Evening star., 1954-05-16
big3Mapping
Bid for Truce
In Indo-Chind
Meet in Secret
At Geneva to Set
Strategy at PorIey
BY the Assoeioied Press

1G4NGVAS WAY 4C.-x I1C WGSGS
ern Big Three -huddled secretly
today to prepare a firm bid for
a quick cease fire in Indo-C China.
Undersecretary Of State WAL
ter Bedell Smith met tonight
with Britain's Foreign Secretary
Anthony Eden after an earlier
conference with Mr.. Eden and
French Foreign Minister Georges
Bidault.
No information was released
concerning the meetings but they
were known to be mapping
strategy for the secret sessions
to be held with the Communist
delegations next week.
Soviet Foreign Minister Ms
tov and Red China's Foreign
Minister Chou En-lai were be-
lieved to be consulting also on
strategy for Athe. crucial week
ahead.
Mondays meeting will be re-
strlcted to delegation heads of
the nine parties represented in
the conference on Indo-C China
and three advisers each. The
delegations will be. pledged to
secrecy although it is possible
communiques will be issued.
Wet Mans Chief of State Bao
Dai moved his headquarters into
a luxurious hotel at Evian on
the French side of Lake Geneva
late today to be near the con-
ference during the decisive stage
about to open.
To Propose Detailed Plan.
Although French sources said
they expected to lay a detailed
plan for a cease fire before the
conference Monday. it was ex-
pected that several secret and
restricted sessions would be re-
quired to get down to real
bargaining and determine the
chances Of peace.
There was q general feeling
Of urgency about the coming
talks. This was expressed par
ticularly by a British spokes-
man. who said the United King
dom felt all efforts should be
directed toward stopping the
shooting.
The disclosure that the United
States and France were opening
talks on "internationalizing" the
conflict added to the tension,
French sources said all future
talks about q southeast Asian
complement Of NATO would be
conducted In Paris and Wash
ington.
While Gen. Smith and Mr..
Eden were exchanging views.
Walter s. Robertson. State De-
partment expert on Far Eastern
affairs, dined with the heads of
the Wet Nam, Laos and Cam
bodian delegations.
Talks With Bao Dai.
Wet Namese Foreign Minister
Nguyen Quoc Dinh talked ear
lier with Bao Dai to get the chief
of states views on the armiStice
talks about to start and he pres
ent situation in Indo- China.
The three Indo- Chinese for
eign ministers. Dinh, Pohoui
Sananikone Of Laos and Tee
Phan Of Cambodia, were ex-
pected to discus swith Mr.. Rob-
ertson the question of American
aid to Indo- China. Mr.. Robert
son was slated to bring the three
ministers up to date on the con-
versations opened in Washing
ton, Paris and Geneva concern
ing the possible international
izing" of the Indo- China war.
There is a general feeling here
that the next week will decide
whether there is any hope of
bringing peace to Indo- China.
The conference of the Big Four
powers. Red China the three As
Sociated States and the Wet
Mini representatives. already
has, before it peace plans of
France. Wet Nam and the Com
muniSt Wet Mimi.
The Americans. 1t was under
stood tonight. were not happy
about the suggestion in the
French plan that an ''interna-
tional commission" supervise the
military phase Of any settlement.
Under this definition the Com
munists might seek to include
Communist neutral" states in
the commission as they did in
the Korean Neutral Nations
Commission.