Summary
| Creator: |
Boyle, Kay, 1902-1992
|
| Date(s): |
1960-1979 |
| Bulk Dates: |
1966-1979 |
| Call Number: |
MSS 0262 |
| Language: |
Materials primarily in English with additional materials in French. |
| Abstract: |
Kay Boyle, born in 1902, is best known for her work and accomplishments as a poet, short story writer, novelist, journalist,
teacher, and political activist. One of the prominent American expatriates during the 1920s and 1930s, much of Kay Boyle's
work reflects the influences of that literary circle. The Kay Boyle papers relating to the Citizens' Mission to Cambodia,
spanning from 1960-1979, consists of diaries, correspondence, books, periodicals, news clippings, reports, speeches, audio
recording tapes, a photograph, and poems, documenting controversial aspects of the ground war in Vietnam and its possible
expansion into Cambodia through the recorded thoughts and actions of Kay Boyle and the Citizens' Mission to Cambodia. Additional
items capture the evolution of political Cambodia well into the 1970s through various publications and articles.
|
| Physical Description: |
-
1 linear foot
(1 box)
-
1 1/4 inch audio tape
|
| Immediate Source of Acquisition: |
Purchase, 1992 |
| Processing Information: |
Processed by Paul Dziewisz, 1993. Finding aid encoded in ArchivesSpace by John Caldwell, December 2017. Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard |
Biographical and Historical Notes
Kay Boyle's concern over the potential expansion of the Vietnam War prompted her to accept the invitation of the organization
"Americans Want to Know" and embark on a two-week fact finding mission to the area bordering Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
Boyle and six others -- Floyd B. McKissick, National Director for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE); Rabbi Israel Dresner;
Donald Duncan, military editor of Ramparts magazine and ex-Green Beret; Russell Johnson of American Friends Service Committee;
publicity director Marc Stone; and New York businessman Norman Eisner -- comprised the Citizens' Mission to Cambodia. The
Mission departed for Phnom Penh on July 25, 1966 to investigate U.S. allegations that Cambodia was being used as a training
area and staging ground for Viet Cong incursions into South Vietnam.
Americans Want to Know, the Mission's sponsoring organization, formed in 1965 "to gather facts and report them to the American
people in any situation where our country seems likely to become embroiled in foreign adventures." They observed such a situation
in Cambodia where accusations of misconduct were being made on both sides.
The United States government charged the Cambodian government with creating a "Viet Cong sanctuary," establishing the Sihanouk
Trail to augment the Ho Chi Minh Trail by providing arms and food, and accepting arms and food shipments into the port at
Sihanoukville. Meanwhile, in addition to denying these charges, Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia claimed the U.S. was violating
his nation's vowed territorial neutrality by conducting bombing raids on Cambodian villages. Prince Sihanouk asked for stricter
border observations from the International Control Commission and broke off diplomatic relations with the U.S. over the incidents
just prior to the delegation's arrival.
During the mission, the delegation visited several spots along the Cambodia/Vietnam border as well as the Cambodia/Laos border
where they inspected the site of a recent U.S. attack on the village of Thloc Trach. The delegates personally examined the
alleged Sihanouk Trail and the Ho Chi Minh Trail for signs of a Viet Cong presence. In addition, the Mission members boarded
and examined ships docking at Sihanoukville looking for arms or food shipments. Finally, the delegation met with Sihanouk
and discussed his views on the border violations. The Mission members could find no indications of wrongdoing on the part
of the Cambodian government.
Upon their return to the United States, the delegates reported on the Mission's findings through a series of articles, interviews,
and lectures around the country.
The collection indicates that Kay Boyle continued her political activism and her interest in the plight of Cambodia well into
the decade of the 1970s and probably through to her death on December 27, 1992.
Sources
"Kay Boyle, 90, Writer of Novels and Stories, Dies." The New York Times. December 29, 1992.
Much of the biographical data is derived from material contained in the collection.
Scope and Contents
The Kay Boyle papers relating to the Citizens' Mission to Cambodia, spanning from 1960-1979, consists of diaries, correspondence,
books, periodicals, news clippings, reports, speeches, audio recording tapes, a photograph, and poems.
The bulk of the material surveys the controversial aspects of the ground war in Vietnam and its possible expansion into Cambodia
through the recorded thoughts and actions of Kay Boyle and the Citizens' Mission to Cambodia. Additional items capture the
evolution of political Cambodia well into the 1970s through various publications and articles. Included in the collection
are two unrelated items: a letter and poems sent to a San Francisco public school class, and a speech and poem dedicated to
San Francisco Mayor George Moscone following his assassination in 1978.
The collection provides insight into the specifics of the Citizens' Mission examination of the Cambodian border conflict.
In addition to the Mission reports, the collection provides opposing opinions, details on living in Cambodia, and reflections
on Prince Sihanouk's actions and beliefs. The collection is further highlighted by Kay Boyle's diaries of the journey and
by articles of the late 1970s discussing the political situation in Cambodia. Unfortunately there is a gap in the collection
between 1966 and 1979 which prevents the researcher from following the actions of Kay Boyle and Americans Want to Know through
to their culmination.
The collection is organized topically into four series. Series I, The Citizens' Mission to Cambodia, relates specifically
to the events and immediate results of the Citizens' Mission. Spanning 1965-1966, this series is the collection's most extensive,
including Kay Boyle's diaries from Cambodia, various Mission publications, review articles written by delegation members,
and correspondence regarding Mission activities. Series II, Official Statements and Press Releases, provides a context for
the outward aims of the key actors in the controversy over Cambodia. Series III, Collected Newspaper Articles, Publications,
and Productions, is a reference collection of published articles, books, and tapes giving background to the conflict in South
East Asia as well as the Mission. Series IV, Unrelated, consists of two items unrelated to Boyle's mission in Cambodia.
Using these materials
Shelving Summary
- Box 1: Shelved in SPEC MSS record center cartons
- Removals: Shelved in SPEC Media Audio reels
Access Information
This collection is open for research.
Access Information
This collection contains audiovisual media that has been reformatted. Please contact manuscripts staff for access.
Preferred Citation
MSS 0262, Kay Boyle papers relating to the Citizens' Mission to Cambodia, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library,
Newark, Delaware.
Related Materials in this Repository
MSS 0131 Kay Boyle papers
MSS 0287 Kay Boyle papers relating to research on Irish women
Conditions Governing Use
Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the
U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please
contact Special Collections Department, University of Delaware Library, https://library.udel.edu/static/purl.php?askspec
Container List
I. The Citizens' Mission to Cambodia, 1966
This series contains material directly related to the Citizens' Mission. Included are Kay Boyle's diaries, in original and
corrected draft form; correspondence about and drafts of subsequent publications of the Mission; articles published by delegation
members; and correspondence among Mission members.
I.A. Diaries of the Mission, 1966 July 26-August 11
This subseries contains journal notebooks, typed drafts, and critiques of drafts for Kay Boyle's Mission diaries. A photograph
is also included. The diary of Kay Boyle's mission experiences was to be published soon after 1966 but was never printed
in full. The subseries is arranged in stages beginning with on-site journals. These are followed by drafts for publication
and commentary on those drafts.
A further note is required to explain the comprehensive diary (found in F6 below) which is a compilation of the smaller diaries.
Upon acquisition it was filled with a large quantity of related letters and notes placed loosely between its pages. To clarify
the order of the diary, all pages, including the loose inserts, were numbered consecutively from beginning to end. The loose
pages were then removed and placed in the adjoining folders (F6a, F6b, and F6c).
| Photograph (black and white) of Mission members and Sihanouk taken at the Prince's palace, 1968 |
Box 1, 1 |
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| Diary of the Citizens' Mission, 1966 July 29-August 2 |
Box 1, 2 |
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| Diary of the Citizens' Mission, 1966 August 3-6 |
Box 1, 3 |
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| Diary of the Citizens' Mission, 1966 August 6-7 |
Box 1, 4 |
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| Diary of the Citizens' Mission, 1966 July 26-30, August 9-11 |
Box 1, 5 |
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| Diary of the Citizens' Mission, 1966 July 26-August 11 |
Box 1, 6 |
|
A compilation of the above notebooks. All loose inserts have been numbered and removed. They can be found in the
following three folders.
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| Diary of the Citizens' Mission, 1966 July 26-August 11 |
Box 1, 6a |
|
Pages 1-65
|
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| Diary of the Citizens' Mission, 1966 July 26-August 11 |
Box 1, 6b |
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Pages 66-111
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| Diary of the Citizens' Mission, 1966 July 26-August 11 |
Box 1, 6c |
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Pages 112-end
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| Drafts of Diary Entries, 1966 July 26 |
Box 1, 7 |
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| Drafts of Diary Entries, 1966 July 27 |
Box 1, 8 |
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| Drafts of Diary Entries, 1966 July 28 |
Box 1, 9 |
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| Drafts of Diary Entries, 1966 July 29 |
Box 1, 10 |
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| Drafts of Diary Entries, 1966 July 30 |
Box 1, 11 |
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| Drafts of Diary Entries, 1966 July 31 |
Box 1, 12 |
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| Letters from Russ Johnson relating to Kay Boyle's diary drafts |
Box 1, 13 |
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| Undated notes relating to diary drafts |
Box 1, 14 |
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| Miscellaneous addresses located with the diary drafts |
Box 1, 15 |
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I.B. Information relating to Mission publications
This subseries contains material related to two Mission publications, "Findings of Fact on Cambodia's Border" and "The Final
Report." Included are various drafts of the publications and correspondence among the Mission members regarding the publications.
| Copies of the "Findings of Fact" bulletin |
Box 1, 16 |
|
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| Correspondence between Kay Boyle and Bill Worthy regarding the "Findings of Fact" bulletin |
Box 1, 17 |
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| Letter from Russ Johnson to Kay Boyle and Don Duncan regarding the "Finding of Facts" bulletin |
Box 1, 18 |
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| Letter to Bill Worthy regarding the "Findings of Fact" bulletin |
Box 1, 19 |
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| Drafts of the Missions' "Final Report" including Kay Boyle's contribution |
Box 1, 20 |
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| Correspondence relating to the "Final Report" |
Box 1, 21 |
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I.C. Materials related to the events of the Mission
This subseries is concerned with events of the Mission as conveyed through the plans, statements, and writings collected by
Kay Boyle.
| Statement by Senator Wayne Morse (Dem., Ore.) on the Missions' departure |
Box 1, 22 |
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| Mission itineraries |
Box 1, 23 |
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| Statement from Mission members regarding the bombing of Thlok Trach |
Box 1, 24 |
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| Article reviewing the Mission by Kay Boyle |
Box 1, 25 |
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| Article reviewing the Mission by Russ Johnson |
Box 1, 26 |
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| Article reviewing the Mission by Marc Stone |
Box 1, 27 |
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| Miscellaneous Mission material |
Box 1, 28 |
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| Flight momentos from Japan Airlines |
Box 1, 29 |
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I.D. Correspondence
This subseries contains letters to the editor from Kay Boyle, correspondence with the Cambodian government, and letters among
Mission members and between Mission members and sponsoring organizations. Note that letters between Mission members may also
be found under other, more specific series.
| Letters to the Editor from Kay Boyle |
Box 1, 30 |
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| Correspondence with the Cambodian government |
Box 1, 31 |
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| Envelope addressed to Kay Boyle from the Permanent Mission of Cambodia to the United Nations |
Box 1, 32 |
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| Invitations to Cambodian government functions |
Box 1, 33 |
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| Correspondence with Americans Want to Know |
Box 1, 34 |
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| Correspondence with William Worthy |
Box 1, 35 |
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| Correspondence with Ramparts Editor Stan Sheinbaum |
Box 1, 36 |
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| Miscellaneous correspondence |
Box 1, 37 |
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II. Official Statements and Press Releases, 1964-1979
This series consists of official organizational statements, press releases, and publications of the various policies, observations,
and opinions about Cambodia-U.S. relations. It is broken down into four subseries focusing on each government or major organization.
II.A. Americans Want to Know
Consists of statements from Americans Want to Know, the Missions organizer and sponsor, announcing the Mission and defining
their policy on the Cambodian issue.
| Press releases of Americans Want to Know relating to the Mission |
Box 1, 38 |
|
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II.B. United States government
Consists of U.S. documents and memorandums defining the U.S. position on Cambodian assistance to the Viet Cong.
| Major U.S. pronouncements on policy toward Cambodia |
Box 1, 39 |
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| State Department letters defining the U.S. position on Cambodia |
Box 1, 40 |
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II.C. Cambodian government
Contains press bulletins, letters to the U.N. Secretary General, and Publications of the Cambodian Government in relation
to the border controversy.
| Press bulletins and correspondence from the Cambodia government |
Box 1, 41 |
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| Publications of the Cambodian government, 1966 |
Box 1, 42 |
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| List of members in the L'Association des Ecrivains Khmers |
Box 1, 43 |
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| Transcript of a Sihanouk press conference, 1979 |
Box 1, 44 |
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| Political Statement of the Patriotic and Democratic Front of Great National Union of Kampuchea, 1979 August 21 |
Box 1, 45 |
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II.D. Miscellaneous organizations
The Beheiren (Japan "Peace for Vietnam!") Committee conducted discussions on solutions to the Vietnam War in August of 1966.
This subseries contains statements from that organization as well as a copy of the Geneva Agreement of 1954 which divided
Vietnam into North and South.
| Statements relating to the "Meet in Conference" meeting of August 11-15, 1966 August |
Box 1, 46 |
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| Copy of Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Viet-Nam (Geneva Agreement of 1954) |
Box 1, 47 |
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III. Collected Newspaper Articles, Publications, and Productions, 1965-1979
This series consists of numerous newspaper clippings, books, magazine articles, and an audio tape dealing with the political
situation between the U.S. and Cambodian Governments. Several of the articles are from publications of the late 1970s and
contain information related to that time frame.
III.A. Articles and publications
This subseries contains articles and publications dealing with the Citizens' Mission and Cambodia.
| Newspaper articles giving background prior to the Mission |
Box 1, 48 |
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| Newspaper articles dealing with the events of the Mission |
Box 1, 49 |
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| Post-Mission newspaper articles, 1966 |
Box 1, 50 |
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| Full newspapers containing articles about the Mission |
Box 1, 51 |
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| Newspaper articles, 1979 |
Box 1, 52 |
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| Three copies of The Call/el Clarin
|
Box 1, 53 |
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| Copy of Class Struggle , Summer 1979, 1979
|
Box 1, 54 |
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| Two copies of New War in Southeast Asia , 1979
|
Box 1, 55 |
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| Three copies of the Magazine, Le Sangkum
|
Box 1, 56 |
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| Vietnam! Vietnam! by Felix Greene
|
Box 1, 57 |
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| I.F. Stone's Weekly , May 30 and July 25, 1966, 1966
|
Box 1, 58 |
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| Sane World , 1966
|
1, 59 |
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| Travel brochure: Guide to Tours and Hotels in Cambodia
|
Box 1, 60 |
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| Periodicals for teachers, 1979 |
Box 1, 61 |
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III.B. Audio recording tape of the Winter Soldier Investigations, Detroit, 1971
The Winter Soldier Investigations were three days of panel discussions sponsored by Vietnam Veterans Against the War in response
to the war crimes conviction of Lt. Col. William Calley following the My Lai Massacre. The discussions were designed to examine
the widespread acts of violence by American soldiers against the Vietnamese and display to the United States public that Calley's
actions were not an aberration but an everyday reality.
| The Winter Soldier Investigation, 1971 February |
Box 1, 62 |
|
One reel-to-reel tape of the 25th Infantry Panel discussing
incursions into Laos and Cambodia, 120 minutes.
|
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| Copy of Evergreen , 1971 September
|
Box 1, 63 |
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IV. Unrelated, 1960-1978
The items in this series were accessioned along with the Cambodia papers. They are, however, unrelated to Cambodia as well
as unrelated to one another.
| Letter to P.S. #8 and four poems, 1960 |
Box 1, 64 |
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| Poem and speech in honor of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, 1978 |
Box 1, 65 |
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