Office of the Historian

179. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos1

Washington, May 29, 1958—2:10 p.m.

1431. Vientiane’s 2021;2Deptel 1420.3 If reaction Souvanna described reference Embtel represents genuine change his view NLHX and real determination develop promptly single well disciplined anti-NLHX party or bloc it is important development we shall want to exploit.

Desirability Souvanna’s elimination as candidate Prime Minister expressed reference Deptel based on assessment Souvanna’s past performance and only concrete performance by him can cause us revise our opinion.

Nevertheless if it is determined achievement our major objectives in Laos requires support Souvanna as Prime Minister we would be prepared do so. In this regard reference Deptel should not be interpreted so as to restrict Embassy’s flexibility of action.

Herter
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/5–2858. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Corcocan, cleared by Kocher and Parsons, and approved by Robertson. Repeated to Saigon, Paris, CINCPAC for POLAD, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and London.↩
  2. In telegram 2021, May 27, the Embassy reported that Souvanna Phouma appeared to be the first Lao leader to react “positively yet realistically” to the conservative election defeat. Souvanna called for exclusion of the NLHX from the new government and for a merger of all conservative parties into a single, well-disciplined party. According to the Embassy, he had been working toward this end. (Ibid., 751J.00/5–2758; included in the microfiche supplement)↩
  3. Document 177.↩