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.
319. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/11–1055. Top Secret. Repeated to Bangkok.
320. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Thailand
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/11–455. Top Secret. Drafted by Byrne and cleared in PSA, FE, and with the Department of Defense in draft. Also sent to Vientiane and repeated to CINCPAC.
321. Telegram From the Army Attaché in Laos (Gordon) to the Department of the Army
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/11-2055. Top Secret; Priority. Sent to the Army for G–2 and G–3 and repeated to CINCPAC, USARPAC, and the Department of State, which is the source text.
322. Telegram From the Department State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/11–2055. Top Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Hoey; cleared in PSA and FE; and approved by Robertson. Also sent to CINCPAC. Paragraph 1 was cleared with the Department of Defense.
323. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/11–2755. Top Secret. A handwritten note at the end of the source text indicates this telegram was repeated to Saigon, Bangkok, and CINCPAC.
324. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in France
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/12–1355. Top Secret; Priority. Drafted by Byrne; cleared by PSA, FE, and in draft by the Department of Defense; and approved by Robertson. Also sent to Bangkok, Vientiane, and CINCPAC.
325. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)
Source: Washington National Records Center, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 60 B 1025, 092.2 Laos. Top Secret.
326. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/12–1455. Secret. Drafted by Byrne, approved by Hoey, and cleared in substance with Robertson. Repeated to Saigon (with instructions to pass to MAAG), Bangkok, CINCPAC, and pouched to Paris and Phnom Penh.
327. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–1555. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Ottawa, New Delhi, London, Paris, Bangkok, Saigon, and Phnom Penh.
328. National Intelligence Estimate
Source: Department of State, INR–NIE Files. Secret. According to a note on the cover sheet, the following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: CIA, intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Joint Staff. All members of the IAC concurred with this estimate on December 20 with the exception of the AEC and the FBI who abstained on the grounds that the subject was outside their jurisdiction.
329. Paper Prepared by the Operations Coordinating Board
Source: Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 61 D 385, Laos Documents. Top Secret. According to a cover sheet to this analysis, the Board concurred with the analysis and recommendations set forth below at its December 21 meeting, with the following procedures:
“Noted that specific amounts of funds required will be subject to the normal programming and budgetary procedures.
“Agreed that implementation of recommendations should be carried out in the same manner as the implementation of courses of action in Outline Plans of Operations.
“Noted that while agency responsibilities for implementing specific recommendations are specified in the paper, the International Cooperation Administration will assume over-all leadership in the implementation of the program inasmuch as it has coordinating responsibility for the Mutual Security Program, and will make reports and recommendations to the Board from time to time as appropriate.”
This analysis was sent to Ambassador Yost in Laos under cover of a letter from Hoover, January 13, 1956. (Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/1–1356)
330. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–2755. Secret; Priority. Repeated priority to Saigon, Bangkok, and Phnom Penh.
331. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/12–3055. Top Secret. Repeated to Bangkok, Saigon, and Paris.
332. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–3155. Secret. Repeated to Bangkok, Paris, Saigon, and Phnom Penh.
333. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/1’1–656. Top Secret. Repeated to Bangkok, Saigon, and Paris.
335. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/1–956. Top Secret. Drafted by Byrne, cleared by PSA and Defense (in substance), and approved by Robertson. Repeated to Bangkok, Paris, London, and CINCPAC.
336. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Intelligence Research (Evans) to the Secretary of State’s Special Assistant for Intelligence (Armstrong)
Source: Department of State, INR Files: Lot 58 D 776. Top Secret,
337. Memorandum From the Acting Deputy Director for Intelligence of the Joint Staff (Totten) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Radford)
Source: JCS Files, CJCS 091 Indochina. Secret. Radford wrote the following note on a covering sheet: “These are the operations on which we were briefed in Vientiane. Perhaps Col. Totten would like to know that they are also being carried out in Sam Neua province—on a larger scale than in Phong Saly according to my recollection. R”
338. Minutes of a United States–United Kingdom Foreign Ministers Meeting, Department of State, Washington, January 31, 1956,10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. No drafting information is given on the source text. The minutes were cleared at the Assistant Secretary of State level and distributed on February 7 on a need-to-know basis.
Foreign Minister Lloyd accompanied Prime Minister Eden to Washington for talks with Eisenhower, Dulles, and other U.S. officials, January 30–February 1. Briefing materials for these discussions are ibid., Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 647.
339. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/2–356. Top Secret; Priority.
340. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751].00/2–356. Top Secret. Repeated to London, Paris, Ottawa, New Delhi, Bangkok, Saigon, and Phnom Penh.
341. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Philippine and Southeast Asian Affairs (Young) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/2–356. Secret. Drafted by Byrne and cleared by Hoey.
342. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)
Source: JCS Records, CCS 092 Asia (6–25–48. Top Secret.
343. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/2–356. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Byrne and cleared by PSA, FE, Defense, and ICA. Repeated to Saigon to pass to MAAG and CINCPAC.
344. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense’s Assistant (Special Operations) (Erskine) to the Director of Central Intelligence (Dulles)
Source: Washington National Records Center, OASD/SA Files: FRC 60 B 1339, 320.2 Laos. Top Secret.
345. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Philippine and Southeast Asian Affairs (Young) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Sebald)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/2–2056. Secret. Drafted by Byrne.
348. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/3–3156. Secret. Repeated to Bangkok, Paris, Saigon, and Phnom Penh.