Office of the Historian

261. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos0

Washington, January 5, 1962, 6:32 p.m.

594. Eyes Only for Ambassador.

Have just seen President who strongly backs our insistence that Phoumi must not take initiative to break cease-fire. Unless you are fully confident that measures already taken are sufficient, please see Phoumi and tell him that President has instructed you to inform him that resumption hostilities by RLG under present circumstances would create situation in which RLG would have no support either militarily or in terms of world or American opinion. President does not believe possibilities peaceful solution Laotian question have been fully exhausted and Phoumi should not suppose, therefore, that US would join him in converting Laos into a battleground with its devastating results to Laotian people.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/1–562. Secret. Drafted and approved by Rusk and cleared by Harriman.↩