120. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow)0
For your information only at the moment, I am attaching a copy of a memorandum on Laos1 which Walter McConaughy and I discussed with the Secretary on Sunday.2 I had in mind that the memorandum could form the basis of a “talking paper” to discuss the matter with the President.
The Secretary really feels that we need to know more about what went on at the meeting of the three Princes in Zurich and what Phoumi’s thoughts and plans are. We are asking Harriman to see Phoumi if possible, and also suggesting that, if Phoumi is returning to Vientiane now, he might come by way of Washington to give us an opportunity to talk with him.
I am also enclosing a copy of a memorandum on South Viet-Nam prepared by Cottrell3 which contains some sobering statements and some useful ideas into which I am looking further. I have discussed in a very tentative way with the Secretary the concept of possibly getting the South Viet-Namese and Thais to assist Phoumi in an effort to clean up the panhandle. However, I feel that such decisions must rest on the basic one of whether we are going to try to make the best of a Souvanna government with ineffective ICC controls, or encourage Phoumi to hold out.
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/2/61–6/26/61. Top Secret.↩
- The enclosed paper, not printed, was a third draft, June 25, of a memorandum which was circulated to the NSC for use at its meeting on June 29. For the paper as circulated, see Document 125.↩
- June 25.↩
- Cottrell’s paper, June 24, which is in the Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/2/61–6/26/61, was summarized for Rostow by Robert Johnson; see Document 121.↩