205. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State1
535. 1. You should be aware that I am under considerable pressure from Souvanna to concur in actions which it seems to me will escalate U.S. operations on Laos to a point where we risk exposure to international political criticism. So far, we have been able to avoid excessive publicity and a major hassle, especially with Soviets, by judiciously selecting our operations and handling them with maximum discretion.
2. The recent trend of events, including large-scale U.S. commitments to Vietnam and Viet Minh attacks on Thakhet area, has apparently moved our usually phlegmatic Prime Minister into a state of somewhat more reckless endeavor. The joker in his attitude, however, is that no [Page 415] matter how far we expose ourselves, he insists that we still maintain our position of flatly denying that anything is happening. In short, he has asked me to behave just like the DRV Ambassador and deny it all. In the course of service to my country, I have become a fairly practiced dissimulator, but I am not sure my talents in this direction extend quite so far as Souvanna’s desires.
3. The latest, most insistent plea, is for use of napalm by both U.S. and Lao forces in country. I have stalled him regularly on this, and in latest Thakhet operations have provided white phosphorus, which, in my own layman’s opinion, is better for flushing out caves anyway. However, my own military, and particularly the Air Force pilots who have to risk their necks daily over Laos, fervently endorse Souvanna’s pleas. Souvanna has yesterday specifically asked me to get a ruling from Washington on this subject. I don’t now whether this reflects the possibility that someone in Washington encouraged him on this score, or whether he is merely hoping for a better ruling there.
4. I can continue to take the heat in the local kitchen if that is the preferred course. However, if Washington wishes to accede to Souvanna, please let me know urgently. In any event, I would feel more content if I could have a fairly detailed indication of your current thinking on ground rules for napalm here.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS. Top Secret; Nodis; No Distribution Outside Department. There was no time of dispatch on this telegram, which was received at the Department of State at 4:42 a.m.↩