10. Editorial Note
At the instruction of the Department of State, Ambassador Foy D. Kohler met in Moscow with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko on February 28, 1964, and informed him that the United State was disappointed with the Soviet Union’s performance as Co-Chairman of the Geneva Conference. Ambassador Kohler stated that the United States was particularly disturbed that the Soviet Union did not support Prime Minister Souvanna Phouma’s call for International Control Commission action against Pathet Lao attacks at Phou Khe in Xieng Khouang province, a clear violation of the cease-fire. Gromyko replied that the Soviet Union stood by the Geneva Accords; and that current problems in Laos were basically minor internal differences. When Kohler took Gromyko to task for this statement, the Soviet Minister—according to Kohler—stated “somewhat sheepishly” that “it seems we are doing what we can.” The report of the Kohler-Gromyko conversation is in telegram 2690 from Moscow, February 28. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS)
On February 27 at 4 p.m. in Washington, Secretary Rusk took advantage of another conversation with Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin to make a similar protest about lack of Soviet support for Souvanna Phouma and performance of the Commission. Two days later on February 29, Under Secretary Harriman handed Dobrynin a formal note protesting the Pathet Lao attacks and International Control Commission’s failure to act. On March 25 Dobrynin handed Assistant Secretary for Far Eastern Affairs William Bundy (who had replaced Hilsman on March 15) a note rejecting the U.S. note’s interpretation. An account of the Rusk-Dobrynin conversation of February 27 is ibid., POL US–USSR; the text of the U.S. note is in telegram 2590 to Moscow, February 29, ibid., POL 27–14 LAOS; and a paraphrase of the Soviet note of March 25 is in telegram 2823 to Moscow, March 26, ibid., POL 27 LAOS.