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

277. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between Acting Secretary of State Ball and the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)⁰

Washington, January 24, 1962, 12:05 p.m.

Ball said he was just over with the President and that he is going to have lunch with him. Ball said the President asked him to ask Harriman if there is anything the President should say about the Laotian situation.

Harriman said that Carsons called and asked for a statement which the President might use.¹ He said they wanted it by 12:30 and that it had already gone over. Harriman said it was gotten out in a big rush. He said he was very much reassured by what he said yesterday that he was just as determined as he was six or eight months ago. Harriman said his statement at the press conference the other day was very good.²

Ball asked Harriman for a copy of the paper he sent over and Harriman said he would send Ball a copy at once. He said that it was prepared in a rush and that it might be improved.

Harriman said he thinks the President should take a more optimistic note because he thinks that makes it more difficult for Phoumi. He said the President may have seen the working on Marshall Sarit. Harriman said he is the man that has been creating the trouble; the one that has been giving him the backing—giving some help direct behind our back.

Harriman said anything that the President can say indicating that there is no association of their objections to continue to obtain a peaceful solution for an independent and neutral Laos. He said the three Princes were going to meet again.

0. Source: Kennedy Library, Ball Papers, Laos. No classification marking. Transcribed in Ball’s office.
1. Harriman is apparently referring to a draft of a statement which the President required for his press conference on January 24. No question was asked on Laos at the conference; however, the President did answer a question on Laos at his press conference on January 31. For text of that answer, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1962, p. 1068.
2. Harriman is apparently referring to Kennedy’s answer at the January 15 press conference. For text, see ibid., p. 1067. The full texts of the President’s press conference of January 15 and 31, including the questions asked, are in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1962, pp. 15–23, 90–98.