429. Editorial Note

On October 30, W. Averell Harriman, in his role as Deputy Representative and Acting Chief of the Delegation to the International Conference on Laos, submitted to the Secretary of State a classified report of the Delegation, dated September 19. This report was a supplement to the official and unclassified report transmitted to the Secretary of State by Harriman under cover of a letter of September 24. The 62-page classified report was entitled, “Comments on Other Delegations to the International Conference on Settlement of the Laotian Question and Secret Memoranda and other Classified Papers Relating to the Conference.” It characterized the attitudes of the other delegations and contained secret memoranda on interpretations of the United States concurred in by the Canadian, French, and United Kingdom Delegations on three topics: the meaning of the phrase, “Declaration on the Neutrality of Laos” in the third paragraph of Article 8 of the Protocol; the ability of the International Control Commission to investigate violations of the 13-power Declaration on the Neutrality of Laos and the Laotian Statement on the Neutrality of Laos; and the interpretation of Article 14 of the Protocol, the article on voting.

The report also contained a memorandum on the negotiating history of the phrase “with the concurrence of the Royal Government of Laos” as used in Articles 9, 11, 15, and 16 of the Protocol and a memorandum regarding the agreement of the Co-Chairmen that the understanding expressed in Article 17 of the Protocol that “the means of communication and transport will be under the administrative control of the Commission” meant that “the Commission will have full control of any equipment, whether purchased, leased or otherwise acquired, during the period this equipment is at the disposal of the Commission for the performance of its functions.” The report contained an exchange of letters, December 5–8, 1961, between Harriman and interim Chief of the Indian Delegation, Arthur Lall, regarding the meaning of the phrase “agreed reports” as used in Article 15 of the Protocol regarding investigations. Finally, the report contained memoranda on Articles 8 and 14 of the Protocol. (Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/9–3062) The unclassified report is in the Department of State Library.