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


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/4–2961. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Young, cleared in substance with McConaughy, and approved by Rusk. Also sent niact to Bangkok and Saigon and repeated niact to New Delhi.


70. Memorandum From the Director for Intelligence, The Joint Staff (Breitweiser) to the President’s Military Aide (Clifton)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/A Miscellaneous Sensitive Files: FRC 71 A 6489, Laos 381 (Sensitive), April-May 1961. Secret.


72. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 5/2/61–5/8/61. Top Secret. Drafted by U. Alexis Johnson on April 30 and discussed and revised at a White House meeting on the night of April 30. The April 30 draft text is in Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/4–3061.


73. Notes on the 481st National Security Council Meeting

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/A Miscellaneous Sensitive Files: FRC 71 A 6489, Laos 381 (Sensitive), April-May 1961. Top Secret; Sensitive. These notes were handwritten by McNamara. The meeting was held at the White House. Additional notes of this meeting, prepared for Vice President Johnson by his Military Aide, Colonel Howard L. Burris, are in the Johnson Library, Vice Presidential Security File, National Security Council Records of Action.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/5–161. Top Secret. Received at 1:54 p.m. Repeated niact to Bangkok eyes only for Charge.


75. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara and the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Gilpatric) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Countries, Laos Security, Alternative Papers I, 5/3/61. Top Secret. The signed copy is in this file, an unsigned copy plus the attachments are ibid., National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, Defense Papers, 5/61.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/5–361. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Drafted and approved by Rusk and cleared with U. Alexis Johnson. Repeated priority to Bangkok, London, and Phnom Penh.


79. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/5–361. Top Secret; Niact. Received at 10:28 p.m. Repeated niact to Vientiane eyes only for Brown.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/5–361. Secret; Niact. Received at 5:33 p.m. Repeated niact to Phnom Penh, Saigon, and CINCPAC for POLAD.