Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, East Asia-Pacific Region; Cambodia; Laos, Volume XVI

278. Letter From the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Irwin)¹

Washington, October 2, 1959.

Dear Jack: The Chief of PEO in Laos, with the concurrence of CINCPAC and of our Ambassador in Vientiane, has proposed that his American staff be increased by 40 persons. While we are in no position to question the military justification for this proposal, we are very much alarmed by its probable impact and implications.

Mr. Dillon’s letter of September 6 to Mr. Knight² gave over-all approval of certain additional actions to meet the emergency situation in Laos, including funds for the increase in PEO personnel. This specific proposal has required further scrutiny because of the difficult problems it raises relative to the over-all U.S. position in Laos.

I am sure you are aware of the rapid expansion that has been taking place in the number of Americans who are being sent to Laos in connection with various aspects of our programs there. I believe you will be interested in the enclosed memorandum on this subject.³ It shows that the number of our official family in that small country is expected to increase from about 249 on July 15 to no less than 494 by October 15, if various proposals, of which the increase in the PEO staff is one, are approved.

You will readily appreciate that such an increase involves support problems in Vientiane as well as problems of an international political nature. Great circumspection is required on our part to avoid forcing the British, French and Indians into a position where, because of their obligations as participants in the Geneva Agreements machinery, they must take cognizance of U.S. military aid to Laos as contravening the spirit of the Agreement on Laos.

Furthermore, as the attached memorandum points out, our Commonwealth and French allies are fearful that too rapid a build-up of the American presence is unnecessarily provocative. Meanwhile, the Communists are doing their best to magnify these issues to a point where they will split the Western world and weaken its over-all approach to a larger design for the safeguarding of Laos through united action in the UN and SEATO.

I should therefore be grateful if you could have this subject re-examined and let us have the views of your Department.⁴ Could we do the job with fewer Americans? As you know, we are all doing our best to keep the situation in Laos from getting out of hand and at the same time implement the President’s national policy directive of August 5, 1959, that each department “insure that the total number of U.S. official personnel in each country is held to a strict minimum consistent with sound implementation of essential programs.”

Sincerely yours,

Bob

1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ISA Files: FRC 63 A 1672, 353 Laos. Secret. According to a copy of this letter in Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5–MSP/10–259, Anderson was the drafter and FE, SEA, and U/MSC cleared it. Irwin “noted” this letter.
2. Not printed. (ibid., SEA (Laos) Files: Lot 65 D 169, Memoranda concerning increase in PEO staff Laos)
3. The attached memorandum, September 25, was not with the source text; a copy of it is attached to a copy of this memorandum ibid., FE Files: Lot 61 D 6, Irwin. It listed in memorandum form the U.S. personnel in Laos on July 15, August 15, and September 15, and pending requests for increases effective October 15.
4. On October 20, Shuff responded that the Department of Defense “appreciated and understood” the concern of the British, French, and Indians over augmented U.S. training activities in Laos, but he believed that “positive and aggressive measures” were required to ensure the quality of the Lao Army, to administer the U.S. military assistance program there, and to save Laos from Communist domination. The Department of Defense, therefore, requested rapid Department of State approval of an increase in the strength of the PEO in Laos. (Letter from Shuff to Murphy, October 20; Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ISA Files: FRC 63 A 1672, 353 Laos; included in the microfiche supplement)