Word: mende
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Right up to the last minute of the last hour, France's energetic little Premier Pierre Mendès-France was determined not to lose his nerve. He expected trouble, and got it. "They will keep up the war of nerves until the end," he predicted, "perhaps until half an hour before midnight Tuesday, reckoning I shall weaken under pressure...
...hand of time lay on the Communists, too-as Mendès-France had planned it should. They could destroy him, and knew it. He left no doubt that he would carry out his pledge of resignation if there was no cease-fire by July 20. His very effectiveness, as a man who held promise of giving France firm leadership, might well make the Communists decide that here was a man they would do well to destroy. They did not lack pretexts. But if they failed to accept peace from a man pledged to give them peace, they risked alienating...
Blunt Man. In the last busy week, Mendès' first concern was to strengthen his own hand. He cajoled John Foster Dulles as far as Paris, made a hectic flying visit from Geneva to Paris (accompanied by Britain's admiring Anthony Eden) to meet him. Mendès did not stand on protocol. He rushed right over to the U.S. embassy to see Dulles. He wanted to make it clear that he was not a "peace-at-any-price...
...Mendès was blunt. He told Dulles that France had lost the war in Indo-China. Since neither the U.S. nor Britain was willing to intervene with ground forces to alter that fact, he felt that his allies should support him in getting the best settlement that he could. If the U.S. stayed away, he told Dulles, the Communists would conclude that the U.S. had deserted France, and would demand stiffer terms than he could accept. If no settlement was reached, all the world would blame...
...week's end Mendèes hurried off to Geneva, where Molotov was waiting for him. Before he left, he sent Ambassador