12. Editorial Note
President Johnson met at 1:30 p.m., March 3, 1964, for a luncheon meeting with Secretary of State Rusk, Secretary of Defense McNamara, Special Assistant McGeorge Bundy, and Special Assistant and Press Secretary Bill Moyers. (Johnson Library, President’s Daily Diary) There was no time indicated in the President’s diary for the end of the meeting, but Rusk’s next appointment at the Department of State was at 2:50 p.m. (Ibid., Rusk Appointment Book)
No record of discussion at the meeting has been found, but McGeorge Bundy prepared an annotated agenda for President Johnson on March 3. Item 3 (of 5) of the agenda reads as follows:
“3. Laos and Cambodia. Closely related to Vietnam are Laos and Cambodia, and you may want to ask Secretary Rusk to explore just where we stand on both these matters. On Laos, particularly, there is a good deal of urgency at the working levels and you and the two Secretaries do need to decide whether you are ready to take further steps.” (Ibid., Files of McGeorge Bundy, Luncheons with President, Vol. 1 [Part 2])