
Mendes- France, after dining last
night with British Foreign Secre-
tary Anthony Eden, returned to
his Lakeside villa to receive Dong
for more bargaining on still un-
settled issues. It was not immedi-
ately known whether they narrow
ed their differences.
Reliable sources said the chief
points in dispute were the exact
location Of the demarcation line
and the date for the future all
Wet Nam elections.
On the territorial issue, the
French previously had held out
for the 18th Parallel as the divid-
ing line and the Vietminh for the
18th. The midway point, suggested
by Soviet Foreign Minister VIM.
Molotov, would permit south Wet
Nam to retain the major port OF
Tourane and the ancient Annamese
capital of Hue.
On the election issue the Wet
mimi want the voting as soon as
possible. The French and Wet
namese, admitting that Ho Chi
Mimi would win any balloting held
Immediately after the armiStice,
asked for a delay of two years.
The communists yesterday were
reported willing to delay the elc-
ton for IS months.
Regardless of the outcome of the
days events, Mendes-France had
his plane ordered to take him to
Paris tomorrow. There, on Thurs
day, he must report to the Ma
tional Assembly, to which on June
II he gave his peace or resigna-
ton by July TO- pledge.
In the furry of final negotia-
tons, the United States maintained
its sideline role. US. Under Secre
tary of State Walter Bedell Smith
plannd to attend the climactic