March-May 1961: Consideration of Military Intervention or Negotiated Settlement


40. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 4/7/61–4/10/61. Secret; Limited Distribution. Drafted by Kohler.


41. Memorandum of Conversation

[Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/3–2661. Top Secret; Eyes Only. 6 pages of source text not declassified.]


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/3–2761. Secret; Niact; Eyes Only. Rusk was in Bangkok for the seventh meeting of the SEATO Council, March 26–29.


43. Telegram From President Kennedy to Secretary of State Rusk, at Bangkok

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/3–2761. Secret. A marginal note by McGeorge Bundy indicates this telegram was approved by the President. It was sent via non-Department of State channels. No time of transmission appears on the source text.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 379.00/3–2961. Secret; Priority. Repeated priority to London, Paris, Canberra, Wellington, Manila, Karachi, and CINCPAC for POLAD.


45. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Williams) to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Washington National Records Center, Lansdale Files: FRC 63 A 1803, Laos, No. 1. Secret.


46. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/4–161. Confidential; Priority.


47. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Countries, Laos Security, 4/2/61–4/20/61. Secret. Sent under cover of a handwritten memorandum by Bundy which reads as follows: “Although dated in one or two places by Soviet answer [see footnote 2, Document 46], this look at the next steps in Laos may be useful to you. It comes from Sam Belk in my office, with revisions by Walt [Rostow] and me. It may ask for more than we can get—but not for more than we need—which of course is exactly the trouble with Laos.”


48. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 65 D 366, CF 1833, Macmillan Visit, April 4–9, 1961. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Burdett. The meeting took place aboard the Honey-Fitz.


49. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/4–661. Secret. Drafted by James W. Swihart of EUR/BNA and approved in U on April 19 and S on April 22. The time of the meeting is taken from Rusk’s Appointment Book. (Johnson Library)


50. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 63 A 2382, 092 Laos 1961, April-May. Top Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text.


51. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/4–1261. Secret; Priority; Eyes Only. Drafted by Bohlen, cleared by Steeves and Kohler, and signed by Rusk.


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

Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Countries, Laos Security, 4/2/61–4/20/61. Secret.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/4–1461. Top Secret; Niact; Eyes Only. Drafted by Steeves, cleared in draft by Fontana and in substance by the President, and approved by Rusk. Sent also niact to Bangkok as 1587, to London as 4844, to Paris as 4316, and to CINCPAC POLAD unnumbered.

This cable was the result of a meeting at the White House attended by Rusk, Bowles, the President, and Department of Defense officials including almost certainly McNamara. There is no reference to the meeting in the President’s Appointment Book, Kennedy Library, merely an indication that the President returned to his office from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. In Rusk’s Appointment Book for 1961 at the Johnson Library, there is an entry indicating that there was a White House meeting on Laos attended by Rusk and Bowles from 6:45 p.m. which the President joined at 7 p.m. A subsequent memorandum from Battle to McGeorge Bundy, April 18, indicates that the April 13 meeting included Departments of State and Defense participants. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 4/17/61–4/21/61)


54. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/4–1561. Top Secret; Priority; Eyes Only. Drafted and approved by Steeves.


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

Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Countries, Laos Security, 4/2/61–4/20/61. Secret.


57. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 4/17/61–4/21/61. Confidential.


58. Memorandum of Meeting

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 4/17/61–4/21/61. Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text. Transmitted to the White House under cover of a memorandum from Battle to Dungan, April 21.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/4–2661. Top Secret; Niact. Received at 12:26 p.m. Repeated niact to Bangkok, London, Paris, CINPAC for POLAD, Canberra, and Moscow. Also published in Declassified Documents, 1977, 335A.


61. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Bowles to President Kennedy

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/4–2661. Secret.


62. Memorandum of Meeting With President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Countries, Laos Security, 4/21/61–4/30/61. Top Secret. Drafted by McGeorge Bundy. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room of the White House.


64. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/4–2761. Secret; Niact; Eyes Only. Received at 1:12 p.m. Repeated to London, Paris, New Delhi, Bangkok, and niact to Ankara and Vientiane.


65. Telegram From the Department of State to Secretary of State Rusk, at Ankara

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751.00/4–2161. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted and approved by Johnson and cleared with Bowles. Rusk was in Ankara, Turkey, April 25–29, for the CENTO Conference.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/4–2861. Top Secret; Niact; Eyes Only. Received at 4:59 a.m.


67. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 65 D 330. Top Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by G. Edward Reynolds and approved by Johnson, McConaughy, Bohlen, and in Rusk’s office on June 6. The time is taken from Rusk’s Appointment Book. (Johnson Library) Also printed in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 11, pp. 62–66.