213. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos1

154613. You should arrange to deliver following note to North Vietnamese Embassy. If in your opinion it can be done without creating an issue, we would prefer that you ask North Vietnamese Charge to come to your Embassy to receive note.

[Page 609]

“The U.S. Government agrees with the statement of the Government of the DRV, in its note of April 27,2 that it is necessary for Hanoi and Washington to engage in conversations promptly.

The U.S. Government notes that the DRV has now agreed that representatives of the two countries should hold private discussions for the sole purpose of agreeing on a location and date.

The U.S. Government notes that the DRV did not respond to its suggestion of April 23 that we meet for this limited purpose in a ‘capital not previously considered by either side.’3 The U.S. Government suggested the DRV might wish to indicate three appropriate locations suitable for this limited purpose. The U.S. Government does not consider that the suggestion of Warsaw is responsive or acceptable.

The U.S. Government is prepared for these limited discussions on April 30 or several days thereafter. The U.S. Government would welcome the prompt response of the DRV to this suggestion.”

Rusk
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 27–14 VIET/CROCODILE. Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Crocodile. Drafted and approved by Bundy, and cleared by Rusk, Clifford, Rostow, and Robert Houdek of S/S-S.
  2. See Document 211. On April 27 the Department informed the Embassies in Thailand, Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Korea, and New Zealand of the DRV message and this reply in telegram 154614. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 27–14 VIET/CROCODILE)
  3. See footnote 3, Document 204.