97. Editorial Note
On June 19, 1961, Admiral Burke, Chief of Naval Operations, forwarded to Secretary of State Rusk a memorandum of the same date to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in which he argued that Chairman Khrushchev may have “deliberately raised the alarm on Berlin in order to seek concessions elsewhere. One of the most dangerous areas for seeking such a concession would be Southeast Asia. He may envision a relaxation of the Berlin crisis in exchange for an understanding that the U.S. would not forcefully resist further Communist expansion in Southeast Asia.” For text of Burkeʼs memorandum, see Foreign Relations, 1961–1963, volume XIV, pages 129–130.