Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXIII, Southeast Asia

134. Memorandum for the Record⁰

Washington, December 10, 1963.

SUBJECT

• Daily White House Staff Meeting, 10 December 1963

1. Mr. Bundy presided throughout the meeting.

2. Cambodia. Forrestal was present this morning, and the first question Bundy asked him was about the situation in Cambodia. Forrestal replied that our present policy will be to pull out all American presence as quickly as possible. There is some question as to whether we should complete a road under construction.¹Bundy asked Forrestal if he was a “road finisher,” and Forrestal answered that he was not. He had been one until these latest episodes. At that point he said he decided to support abandonment of the road project. Harriman evidently feels the same way.

Forrestal said he believed our policy should be to let the Cambodians become neutralists, and even invite the Chinese in if they wished. In six to eight months or so they will surely kick them out and invite us back. Bundy seemed to share this opinion.

[Here follows discussion of Vietnam and other unrelated matters.]

WYS

0. Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Chairman’s Staff Group, Dec. 1963, WH Staff Memos, T–213–69. Secret; Eyes Only. Prepared by Smith.
1. Reference is to the Khmer-American Friendship Highway connecting Phnom Penh and the port of Sihanoukville, inaugurated in July 1959 as a symbol of friendship and American engineering skill. Unfortunately by 1961 almost one-third of the highway had disintegrated to the point of impassibility. The cost of repairing the road was estimated in late 1961 to be around $9 million. Since it could only be worked on during the dry season, it would take at least until 1963 to complete. (Letter from Trimble to Harriman, December 13, 1961; Department of State, Central Files, 851H.2612/12–1361)