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

352. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 30, 1960¹

Washington, June 30, 1960

SUBJECT

• Laos

PARTICIPANTS

• The Secretary
• Ambassador Herve Alphand, French Embassy
• M. Jean-Claude Winckler, Counselor, French Embassy
• Assistant Secretary Wilcox
• Mr. Robert H. McBride, WE

Ambassador Alphand said, when he came to call on the Secretary on June 30 on disarmament matters, that he also wished to take advantage of his being with the Secretary to raise the question of the training program for the Lao Army. He said it was agreed that U.S. instructors would assist the French until September 1 of this year in order to reinforce the training program. After September 1 the situation should revert to that understood in the Geneva agreements whereby only the French would undertake the training function.² He said the French Government greatly feared that there would be a strong reaction from the Soviets if the situation were not restored shortly.

Ambassador Alphand continued saying that he understood that in the past the United States had been worried about the ability and readiness of the French to undertake the entire training responsibility. He said he wished to reassure us now that France was ready to make the full effort and that there would be no slow down of training after September 1. He said that the French would like to have technical discussions with us in order to show us what their precise plans were. He said he thought it was important to have these discussions bilaterally first, as there may be some difference of view. He stressed that the problem in its entirety was a political one and not purely a technical one. He thought that as a first step and before any discussions were held with the Lao the U.S. should send technical experts to Paris who could discuss this entire problem with their French counterparts.

Ambassador Alphand continued saying he knew that we had a Congressional problem with regard to the Lao aid program, but he thought that we could say to Congress that we had helped with the training of the Lao army until such time as the French were ready to take over. He said that the French and ourselves had the same evaluation of the political situation and he also emphasized the very cordial relations existing between the British and the French Ambassadors in Vientiane, and also with the British in Laos.

The Secretary inquired if what the French were asking was that we should withdraw all of our officers engaged in training the army by September 1. Alphand replied in the affirmative, saying that what was wished was that the agreed arrangement should be carried out and that the transfer should take place by September 1. He said he did not believe it was necessary to discuss further details at this time, since these could be developed in bilateral discussion between our experts in Paris.

The Secretary concluded, saying that we would take this matter up for consideration right away.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/6–360. Secret. Drafted by McBride.
2. The question of the French-U.S. military training in Laos was discussed by the Director for Asian Affairs of the French Foreign Ministry, Etienne M. Manac’h, and J. Graham Parsons on June 2. Manac’h was in Washington as part of the French delegation to the SEATO Council of Ministers meeting, May 31–June 2. A account of this discussion is in a memorandum of conversation, June 2. (Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/6–260) Both General Heintges and Admiral Felt were strongly opposed to French resumption of training responsibilities in Laos and the withdrawal of U.S. military trainers. Documentation, included the June 2 memorandum of conversation, is included in the microfiche supplement.