Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXVII, Mainland Southeast Asia; Regional Affairs

118. Memorandum From Clifford L. Alexander of the National Security Council Staff to the Presidentʼs Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)¹

Washington, March 14, 1964.

Sihanouk has accused the U.S. of sabotaging his proposed four-nation conference. He has also said that we have been trying to kill a reconvening of the Geneva Conference.

Sihanouk has sent a mission to Hanoi to discuss South Vietnamese frontiers and supposedly is going to agree to establish diplomatic relations with North Vietnam.

The destructive rioting of March 11 from all indications was clearly sanctioned by the Cambodian Government and probably was carried out in order to impress Peking and Hanoi.

At present there seems to be some confusion at the Department as to what they should do next. Rusk is alleged to have said in an informal conversation last night that perhaps we should have a conference on Cambodian neutrality with either the 1954² or the 1962³ participants. Harriman, on the other hand, is reported to be inclined to call in the Cambodians and express displeasure as only he can do it.

It would seem now more than ever that the reasons for not holding a 1954 or 1962-type conference are conclusive.

Cliff

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Cambodia, Vol. II, Memos, 3/64–7/64. Secret. Copy sent to Komer.
2. Cambodia, North Vietnam, France, Laos, Communist China, South Vietnam, USSR, United Kingdom, U.S. [Footnote in the source text.]
3. Burma, Cambodia, Canada, Communist China, France, India, Laos, North Vietnam, Poland, South Vietnam, Thailand, the USSR, the United Kingdom, U.S. [Footnote in the source text.]