USA: Washington DC: White House:
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Exterior of the White House

US Secretary of State Christian Herter and others leaving

Camera men

Group including Under Secretary of Defence James Douglas, Director of C.I.A. Allen Dulles, Under Secretary of State Livingston T. Merchant, Secretary of State Christian A. Herter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Lyman Lemnitzer

Close view PAN Allen Dulles, Livingston T. Merchant, Christian Herter and Lyman Lemnitzer

Herter and Lemnitzer PAN to others

Department of State Building.

Close up of inscription on building.

INT
Various of Herter and Dean Rusk sitting and speaking, then shaking hands (not heard)

James C. Hagerty (White House Press Secretary) talking and being questioned SOT
- [Hagerty] The Department of Defence said that in line with normal operation they were readying the Pacific Command for the decidal of the Laotian situation. I would like to add to that the President is fully familiar with these movements and these are taken as a normal precaution in line with our SEATO obligations
- [Question from press] This has to do with the increasing of the capacity of our airlift?
- [Hagerty] It has to do with increasing the capacity of our Pacific Command
- [Question from press] In general?
- [Hagerty] In general
Background: United States Secretary of State Herter left the White House, Washington, Jan 2 after attending a conference with President Eisenhower and others on the Laos situation. Possibilities facing the meeting were military intervention - in the light of the reported invasion of Laos by communist forces from North Vietnam - and the revival of the supervisory commission on Laos, comprising Canada, India and Poland. American top officials filmed leaving afterwards were (left to right): Under Secretary of Defence James Douglas; Director of Central Intelligence Agency Allen Dulles; Under Secretary of State Livingston T. Merchant; Secretary of State Christian A. Herter, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Lyman L. Lemnitzer. Mr. Herter arranged to confer with his successor in the Kennedy administration, Dean Rusk. Presidential Press Secretary James C. Hagerty also made a statement.