Office of the Historian

United States Support for the Royal Lao Government and Attempts to Prevent Coalition with the Pathet Lao1

1. For previous documentation on Laos, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, volumes XIII and XVI.

439. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Washington, May 28, 1957—5:49 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.13/5–1357. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Byrne, cleared with Kocher and Jones, and approved by Robertson. Repeated to Saigon, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Paris, and London.

440. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Washington, May 29, 1957—6:58 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/5–2957 Secret. Drafted by Byrne; cleared by Kocher; approved by Young; repeated to Paris, Saigon, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, and London.

442. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Vientiane, May 31, 1957—6 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.13/5–3157. Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Paris and London.

443. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Vientiane, June 3, 1957—6 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–357. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to London, Paris, Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok.

444. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Vientiane, June 3, 1957—6 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–357. Secret; Priority.

445. Letter From the Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs (Young) to the Ambassador in Laos (Parsons)

Washington, June 4, 1957.

Source: Department of State, EA Files: Laos, Lot 68 D 77, Top Secret Laos 1957. Top Secret; Official–Informal. Drafted by Byrne.

446. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 5, 1957

Washington, June 5, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–557. Confidential. Drafted by Elbrick. The following marginal note by Macomber appears on the source text: “OK, WM”.

447. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Vientiane, June 6, 1957—6 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–657. Secret. Repeated to Paris, London, Saigon, Phnom Penh, Ottawa, and New Delhi.

448. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Washington, June 7, 1957—8:28 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–757. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Young and Byrne, cleared by Kocher, and approved by Robertson. Repeated to Paris and London.

449. Telegram From the Department of State to Embassy in Laos

Washington, June 18, 1957—8:06 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–1157. Secret. Drafted by Byrne; cleared by Kocher, Young (in draft), and Jones; approved by Robertson; and repeated to Paris, London, Saigon, and Phnom Penh.

450. Memorandum From the Secretary of State’s Special Assistant for Intelligence (Cumming) to the Under Secretary of State (Herter)

Washington, June 21, 1957.

Source: Department of State, Laos Files: Lot 63 D 3, 361.2 Cabinet (1956–1958). Secret. Drafted by William C. Hamilton, Division of Research for the Far East, Office of the Special Assistant for Intelligence.

451. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Vientiane, June 22, 1957—noon.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–2257. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Paris, London, Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok.

452. Letter From the Ambassador in Laos (Parsons) to the Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs (Young)

Vientiane, June 25, 1957.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/6–2557. Top Secret; Official–Informal.

453. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State

Paris, June 26, 1957—4 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–2657. Secret; Priority. Repeated to London, priority to Vientiane, Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok.

454. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson to the Secretary of State

Washington, June 28, 1957.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–2857. Secret. Drafted by Byrne and cleared by Kocher, Young (in draft), and Jones. A marginal note on the source text indicates that the Secretary saw this memorandum.

455. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Vientiane, July 5, 1957—4 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/7–557. Secret. Repeated to Paris, London, Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok.

456. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State

Paris, July 12, 1957—2 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/7–1257. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to London and priority to Vientiane.

457. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Vientiane, July 13, 1957—1 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/7–1357. Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Paris and London.

458. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State

Paris, July 14, 1957—9 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/7–1457. Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Vientiane and London.

459. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Vientiane, July 17, 1957—5 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/7–1757. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Paris, London, Saigon, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Ottawa, and New Delhi.

460. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Washington, July 18, 1957—7:35 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/7–1857. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Byrne, cleared by Kocher and Young (in draft) and by Jones, and approved by Robertson. Repeated to Paris, London, Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok.

461. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Washington, July 30, 1957—7:25 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/7–2057. Secret. Drafted by Byrne, cleared by Whittington, and approved by Young. Repeated to London, Paris, Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok.

462. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Washington, August 6, 1957—7:22 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.13/8–657. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Byrne, cleared by Kocher and in substance by Maurice D. Bean of ICA, and approved by Jones. Repeated to Paris, London, Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok.

463. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Vientiane, August 7, 1957—6 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.13/8–757. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Paris, Saigon, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and London.

464. Report by the Joint Strategic Plans Committee to the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Washington, August 8, 1957.

Source: JCS Files, CCS 092 Asia (6–2–48) (2) sec 33. Top Secret. Prepared in collaboration with the Joint Intelligence Committee.

465. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Vientiane, August 9, 1957—8 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/8–957. Secret. Repeated to London, Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok.

466. Memorandum From the Deputy Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs (Kocher) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson

Washington, August 9, 1957.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.13/8–957. Confidential. Drafted by Byrne.

467. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Vientiane, August 15, 1957—5 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.13/8–1557. Secret. Repeated to Saigon, Bangkok, Paris, London, Phnom Penh, Ottawa, and New Delhi.

468. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Washington, August 17, 1957—11:59 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/8–1257. Secret. Drafted by Byrne; cleared in SEA and FE; and approved by Robertson. Sent also to Paris and repeated to London, Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok.