145. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia, Rostow Report, 2d Try, I. Top Secret. This was Rostow’s revision of Document 141, which the President had refused to read. The tabs were retyped, relettered, and sometimes extracted, but they remain basically the same as those to that document.

146. Memorandum From Robert H. Johnson of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia, General: 7/25/61–7/28/61. Top Secret.

147. Editorial Note

148. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia, General: 7/29/61–7/31/61. Top Secret. Drafted by McGeorge Bundy. The time of the conclusion of this meeting is taken from the President’s Appointment Book (Ibid.)

149. Memorandum From Robert H. Johnson of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 7/61. Confidential.

150. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Battle) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 8/1/61. Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text.

151. Letter From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 379/8–361. Top Secret. Drafted by Steeves on August 1 and cleared by Chapman, Usher, Anderson, Jenkins, and McConaughy.

152. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia: General, 8/1/61–8/7/61. Top Secret. A note on the source text indicates that it was sent to Hyannis Port on August 4 to be included in the President’s weekend reading.

153. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 65 D 330. Secret. Drafted by Usher, edited and approved by Steeves, and approved in Rusk’s office on August 8.

154. Telegram From Secretary of State Rusk to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/8–761. Secret; Priority. Also sent priority to Vientiane and repeated to London, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Saigon, Ottawa, and Geneva for Fecon. Repeated on August 8 to CINCPAC, New Delhi, Karachi, Rangoon, Canberra, Wellington, and Manila.

155. Memorandum From President Kennedy to His Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow) and His Military Representative (Taylor)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia: General, 8/1/61–8/7/61. No classification marking.

156. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow) to the President’s Military Representative (Taylor)

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Taylor NSC, T–624–71. Secret. An unsigned file copy indicates that copies of this paper were also sent to Robert Johnson and U. Alexis Johnson. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Laos: General, 8/1/61–8/10/61) In a memorandum of August 4, Robert Johnson provided comments on a draft of this paper to the effect that the pro-Western and neutralist positions were so weak in Laos that it would be almost impossible to prevent by diplomatic negotiations a Communist take-over. (Ibid.) A note on the memorandum indicates Taylor “noted” it.

157. Editorial Note

158. Memorandum From the President’s Military Representative (Taylor) to President Kennedy

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Taylor NSC, T–624–71, 1961. Secret. A note by Taylor on the source text indicates that it was read by the President on August 11.

159. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia: General, 8/8/61–8/15/61. Top Secret. A note on the source text indicates that it was sent to Hyannis Port as part of the President’s weekend reading for August 8.

160. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia: General, 8/8/61–8/15/61. Secret. Prepared by Taylor.

161. Telegram From the Delegation to the Conference on Laos to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/8–1261. Secret; Priority.

162. Memorandum From President Kennedy to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Taylor NSC, T–64–71C. Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text, although it was probably drafted by Taylor or one of his staff aides. The following notes appear on the source text: “Pres. has original. Will discuss with Rusk 14 Aug. E” and “Read by JFK. To be used as talking paper with Sec State.” The President and the Secretary met alone at the White House on August 14 from 4:45 to 5:15 p.m. (Kennedy Library, President’s Appointment Book) No other record of their conversation has been found.

163. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia: General, 8/16/61–8/27/61. Secret. The source text is the copy that Rostow sent U. Alexis Johnson for his and Rusk’s information. Rostow stated in a covering memorandum to U. Alexis Johnson, August 18, that this would be his last memorandum before going on leave and that Taylor had “reviewed it in detail and urged that it go forward.” Johnson sent a copy of this memorandum to Rusk on August 21 because he suspected that the President might raise it with the Secretary. Johnson related that he had discussed the memorandum with McGeorge Bundy and Taylor, would discuss it with them again, and urged Bundy to suggest to the President, if he raised Rostow’s suggestions, that the Department be given time to come up with “something well-considered.” (Department of State, Central Files, 790.00/8–2161)

Rostow also sent a copy of this memorandum to Attorney General Robert Kennedy under a covering memorandum, August 18, in which he explained that the President would probably be making his “fundamental decision” on Southeast Asia while Rostow was on vacation. Rostow characterized the crux of the issue as follows: “the way to save Southeast Asia and to minimize the chance of deep U.S. involvement there is for the President to make a bold decision very soon.” (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia: General, 8/16/61–8/27/61)

164. Memorandum From the President’s Military Representative (Taylor) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia: General, 8/16/61–8/25/61. Secret. The source text is an unsigned copy for McGeorge Bundy.

165. Memorandum From Robert H. Johnson of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 8/10/61–8/31/61. Secret.

166. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Battle) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos, General: 8/10/61–8/31/61. Secret. A note on the source text indicates it was sent to Hyannis Port as part of the President’s weekend reading.

167. Memorandum From the President’s Military Representative’s Naval Aide (Bagley) to the President’s Military Representative (Taylor)

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Southeast Asia, National Planning, No. 2. Secret.

168. Memorandum for the Record

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Southeast Asia National Planning, No. 2. No classification marking. Prepared by Taylor.

169. Memorandum for the Record

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Taylor NSC, T–624–71, 1961. Secret. Prepared by Taylor.

170. Memorandum From the President’s Military Representative (Taylor) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia: General, 8/29/61–8/31/61. Secret.

171. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSAM 80. Secret. The following note in McGeorge Bundy’s hand is on the source text: “This is Alexis Johnson’s summary—parallel to Taylor’s—but note the gut paragraph [paragraph 2 was highlighted]. You may want to use this to guide decision.” On August 28, the President had sent Bundy a one-sentence memorandum: “I would like to discuss Laos with you.” (Ibid., Countries Series, Laos: General, 8/11/61–8/31/61)

172. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia: General, 8/29/61–8/31/61. Top Secret. Drafted by Robert Johnson. The time of the meeting is from the President’s Appointment Book. (Ibid.)

173. National Security Action Memorandum No. 80

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda, NSAM 80. Secret. Also printed in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 11, pp. 247–248.

174. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Yugoslavia

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/8–3061. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted by Rusk and cleared by Johnson.