Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXVIII, Laos

183. Telegram From Secretary of State Rusk to the Department of State¹

London, May 14, 1965, 1125Z.

Secto 22. From the Secretary. Reference Vientiane’s 1861.² I am not particularly concerned about the effect which our present activities in Laos would have on a Laotian conference.³ The elementary fact is that we were in near complete and meticulous compliance with the 1962 Accord whereas the other side always had several thousand North Vietnamese in Laos contrary to the agreements and never seriously interrupted the use of Laotian corridors to South Viet-Nam contrary to the agreement. At a Laotian conference what we are doing would constitute a major card to play in obtaining serious compliance by the other side. Surely our posture would simply be “we support the 1962 Accords, and are in favor of complete supervised compliance with those accords by all parties.”

Rusk

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS. Secret. Repeated to Vientiane, Saigon, and Bangkok. Rusk was in London to attend the NAC Ministerial meeting May 11–12.
2. Document 182.
3. In telegram 1868 from Vientiane, May 15, Sullivan stated that the concern he expressed was not about the “effect our activities in Laos would have on a Laotian conference but rather the effect a conference would have on our activities.” (Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS)