LAOS: George Mcmurtrie Godley III, the Man Who Loves Bombs

7 Days 16 February I972 N THE UNBUILT PANTHEON to the warlords of the IAmerican adventure in Indo china, an appropriately roomy LAOS: niche should be reserved for G. (for George) McMurtrie Godley III, Richard Nixon’s proconsul to the lacerated little kingdom of George McMurtrie Godley III, Laos. Just as only nineteenth-century Britain could have produced the charge of the Light Brigade, so it is inconceiv The Man who Loves Bombs able that “Mac” Godley, or the “viceroy” as he is often called here, could spring from anything except the by T. D. Allman bedrock of twentieth-century American supposedly neutral Laotian territory for electric generators — Godley proudly imperium. Godley - middle fifties, over operations in Cambodia, and once told diplomatic colleagues that his six feet tall and 200 pounds around, summed up his approach to the Laotian dinner table sat even more than the booming voice, insatiable appetite for problem by telling a group of visitors French ambassador’s, and invited them food, wine, power and war - manages that “the only good communist is one in for Beluga caviar to prove it. More to combine the quintessentially six feet under the ground.” recently, Godley boasted across a diplo American traits of Theodore Rossevelet Godley’s style of public service matic dinner table of buying several on safari, Doctor Strangelove in his assumed its defining form in the mid- score crates of a rare vintage of Chateau B-52, and the Eagle on the Great Seal of 1960s, when he served as U.S. ambas Lafite Rothschild. “It would all be the United States glaring down on the sador to the Congo. There, as in Laos, rather refreshing,” one Vientiane resi latest subversive. In addition, Godley is Godley commanded a clandestine force dent commented, “if he didn’t fight the rather likeable, if one has never seen a of U.S. war planes and mercenaries — war the same way he behaves at dinner war-torn Laotian village or a little child and played a central role in crushing the table.” with a phospherous scar instead of a Stanleyville uprising and grooming Godley’s performance as American face. President Joseph Mobutu as a military proconsul in America’s least viable When Godley arrived in Laos more strongman upon whom the Americans client state indeed seems more pertinent than two years ago, he was faced with a could rely. to an assessment of his term in Laos deteriorating American position, and In Laos, Godley frequently acts — than his social habits. In military circles, the fundamental choice of either escal and talks — as though he were still back Godley is often called “the colonel”, ating or fostering U.S. disengagement. putting down mutinies by African because of his preoccupation with Characteristically, Godley chose to “savages”. On one occasion he grabbed military tactics. Significantly, his escalate. He invaded the communist- the lapels of a non-white fellow ambas predecessor, William H. Sullivan — held Plain of Jars, catching the North sador, shook him, and shouted, “You currently a Deputy Assistant Secretary Vietnamese and Pathet Lao off-balance. clear everything you say to the press of State — was called the “field The cost, however, was high. The with me.” Another time he dumped a marshall”, because of the political con invasion meant a new escalation of the dossier of CIA-collected remarks, siderations to which he subordinated U.S. effort in Laos; it turned the once critical of himself, made by another military activity. heavily-populated Plain of Jars into a ambassador, on the offender’s desk in The distinction in nicknames seems mercilessly bombed U.S. free-fire zone, the course of a courtesy call. Once, the key to Godley’s approach to Laos. and made about 20,000 hapless Laotian when learning that a local institution He is known to believe in “getting along villagers homeless. Most importantly, was failing to produce enough artificial with the (U.S.) military” rather than Godley’s invasion prompted a Senate limbs to rehabilitate U.S. bombing restraining them, and in several investigation into America’s furtive yet victims, Godley remarked, “The important situations, has misinterpreted manifold involvement here. problem with that operation is that it communist restraint for a North At the height of the furore over the isn’t being run by a white man.” Vietnamese defeat. Perhaps with this in invasion of the Plain, Godley happened Both Godley and his second wife, a mind, one communist diplomat recently to be asked if he had any difficulty woman of part-Greek parentage, do not said, “Even if a solution were possible, I living with a job that required him so conceal their admiration for right-wing do not see how we could negotiate it often to make decisions involving the military regimes, Recently, while Mrs. with a man like Godley” . A CIA agent, lives, and deaths, of thousands of Godley was cruising the Aegean on a based in Saigon, was even more blunt. people. relative’s yacht, the ambassador, at a “The guy’s in love with bombs”, he “Hell, no,” the American ambassador Vientiane dinner party, stoutly main said. “Every American ambassador at replied, slapping his interrogator on the tained that the Greek colonels were first thinks he can win the war in six months; then he gets smashed in the back, “I’m having a marvellous time.” “the best government "that country has “Mac” Godley: their man in Laos. He is having a wonderful time there. By his own account, Godley, a ever had.” face. The extraordinary thing about native of New York, Godley attended Despite his upper-crust credentials, Godley is that he doesn’t learn.” self-proclaimed disciple of the late John Godley’s private views, he concedes, the exclusive Hotchkiss School well Godley’s most characteristic attributes Whatever Godley’s drawbacks, how Foster Dulles, still is having a marvellous have strongly affected his view of his before the American private school are a bluntness and zest for oneupman- ever, indications are that he will time, even if Laos is not. In the war function in Laos, which he is known to system, modelled on the British public ship that at times seems more character continue dominating Laos for some zone, Godley steadily has eliminated regard as doing everything possible to schools, acquired its present reputation istic of a Middle American bowling time. President Nixon, according to the virtually all checks on the unrestricted win the war against Hanoi, rather than for social liberalism. He is also a league than the East Coast establish ambassador, has said, “I wish I had a use of American air power. He has winding down the war. graduate of Yale, and was elected to ment. hundred ambassadors like Mac Godley”. brought in thousands of Thai mercen Godley’s desire to win, seems to be New York’s prestigious Brooks Club, Like most U.S. ambassadors to Laos, The key to Godley’s popularity in aries to fight in Laos, and pushed U.S. the main thread running through a life after years on the waiting list, when he Godley is a Francophobe. But few have Washington may be an aspect of the military expenditures here up from that includes most of the restlessness, became ambassador to Laos. He and his set out so thoroughly to displace the Nixon doctrine that has been called about $250 million a year when he urge for power and status, and compul present wife — the first was a daughter French as Godley. When his new official “escalating upstream while you de- arrived to about $400 million. Godley, sion to get involved that has character of a Swiss ambassador to the Court of residence was completed — a large white escalate downstream” . According to this who strongly advocated last year’s dis ised the whole American enterprise in St. James — have adopted two sons, bungalow with green-and-white candy theory U.S. military activities in Laos astrous U.S.-South Vietnamese invasion Indochina. who are tended by Laos’ only resident stripe awnings, flanked by red oil drums and Cambodia will grow as they of Laos, authorised CIA use of A White Anglo-Saxon Protestant British nanny. used to fuel the ambassador’s private diminish in South Vietnam, in effect creating a screen blocking the com munist supply routes to Saigon. “The problem,” one American in Vientiane RUSSIA: commented, “is that we kill Laotians to give President Nixon and Thieu some breathing space.” Economists and Critics under Fire As the executioner for such a strategy, Godley seems an enthusiastic choice, at least from the Nixon admini HE TWENTY-THIRD ISSUE part of the general ideological attack struggle to explain the USSR’s foreign failing to develop an adequate critique they have been waging for the past two policy. “The central committee draws of “bourgeois and revisionist theories” stration’s point of view. Godley, for his of the opposition journal in economics and of failing to exercise part, intends to stay in Laos as long as Chronicle o f Current Events months. A clear indication of the tenor the attention of party organs concerned T of this campaign came from the report with foreign policy, of the ideological correct theoretical control over the he can. He has purged suspected doves has just come out in Moscow. presented to a local Moscow party and propaganda services to the need to journal Problems o f Economics. The from his staff, and proudly repeated Despite rumours, it has never been conference on January 12 by V.V. raise the level of efficiency of their critics are attacked for an analogous assurances from Presidential Adviser clear whether the Soviet authori Grishin, a newly promoted Politburo activities” .

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