Office of the Historian

402. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Brubeck) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)0

Washington, June 27, 1962.

SEATO Issue at the Geneva Conference on Laos

An important communist objective at the Conference has been the formal withdrawal of the SEATO umbrella from Laos, or in any case, the specific renunciation of SEATO protection by Laos. We have resisted this for psychological and propaganda reasons and were able after complicated multilateral negotiations to develop procedures acceptable to the other side for handling this issue. These procedures involved: a) a declaration by the Government of Laos that it would not recognize the protection of any military alliance, without specifically mentioning SEATO; b) a responsive declaration by the thirteen Powers plus a statement by the SEATO Council representatives respecting the Lao Declaration. Since these procedures were worked out some time ago, it is possible that they will no longer be acceptable to certain SEATO members. The communists, for their part, may decide to insist again on the inclusion of specific reference to SEATO.

We intend to press firmly for acceptance of the position outlined above. However, if it appears necessary in order to avoid breakdown of the Conference over either of the contingencies cited above, authority is requested to accept language in the agreement along the following lines: that Laos “will not recognize the protection of any military alliance or coalition including SEATO.”1 Our troops in Thailand have strengthened SEATO’s public position and may have reassured the Thais enough to permit this fallback. In any case the additional language would not involve any substantive change in the nature of SEATO’s undertakings toward Laos.

  1. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/26/62–6/30/62. Confidential. On the Department of State copy, Koren was indicated as the drafter, Harriman cleared, and Legal Adviser Abram Chayes cleared in draft. E.S. Little of S/S signed for Brubeck. (Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–2762)↩
  2. In an attached covering memorandum to Bundy, Brubeck requested the President’s authority to use the fallback position described in this sentence. On the Department of State copy there was an indication that the President approved on July 5.↩