DISCUSSION WITH GENERAL EISENHOWER: MR. MCCONE AND MR. FORRESTAL PRESENT

Created: 5/10/1962

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

2

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RXCORD

SUBJECT: Discussion with General Elsenhower: Mr. McCone and Mr. For rectal present

Essential points war* aa follows:

McCona and Forraatal da sort bad tha currant military situation which has grown out of tho fall of Nam Tha and thaf tha Phoumi forces someiles southwest and across the Thailand border, pointing out that Phoumi forces did not offer resistance though they had numerical superiority and that thla situation had occurred previously la tha Plains des Jarrea and elsewhere.

Phouml's intransigence politically had foreclosed the forma-tlonovernment of national union ln which those same political elements would be present aa were represented ia the last Souvanna Phouma government during ths Elasnhowsr administration. Tbe effort wasoalition, buteutral governmentirm commitment to keep Laos free from Communist Intrusion.

The political and military situation which has evolved confronts ue with only two alternatives:

a. Tbe accomplishment of the national union government under Souvanna with Phouml's participation or.

b. Tba oa* of U.orce* ia. Lao* with possible assistance from tha Thai* bat not other* and with vary little Uhall -hood ofmilitary activity by tha Laotian*acana* of their demonstrated inedeauaciea.

Eissnhower'* viewe might baaa follow*:

Ha eoeationed McCon* cloaaly aa to whether Souvannaommunist, stating that ha wn* con vinehen Souvanna find Lao* and re aided In Cambodia that he had tamed Comment *t. UeCone itaUd every check indicated Souvanna waaommon!it though heeak man.

Elsenhower atated that every government Irrespective of what It wa* called, which incorporated Communist* andventually wa* taken over by the Communist*. Tor that reason he wa* opposed to th* proposed Souvanna government but h* did not refer to that governmentcoalition government."

J- Elaenhowflr dwelt at length on the danger to South Vietnam and Thailand a* both will be outflanked if Lao* la la Communlat hand* and concluded thatituation would be eo critical to South east Aeta and eo Important to the U.hat most extremencluding the commitment of U.orce* to combat ine Justified.

artitioning of Lao* Into Northern and

SjfliELrYmJfY

arfltVfl III

Southern aactor* with la* liaa aa tar north aa poaalbla and that to accomplish thia wa should support Caaaral Phoumi and hla /orcaa. Whoa McCoa* pointed oat Phoaml'a demaaet rated iaadaoaaclaa, Ciaaahowar atatad b* named Phoumi becauae he thought hetrong leader but racognlaed aome alteraate might be deelrable.

*. McCona and Vorreetal pointed out that thla wouldommitment ol U. S. troop a, vary possibly with no aaalatance from other countries. Xleenhower replied that this would be proper, da fanibis, that ha would support It and he felt the Congreaa would support It. At thin point he urged that the President go before the Congress andesolution aathorUlng him to net in Southeast Aala, the resolution being similar to those passed by th* Coagrese atequest ln connection with Formosa and the Middle East. McCone stated that he seriously questioned Congressional approval, citing Raeeell'a statement. Eisenhower responded that he was sure that Congress and th* people would supportesolution and he personally would uae hie Influence with hla Party and th* Congreea to aaalat its passage.

6. Throughout the conversation. Ceaeral Elsanhower eapreeeed concernompromise position. He frequently compared the

Sovvum arrangement with earlier compromlui in China and statad that hla sampling of public opinionesire for tha U. S. to demonstrate strength rathor than comprornlaa. Ka expressed greatin Thailand and also la Prealdent Diana of South Vietnam.

7. Finally Eleaahownr warned of tha consequences of losing Southaaat Aala. pointing out that If lt la loat, nothing would stop tha southward movement of Cornmuniam through Indonaaia and thla would have tha effect of cutting tha world In half.

John A. McCone

Dictated but not read.

andcarried to The President by Walterec: Mr. Mike Forrestal by handec: Memo for Record file

APPRIWD FIR HELfftSf DsH RPR?Bl7

' Mr. McCone

MEMORANDUM

Addandum to Memorandum for the Record of2

SUBJECT: Discussion with General Elseahowari Mr. McCone and Mr. Fdrraatal pree ant.

Among the cammiaii made by Oeaeral Elsenhower la aa

off-the-cuff aad moat probably la aa unconsidered manner were

the following:

It he were ecadlng troops lota Laos, he would follow them up with whatever support wae necessary to achieve the objectives of their mission, Includingf accessarythe use of tactical nudsar weapons.

Oeoeral Elsenhower recalled that when he first came into office, the Korean War had been going oa for two years,olicy had been established that foreclosed military strikes north of the Yalu. He aald that thla hadistakes and that the enemy should have been hit at his sources of supply.

cc: Mr. McCeuj-

Mr. McQ. Bandy-

MVForrestal

Uw

.

!

approved for release orte:1

Original document.

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