Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXIV, Laos Crisis

270. Telegram From the Delegation to the Conference on Laos to the Department of State⁰

Geneva, January 15, 1962, 9 p.m.

Confe 1039. From Harriman.¹

I called on Pushkin today. He pressed for early plenary which would impress Princes with their responsibility towards thirteen nations and would encourage early agreement. He said they should be able hammer out their differences in five to six days, form a government and sign agreements. If they failed, this could lead “grave situation.”

While agreeing maximum effort should be made. I said it was unrealistic expect accomplish everything here in one week. Even if progress made among Princes, Boun Oum could not agree finally without approval his government, King, and other political figures involved in Laos. Lao Declaration could soon be agreed to before government organized.

If agreement not reached, I would expect his assistance in dealing with situation. We were prepared to bring pressure and then we would expect his assistance as explained by Sullivan last week.

Finally, I told him that, while it was fortunate in current circumstances that we did not accept “Soviet policy of noninterference internal affairs other nations,” we would not undertake dictation policy independent nations.

Referring to Smirnovsky demarche Washington,² I stated SecState believes Pushkin and I should work out mutual understandings here in Geneva.

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/1–1562. Secret; Priority. Repeated priority to Vientiane and to London, Moscow, and Paris.
1. Harriman left Washington on January 13 for Geneva. He was joined there by Brown.
2. On January 13, Soviet Charge Smirnovsky called on Rusk to deliver a long oral statement on Laos, the essence of which was that “the Boun Oum and Phoumi group” were responsible for the failure of the Laos settlement. Since the United States was supporting Boun Oum and Phoumi, the Soviet Union stated that it was Washington’s responsibility to ensure that Boun Oum’s and Phoumi’s obstruction stopped. (Fecon 701 to Geneva, January 13; Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/1–1362)