751J.00/7–154: Telegram
The Chargé at Saigon (McClintock) to the Department of State
[Received 2:04 p.m.]
10. Repeated information Paris 4, Geneva 2, Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Hanoi, Bangkok unnumbered. Prince Savang of Laos lunched [Page 1771] with me today. He said that he had undertaken a personal reconnaissance of that area of Laos allegedly held by “Pathet-Lao people’s government” in last four weeks and could assure me that with exception of a small band of Viet Minh troops country was empty of insurgent and invading elements. He said specifically that Prince Souphanouvong, who had during last year occupied a cave 18 kilometers distant from Sam Neua, was now practically a prisoner in Vinh and had for some months been physically absent from that portion of Laos claimed to be held in rebel hands.
Prince Savang said that he had 1500 Maquis inside Sam Neua province and could at any time he desired take Sam Neua town. However, he did not wish to provoke Viet Minh reprisals since with French military decision to concentrate forces in limited Hanoi Haiphong perimeter of Tonkin Laos would not be able to repel a full dress Viet Minh invasion down Nam Hou Valley toward Luang Prabang “without outside aid”.
Prince Savang said that Viet Minh battalions in Laos receive their rice and munitions by overland supply from China. He added significantly that Laos was key to so called “Thai confederation” and that Lingua Franca of Yunnan even as far as border of Szechuen was Laotian. He said “if they capture Royal Family of Laos, they can control Thais from Yunnan to Thailand and Burma”.
Prince Savang said that he was ordering Ouret to return to Washington, as being more useful there at this juncture, and that he was instructing Foreign Minister to return to Vientiane from Geneva. I made observation, however, that it would be useful for Laos to have some accredited representative in Geneva in event that a cease-fire and armistice affecting Vietnam should likewise bear upon Laos. Savang said he was fully aware of this possibility and that he would control instructions to Laotian delegation in Geneva in person but that he would not go to Geneva himself.
I said re Prince’s information concerning insignificance of “Pathet Lao movement” it seemed to me essential that his government make known to world true proportions of this alleged rebel movement and requested his permission that our media indicate these dimensions. Prince Savang said he would be very pleased if in fact truth were made known.
Although it would indeed be useful if facts set forth second paragraph this telegram1 could be made public, is recommended that they not be published by USIA media as thus becoming suspect. It seems to me that possibly via Thailand, Burma, or even Philippines, this intelligence might be made available to world news agencies.
As Department knows, Savang is given to sweeping statements and [Page 1772] an optimism bordering on euphoria. However, there is no reason why he should not be used in valuable live interview on arrival at Paris to repeat foregoing statements to world press which we in turn could use to our own advantage at Geneva.
- ln telegram 12 from Saigon, July 2, McClintock indicated that he meant to refer here to the first main paragraph. (751J.00/7–254)↩