377. Memorandum From the President’s Military Representative (Taylor) to President Kennedy0
Washington,
May 24,
1962.
SUBJECT
- Meeting on Laos/Thailand at 4:30 p.m. 24 May
The meeting of principals on Laos/Thailand which you directed is being held at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon. State and Defense will undertake to respond to the points listed in the attached agenda dated May 23, 1962.1 The principal subjects upon which you should receive assurance are the following:
- a.
- What do we expect henceforth from the Royal Laotian Army: What are we doing about rehabilitating it?
- b.
- What are the military contingencies for which we are prepared? What happens if the Pathet Lao attack another important objective as they did at Nam Tha, or infiltrate to the Mekong?
- c.
- What sort of U.S./Thai planning is going on for the defense of Thailand? What guidance has been given General Harkins, our chief planner?
- d.
- Are we satisfied that no more U.S. forces should be deployed to the Western Pacific at this time?
Maxwell D.
Taylor2
- Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Laos SEATO 1962, T–641–71H. Secret.↩
- See Document 376.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩