Office of the Historian

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

Washington, January 31, 1962, 7:16 p.m.

684. Eyes Only Ambassadors and Admiral Felt. Embtel 1063.1 Following our comments para 2 Reftel:

If it becomes necessary to carry through ultimatum envisaged Deptel 6692 it would be our intention to make public our action against Phoumi. Purpose of publicity would be to bring home to all concerned that Phoumi has irrevocably lost our favor. Public disavowal of an individual by USG is drastic form of sanction and we believe cannot fail but make strong impression on country so totally dependent upon US aid as Laos. It would be particularly effective if accompanied by concrete evidence of our disfavor in ways we conduct business in Vientiane. (Would appreciate your suggestions on this score.) Believe publicity that we cannot work with and wish have removed single individual deliberately standing in way peaceful settlement can be clearly defended in terms of national interests of both Laos and U.S.

Ball
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/1–3062. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Cross, cleared by Cleveland and Rice, and approved by Harriman. Repeated to Bangkok and CINCPAC POLAD.↩
  2. In telegram 1063, January 30, Brown reiterated that the ultimatum envisioned in Document 279 would be ineffective since it really did nothing to Phoumi as long as the United States continued to give the RLG economic and military support. All that would happen, according to Brown, is that Phoumi and the RLG would put U.S. officials “into Coventry.” (Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/1–3062)↩
  3. Document 279.↩