Office of the Historian

397. Letter From the Ambassador to Thailand (Unger) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Godley)1

Bangkok, July 24, 1968.

Dear Mac:

The last time we talked here you mentioned the exceptionally delicate matter of possible assistance to the government political party. At that time, and for several months before, the matter had been dormant and I believe I said that I would be just as happy if it remained so and expected to take no initiative.

Now [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] has reopened the question and you will see from the attached memcon2 how this discussion went. I have already sent Norm Hannah a copy of this memcon, and did not think it necessary to send a separate one to you since I understood Norm would be back in Washington tomorrow. Now that I know that he will not be returning until the 31st I felt it important to get this directly to you to do whatever background exploring you can about fund availabilities, etc., assuming you know whom to approach in the Department [less than 1 line of source text not declassified]. As far as the Department is concerned, I believe the only file is in Bill Bundyʼs office. I will, of course, be discussing this with Bill during his visit here.

[Page 886]

There is one point worth exploring even if youʼre foreclosed from taking any other action before Bill returns and that is to try to get some background from Graham as to the original intentions [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] as far as he was able to read them. On the one hand we have taken a strong position in favor of unity of all of the present leadership in the government party, meaning as far as possible a collective approach to the designation of candidates, adoption of party platform, raising of money, etc. On the other hand, [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] proposal seems clearly intended to strengthen the [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] faction vis-a-vis the [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] faction within the government party. (I am, of course, aware also that [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] is proceeding with some of his own separate aims and means, in my opinion, to dominate the party and put forward as candidates and have elected a large majority of his men.) What Graham may be able to tell you is to what extent these issues came openly into his conversations. I, of course, can see the value of [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] not having too predominate a position among the deputies in the newly elected Lower House.

Rather than trying to give me an immediate reply on these points, I suggest you explore them as far as you can and then discuss them with Norm when he is in Washington for his one day visit. I, in the meantime, will be discussing them with Bill here.

Yours,

Leonard Unger 3
  1. Source: Department of State, INR/IL Historical Files, Thailand 1968. Secret; Eyes Only.↩
  2. Document 396.↩
  3. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩