Reference: Our telegram No. 269 of December 27 paras. 14 to 17 inclusive.

I attach two copies of the report. ³³

2. The report as it stands bears every sign of having been put together hurriedly and of being the result of a series of compromises describing the record of the parties in the implementation of the Agreement.

3. The decision to publish a report covering a four months rather than a five months period was prompted by the receipt of General Giap's memorandum. Within about a week the Secretariat produced a very rough first draft which the Commission took to Saigon on December 15. Saigon schedule happened to be heavier than expected and there was little time to consider the draft report. On its return to HANOI, with an extremely heavy agenda to clear up, in the week before Christmas and before the departure on leave of two of the Commissioners, there was really no time for as careful, detailed, considered revision of the report as we would have liked.

4. As to compromise formulae, they can be found throughout the report: for instance, paragraph 90 concerning Tra Ly had to be worked out in the light of Polish objections to criticism of the D.R. attitude and of Indian increasing unwillingness to admit that something more than a narrow interpretation of instructions might be involved; similarly, in the conclusion chapter, paragraphs 121 and 122 had to be carefully balanced both as to length and emphasis.

5. Throughout the discussion we found an inclination on the part of the Chairman to present what we considered to be an unwarranted optimistic picture of the situation, particularly in so far as Chapter VI, Control of the Introduction of War Matériel, was concerned. The Polish Representative's position was closer to our own. He was not prepared to leave himself open to criticism should it be established later that since August, either one or both parties had introduced personnel or equipment. I may add, that on the whole, while the Polish Delegation, on occasions, suggested amendments which would have been unfair to the French Union, they have not been obstructive, they have not unduly pressed their points and they have readily enough agreed to more balanced and objective revisions.

6. The Interim Report will be forwarded to the Co-Chairmen by Mr. Desai as Secretary General under a covering letter which we have not yet seen. It occurs to us that you may wish to take up with the Foreign Office the question of the early release of this document. The matter will no doubt be discussed as suggested by the Commission between the Co-Chairmen but if the Polish attitude here provides any indication, it would seem reasonable to assume that Mr. Molotov may be prepared to agree to an early publication.

7. On the question of style, I am bound to report that, in spite of numerous discreet and delicately presented suggestions for possible improvements, the Chairman has consistently shown a strong preference for Indian as opposed to Canadian English.

SHERWOOD LETT