Office of the Historian

391. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State1

Vientiane, November 6, 1956—6 p.m.

731. I handed to Souvanna this morning secret aide-mémoire2 setting forth position approved Deptel 5313 and included caveat that agreement on integration PL effectives must be subject to overall political settlement RLG achieve with PL. I explained to Prime Minister no intention meddle in internal affairs, but whether we liked it or not US directly involved in this problem and I desired let him know what he could expect from us.

To my surprise Souvanna on reading remarked after almost every paragraph that he was entirely in agreement. He particularly urged we get together at once with Chief of Staff to work out establishment two “training camps” which he said were in reality “reindoctrination” camps. He spoke of these with interest and claimed they were his own idea.

Souvanna said his brother Souphannouvong was coming Vientiane 7th and he wished press forward rapidly with remaining “details” RLG–PL agreement, particularly matter of integration. He said he attached great importance to fact restoration and reintegration would be first return of Communist-held territory to jurisdiction of free government. (I did not remind him of Azerbaijan nor express surprise that apparently he can upon occasion refer to PL as Communist.)

Souvanna asked me have army attaché and other officers as appropriate contact chief of staff on our position re military reintegration soonest. It appears that unless on further study he finds our aide-mémoire more onerous, there is chance of good progress in committing RLG to satisfactory position. Believe presentation this juncture was in fact timely, especially as Lao Presse this morning announced cease-fire agreement reached last week (Embtel 7054) and [Page 834] said military commission would now deal with integration problem. Will report results contact Lao military soonest.

Parsons
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751].00/11–656. Secret. Repeated to London, Paris, Ottawa, New Delhi, Saigon, Bangkok, and Phnom Penh, and passed to CINCPAC.↩
  2. The aide-mémoire comprised essentially the points proposed in Document 386. Text of the November 6 aide-mémoire was transmitted in despatch 81 from Vientiane, November 8, not printed. (Ibid., 751J.00/11–856)↩
  3. Telegram 531 to Vientiane, November 4, reads as follows:

    “Concur your taking initiative on PL integration by delivering aide-mémoire outlining U.S. position as approved Department’s 448 [Document 388]. Request you include caveat numbered paragraph 4 Department’s 448 re U.S. reservation right reconsider PL troop integration in light over-all political settlement achieved by RLG.” (Ibid., 751J.00/11–356)

    ↩
  4. According to telegram 705 from Vientiane, November 2, the agreement was signed October 31 by the joint military commissions. (Ibid., 751J.00/11–256)↩