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

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

Washington, August 11, 1960—9:41 p.m.

155. Your 257 and Deptel 151.²

1. Believe it timely for you at your discretion set forth to Souvanna our position as stated in guidance for Fromer (Deptel 154).³

2. You may add USG has made known publicly its support of RLG as legal government of Laos.

3. If Souvanna asks your opinion of compromise agreement which would bring RLG back to Vientiane, you should express skepticism that any deal so palpably favorable to an armed rebel group in possession of specified key points of Vientiane could possibly provide basis for stable settlement. US view is that there is a legitimate government of Laos and a rebel group which whatever its motivation is no more than a rebel group.

4. If you can elicit Souvanna’s views and comments they would of course be of interest to Department. As he has apparently disassociated himself from Revolutionary Committee, we do not know what his position is. While you should of course not imply approval of any views which sacrifice principles which sovereign government should uphold, you may imply that US strongly hopes rebel group will see wisdom of peaceful solution. We too would be distressed to see Lao fighting Lao especially at time when true menace to Laos independence is from Communists outside and inside Laos borders.

Herter

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/8–1160. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Parsons, cleared with SEA, and approved by Anderson. Repeated to Bangkok, Saigon, Phnom Penh, Paris, London, and CINCPAC for POLAD.

2. In telegram 257, August 11, the Embassy reported on a Falaize–Souvanna Phouma conversation on the possibility of a negotiated settlement between the coup leaders and the Lao Government. (ibid.)

   In telegram 151, August 10, the Department asked the Embassy to ascertain Souvana Phouma’s views on the rebellion. (ibid., 751J.00/8–1060) Both are included in the microfiche supplement.

3. In telegram 154, August 11, the Department authorized the detail of political officer Julian P. Fromer to travel from Vientiane to Luang Prabang to act as the U.S. liaison with members of the Lao Government there. (Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/8–1060; included in the microfiche supplement)