Browse Items (1041 total)

Upon being appointed to Thailand, William Donovan needs to meet with Walter Robertston. Kenneth phones his office and tricks him into having a meeting with Donovan, as he was in the office listening to the phone conversation. When the time seemed…

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Kenneth says the US would not have declared war on Japan if the Japanese had not attacked Pearl Harbor and the Philippines. The US did not oppose the Japanese even when they were stripping China and murdering people by the millions. There are many…

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Kenneth explains why the OCI became the OSS. The OCI was concerned with developing and coordinating information, and its staff consisted of scholars on the areas of interest. The OSS included that function but also had other branches of "activists…

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One night, Charlie Yost, Irena, and Kenneth had gone to the Royal Palace, and were standing about having "pre-prandial drinks" when the lights went out. Phumipol lit a cigarette lighter and held it under his chin, so that everyone was in shadow,…

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The negotiations went on week after week. Finally, Mr. Byrd decided to dispose of Kenneth, saying that he was assuming a knowledge of the country of Thailand that he really didn't possess. He expressed admiration for Kenneth's father as a scholar and…

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When Kenneth traveled out to Southeast Asia in late 1945, after the war, he had another experience concerning time. He was to meet some Siamese officials and US Legation members. Kenneth urged his fellow Americans to be on time, but they would hurry…

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Kenneth arranged with Cochran to have a tour of the islands. Cochran had a Marine colonel with a two-engine Beechcraft, and a co-pilot, six feet four tall or more, and Kenneth toured Java. They flew over to a volcano, the highest mountain on the…

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One night in Hanoi, Kenneth and his driver were going along at night in the little "bathtub" car when the driver lost control of the car at a crossroads. They drove head on into one of those sandbag gun embankments. There was yelling and screaming…

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While Margaret was staying with Miss Cole to learn about her experiences in Siam, Kenneth wrote to tell her that he had met with the son of a close friend of Anna Leonowens, Mrs. Moore, in Chicago. He arranged to meet Mrs. Moore. Anna's…

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Kenneth only called on President Roosevelt once, he says, and he didn't say anything. Donovan did all the talking, presenting Kenneth's report. This was at the end of the three weeks. After this, Kenneth said to Donovan that his three weeks were up,…

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What Donovan wanted from Kenneth was reports on the situation in Southeast Asia as he knew it; the French in Indochina and their relations with the Thai, for instance. Another report had to do with the British in Burma, and where Malaysia and…

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Kenneth traveled to Saigon, and then to Phnom Penh in Cambodia, where he had a three-day visit with King Sihanouk, who had not yet abdicated his throne in favor of becoming a politician. Sihanouk knew that Kenneth didn't speak French too well, so he…

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The Weldebreton Prison had originally been the Prins Hendrik Fort, which was built to defend against the British. Once the need for it had passed they turned it into a prison.

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Will asks if Kenneth visited Borobudur on this trip, a site of ancient ruins in Java, but Kenneth is not sure, though he thinks so. He remembers climbing the monument, one of the earliest Buddhist monuments in Southeast Asia.

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Kenneth's driver took him to a large house and spoke with some women before Kenneth was told to come on up. So he went up and was escorted to a bedroom. This house, or mansion, was the dwelling of an American graves mission that was out there hunting…

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In July, before starting work with the BEW, Kenneth drove home to Richmond for a visit with the family. He took a vacation and played golf with Bill.

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Kenneth discusses his travels to Burma. He explains the difference in government, as U Nu described a broken government which was fragile--something he didn't associate with government officials speaking of their own system.

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Kenneth and his companions spent the night where they had an emergency landing. In the night, the Colonel became sick with dysentery. In the morning he looked pale and said that they couldn't go that day because he was too sick to fly. Kenneth gave…

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When Kenneth tried to have Harvard take Prince Damrong's library he got on the telephone and called the heads of various departments, including Dr. Keyes DeWitt Metcalf, the head of the library and the most famous librarian in the U.S. at that time…

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Kenneth traveled from Bangkok to Singapore. In Singapore, he got a visit from Ko Geng Hsui. Ko Geng Hsui had come to consult Kenneth about establishing a research group for the study of Southeast Asian affairs. Kenneth found it humorous that he…

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Kenneth talks of the Layton party once more. They now travel to Saigon. They met Colonel Ed Lansdale here, who was later to become a general. Admiral Layton by this time was quite impressed, as Kenneth had friends in Hong Kong and was now also known…

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Kenneth flew over to Bali There was an artist on the beach in Bali, with a magnificent looking "dancing woman," who was one of the more famous dancers. All the women were bare from the waist up. The woman would come around, and she had great big…

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Kenneth's work with the BEW began with a study of Southeast Asian countries to select bombing targets that would be significant in hurting the enemy's abilities to control the area. This began with important bridges, machine shops, roundhouses,…

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Kenneth gives an account of the third week of the Country Team Seminar. Walt Rostow lectured in the morning session. There was also to be a party a few weeks later, and many seminar members signed up to attend. The afternoon lecture was given by…

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Kenneth discusses the third day of the Country Team Seminar. He discusses the students milling around the library, gazing at various materials. He describes the kind of officials in the program. He also explains the seminar to Murry Marder.

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