November 1961–February 1962: Search for a Coalition Government; Support for Souvanna Phouma; Pressure on Phoumi Nosavan


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–661. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated priority to Vientiane eyes only for Ambassador Brown.


222. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–761. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated niact to Geneva eyes only for Ambassador Harriman.


223. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 65 D 330. Secret. Drafted by Cross and approved in S on November 26.


225. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–961. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Queneau, Cross, and Rusk; cleared by Anderson; cleared in draft by U. Alexis Johnson and Harriman; and approved and signed by McConaughy. Repeated to Geneva for Fecon, Bangkok, London, Paris, Saigon, and CINCPAC.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–1261. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Bangkok, London, New Delhi, Ottawa, Paris, Saigon, Vientiane, and Moscow.


227. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–1361. Secret; Niact. Drafted and approved by Rusk and cleared by Johnson, Steeves, and the President. Repeated niact to Geneva and London, priority to Paris, and to Bangkok, Saigon, Phnom Penh, New Delhi, CINCPAC, and Ottawa.


228. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–1561. Secret; Niact. Repeated niact to Geneva for Fecon, niact to London, priority to Paris, and to Bangkok, Saigon, Phnom Penh, New Delhi, Ottawa, and CINCPAC for Polad.


229. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–1661. Secret; Priority. Repeated priority to Geneva for Fecon and to London, Paris, Bangkok, and Saigon.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–1861. Secret; Priority. Repeated priority to Bangkok and Vientiane and to London, New Delhi, Ottawa, Paris, Saigon, and Moscow.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–1961. Secret; Niact. Repeated niact to Vientiane and to Bangkok, London, Paris, and Saigon.


232. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–1661. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Cross and Queneau; cleared by Cleveland, Anderson, and Steeves; and approved and signed by McConaughy. Also sent priority to Geneva as Fecon 601 and repeated to Bangkok, London, Paris, Phnom Penh, New Delhi, Saigon, and CINCPAC.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–2161. Secret. Repeated niact to Vientiane eyes only for Ambassador Brown.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–1961. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Cross; cleared by Queneau, Cleveland, and Anderson; and approved by McConaughy. Repeated priority to Vientiane.


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

Source: Department of State, FE/SEA (Laos) Files: Lot 69 D 169, 324, Military, Laos 1961. Secret. Drafted by Bruns and cleared by Queneau, Cleveland, Anderson, and U. Alexis Johnson.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–2761. Secret; Priority. Repeated priority to Vientiane and Bangkok, and to London, New Delhi, Ottawa, Paris, Saigon, and Moscow.


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

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Laos 7, T–028–69. Secret.


239. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–161. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Cross; cleared by Anderson, Cleveland, Steeves, in substance with McGhee, and in draft with Harriman; and approved by Rusk. Repeated to Paris, London, Geneva, Saigon, Bangkok, and CINCPAC POLAD. On November 29, W. Averell Harriman replaced Walter McConaughy as Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs and Walt Rostow became Chairman of the Policy Planning Council and Counselor of the Department of State. George Ball replaced Chester Bowles as Under Secretary of State. See vol. I, pp. 670671.


240. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–861. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Cross, cleared by Anderson and Steeves in draft, and approved by Harriman. Repeated to Geneva, London, Paris, Bangkok, Saigon, Moscow by pouch, New Delhi, and CINCPAC POLAD.


241. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–961. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution; No Distribution Outside Department. Drafted by Cross, cleared by Anderson and Steeves, and approved by Harriman.


242. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–1061. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution; No Distribution Outside Department.


243. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–PA/12–1161. Secret. Drafted by L. Dean Brown of EUR and approved in S on December 12. The meeting took place at the Quai d’Orsay. Rusk was in Paris until December 16.


244. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs (Anderson) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 851J.501/12–1961. Secret. Drafted by Bruns, cleared by Cross and Usher, and sent through Steeves and Peterson.


245. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Economic Affairs (Peterson) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)

Source: Department of State, FE/SEA (Laos) Files: Lot 65 D 169, Aid Program to Laos, Laos 1961. Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–2061. Secret. Repeated to Bangkok, London, Moscow, New Delhi, Paris, and Vientiane.


247. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)

Source: Department of State, FE/SEA (Laos) Files: Lot 65 D 169, Souvanna Phouma paper, Oct. 61. Secret. Sent through Battle.


248. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–2761. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted by Harriman and Cross, cleared by Koren in draft, and approved by Rusk. Repeated priority to Bangkok.


249. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–2761. Secret; Niact. Repeated priority to Geneva for Fecon, priority to London and Paris, and to Bangkok, Saigon, Phnom Penh, New Delhi, and CINCPAC for POLAD.


250. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/12–3061. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Queneau and Cross, cleared by Koren and by Rusk in draft, and approved by Harriman. Repeated to Bangkok, Paris, London, Saigon, Phnom Penh, New Delhi, Geneva for Fecon, and CINCPAC and pouched to Moscow.