383. Memorandum of a Conversation, White House, Washington, September 24, 1956, 10 a.m.1
PRESENT
- The President of the United States
- His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Laos, Savang Vathana
- His Excellency Ourot Souvannavong, Ambassador of Laos
- The Honorable Walter S. Robertson, Assistant Secretary, Department of State
- The Honorable John F. Simmons, Chief of Protocol
- Lieutenant Colonel V. A. Walters
The President expressed his pleasure at receiving the Crown Prince in the United States. The Crown Prince replied that it was a pleasure and honor for him to be received by the President of the United States. The President asked if the Crown Prince’s stay in the United States would be of long duration and the latter replied that it was extremely brief. He was returning to his own country very shortly.
The President said that the Secretary of State had spoken to him concerning the reception he had received in Laos when he was there and the Crown Prince said he felt that the Secretary of State had an extremely clear understanding of Lao affairs and problems. They had been delighted to receive him during his visit. The President said that we had a close interest in this area. We felt that the free people’s best defense against Communist pressure lay in the unity of purpose of the free nations of the world. The Crown Prince said that he fully shared this idea and he was sure that when the Secretary of State had been in Laos he had obtained a complete “adherence of views”.
The President then said we were anxious to do what we could to build up SEATO. The Crown Prince said that Laos was not a member of SEATO, that they were, he believed, covered by a protocol of SEATO and as such they were extremely interested in matters relating to SEATO. They were anxious to be kept informed of agreements and conventions that might be reached in SEATO although this did not necessarily mean that they did or did not want to join the organization. He said that the Lao Government had recently been put in a rather difficult position by the radical change in Chinese policy. In reply to a question from the President he explained that prior to last June the Chinese had been avowedly hostile to Laos and that since then they had adopted a policy of open arms and smiles. They had multiplied invitations and good wishes to Laotians both in and out of the government service. They had made offers of economic and political help to assist in achieving “complete independence for Laos”, and this put the Lao in a somewhat difficult position externally and perhaps even more so in the future internally. Their Viet Minh “satellite” had also adopted the same policy. The President then said that anyone who knows the Communists knows that while their final goals have not changed, their tactics had and that it was rather awkward to know how to face up to this new Communist approach, that it might be put before the Lao people in the form of a question that if the Communists were now so kind and gentle why did they not set free North Viet-Nam, Tibet, Mongolia, and North Korea. The Crown Prince replied that he fully shared this view of [Page 818] the President’s. That Laos was particularly well or badly placed—according to the point of view to know the nature of Communist pressures both external and internal. He added that he was not alone in this understanding and many Laotians shared it with him.
The President said that he hoped the Crown Prince would discuss freely with the State Department his ideas concerning the conditions in this area and its relation to SEATO. The Crown Prince said he would. The President added that we did not wish to commit any errors through ignorance of what our friends wanted. The Crown Prince smilingly said that he was sure that neither the United States nor the Department of State would ever commit errors through ignorance. He then added that a number of the members of the Lao Delegation who had recently been in Peiping had had an opportunity to observe for themselves the true nature of Communist China. Two of them were presently in the United States. The President then said he wished to assure the Crown Prince that the friendship of the United States for Laos was real and unselfish insofar as we sought nothing for ourselves. The Crown Prince said that he never doubted the sincerity and friendship of the United States and had felt that he should take the opportunity at this time to come to the United States to explore what could be done to “palliate” the effects of the present Communist pressure both internal and external that was to some degree embarrassing to the Lao Government. He thanked the President again for receiving him and the conversation concluded with photographs being taken.
- Source: Department of State, Presidential Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 66 D 149. Secret. No drafting information is given on the source text. A marginal notation indicates Eisenhower’s approval on September 26. A copy of a briefing memorandum from Hoover to the President, September 22, for use in preparation for this meeting is ibid., Central Files, 033.51J11/9–2256.↩