VI. Civil War in Laos, October 19–December 31, 1960
463. Memorandum of Telephone Conversations, November 21, 1960
Source: Eisenhower Library, Herter Papers, Memoranda of Telephone Conversations. No classification marking. Transcribed by Mildred Asbjornson.
464. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vientiane
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–2160. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted by Merchant and cleared with SEA. Regarding the drafting of this telegram, see supra. Repeated priority to CINCPAC and Saigon.
465. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–2260. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated to Bangkok, Saigon, and CINCPAC for POLAD.
467. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5–MSP/11–2460. Secret; Niact. Repeated for information niact to Bangkok and CINCPAC for POLAD.
468. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Parsons) to the Under Secretary of State (Dillon)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–3060. Secret. Drafted by Chapman and cleared by Usher. A note on the source text indicates that Dillon saw this memorandum. The source text bears the handwritten date “11–30–60,” although the memorandum apparently should be dated December 1.
470. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Merchant) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Parsons)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–160. Top Secret.
471. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–160. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Usher and cleared in draft by Merchant, Parsons, and SEA. Repeated to Bangkok, London, Paris, Canberra, and CINCPAC for POLAD.
472. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–260. Secret; Niact; Eyes Only; No Distribution. Received at 1 p.m.
473. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–260. Secret; Niact; Eyes Only; No Distribution. Received at 2:08 p.m.
474. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–260. Secret; Niact; Eyes Only; No Distribution. Drafted by Parsons and cleared with SEA and Merchant.
475. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, 751J.5–MSP/12–660. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Parsons and cleared with SEA and in substance with Merchant. Also sent priority to Bangkok and repeated to Canberra, London, Paris, and CINCPAC for POLAD.
476. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–760. Top Secret; Priority. Repeated to Bangkok, Paris, London, Canberra, Phnom Penh, Saigon, and CINCPAC.
477. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, FE/SEA (Laos) Files: Lot 65 D 169, 350 POL Affairs, Dec 1–10, Laos. Secret; Operational Immediate. Also sent to Bangkok. This telegram [1 line of text not declassified]. The source text is undated but was presumably sent on December 7.
478. Telegram From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Parsons) to the Ambassador in Laos (Brown)
Source: Department of State, FE/SEA (Laos) Files: Lot 65 D 169, 350 POL Affairs, Dec 1–10, Laos. Secret. Drafted by Parsons. According to a covering memorandum from Parsons to Merchant, December 8, this telegram was sent to Vientiane on the night of December 7. [1 line of text not declassified]
480. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–860. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Merchant at 5:45 p.m. on December 8 and approved by SEA, in draft by Irwin and Parsons, and in substance by Lemnitzer. Repeated niact to Bangkok and CINCPAC.
At the Secretary’s Staff Meeting on December 9, 9:15 a.m., Parsons and Cummings briefed the group on the situation in Laos. Parsons observed that Kong Le openly controlled Vientiane and Souvanna’s claim to authority was “ridiculous.” Parsons stated that he envisioned two possible actions by the Kong Le–pro-Communist group: a request for reinforcements from North Vietnam in the event of an outright military struggle or an appeal to the United Nations. Parsons hoped that the National Assembly might vote the Souvanna government out of office and establish a new one. During the meeting, Herter approved sending this telegram. (ibid., Secretary’s Staff Meetings: Lot 63 D 75)
481. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–860. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Parsons and cleared by SEA. Repeated to Bangkok, Saigon, Phnom Penh, London, Paris, and CINCPAC for POLAD.
482. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–960. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. A corrected version of this telegram indicates that it was repeated to Bangkok.
483. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–1060. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted by Parsons, cleared by SEA, and approved by Merchant. Repeated niact to Bangkok, priority to Phnom Penh and CINCPAC for POLAD.
484. Paper Prepared by the Assistant White House Staff Secretary (Eisenhower)
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Top Secret.
486. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–1460. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted by Steeves, cleared by SEA, and approved by Hare. According to Hare, it was cleared by Goodpaster. Repeated niact to Paris and Bangkok and to London, Saigon, Phnom Penh, and CINCPAC for POLAD. Merchant and Parsons accompanied Secretary Herter to Paris where he attended the North Atlantic Council Ministerial Meeting.
487. Memorandum for the Record of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the President’s Staff Assistant (Goodpaster), Washington, December 14, 1960
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Top Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster on December 16.
488. Telegram From the Department of State to the Delegation at the North Atlantic Council Ministerial Meeting
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–1460. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Robert L. Funseth and Joseph J. Sisco, cleared by FE and SEA, and approved by Charles E. Bohlen. Repeated niact to Vientiane and to Bangkok, London, Phnom Penh, and Saigon.
489. Telegram From the Delegation at the North Atlantic Council Ministerial Meeting to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–1560. Top Secret; Niact. Also sent to CINCPAC for POLAD and repeated niact to Bangkok, to London, Phnom Penh, and Saigon. Instead of being repeated to Vientiane, the text of this telegram was summarized and sent as telegram 644, December 16. (ibid., 751J.00/12–1560)
490. Notes on the Acting Secretary of State’s Staff Meeting, Washington, December 16, 1960
Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Staff Meetings: Lot 63 D 75. Secret. Drafted by Emory C. Swank, Deputy Director of the Executive Secretariat.
491. Paper Prepared by the Assistant White House Staff Secretary (Eisenhower)
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Top Secret.
492. Memorandum of Discussion at the 470th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, December 20, 1960
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by Boggs on December 21.