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4) Faster delivery of arms to the French and anti-Communist native forces in Indo-China, "and the dispatch of a military mission to provide closer working relations with those forces."
Soundings at Night. Although the big decisions had undeniably been made by the President himself, they had been taken in close consultation with other members of the U.N. Security Council. All the preceding night U.S. delegates had been scurrying through the New York area, sounding out foreign emissaries and getting their endorsements of the U.S. plan. In effect, the U.S. was acting as the Security Council's powerful police arm.
But that did little to mitigate the enormous threat that hung over Harry Truman's decision. Would powerful, swift U.S. action throughout the Far East bring war with Russia? The U.S. frankly did not know. President Truman had sent word to Stalin through the highest diplomatic channels that the U.S. meant to keep the peace and would fight anyone, including Russia, to preserve it.
The U.S. had drawn upon its conscience and its best judgment, would draw upon them again to meet the next threat—if it came.
* Based in the Western Pacific Area and consisting of one aircraft carrier, two cruisers, twelve destroyers, four submarines.