Evening star., 1953-12-26
Indo-Chinu
CONTINUED From First Page.

result of the Wet Mimi often
Sive.
(The dispatch said the dec
laration was issued after a
conference of cabinet members
and high military officers de-
cided the Indo- Chinese situa-
ton constituted a threat to
Thailand'S sovereignty.
(Maj. Gen. Momluang Kharb
Kunchorn, secretary general
to Thai Premier Phibun Song
gram and deputy chief of the
defense miniStry's general staff,
said in a statement to the
Associated Press that a pre-
pared defense plan is ready
for immediate operation if
necessary.
(The general said heavy
artillery has been moved to
Nakhon Phanom, just across
the narrow, shallow Mekong
River from Thakhek.
(He said Thai planes are
watching the situation along
the border closely.
(Reports in the Thailand
capital said French forces
opposing the rebel drive were
falling back to new defenses
set up about so kilometers
(31.5 miles) from Thakhek.)
Rebels Travel Light.
The French spokesman said
elements of two Wet Mimi di-
visions have been identified as
taking part in the drive into
Laos, one Of the three French
associated states of Indo- China.
The rebel troops, he said. were
carrying only light arms and
few supplies, apparently to speed
their advance.
The Wet Mini forces started
their thrust from the rebel-held
coastal area of North AMMAN.
ndo-China is only about 100
miles across at this point.
The French said hard fighting
was in progress in the jungle
along Colonial Route IL, a main
road connecting AMMAN with
the Mekong River. This would
place the rebels about 100 miles
south of the area they overran
last year in their first assault
against Laotian territory.
(Unconf1rmed reports in
Bangkok, said, however, that
other Wet Mini troops had
opened a surprise attack on
Luang Prabang. the seat of
Laotian King Sisavang' Vong's
royal residence. Luang Pra-
bang, one of the targets of
the previous Wet Mini inva-
sion. is more than 200 miles
north of Thakhek.)
Opening Of Winter Drive.
French spokesmen expressed
hope that with reinforcements
and fresh supplies the French
union forces would be able to
chop off the Wet Mini spear
heads as the rebels extend their
lines of communication.
The attack apparently marked
the beginning of the Wet Mimi
winter campaign. already delayed
several times by French thrusts
French military circles believe
the rebel campaign will develop
on three main fronts. including
the present thrust into Laos. The
other two are the Thai country
in Northwest Indo- o-China. here
a crack Wet Mimi division stands
ready to attack the French neld
fortress of Diem Bien Phu, and
the vital Red River delta.
A French spokesman said the
high command would not try to
defend areas of little or no
strategic value but he asserted
that French forces would stick
to any points considered essen
tial.
French authorities here said
the evacuation of Thakhek un-
doubtedly had been ordered be-
cause of the difficulty Of de-
Tending the. town.
The capture of Thakhek would
give the Wet Mimi a base on the
Thailand frontier and a choice
of striking northward toward the
city of Vientiane. 144 miles away.
or southwark toward Savannah
het and Cambodia, another of
the French-asSociated Indo-C Chi
nese states.
French sources said the Wet
Mini invasion of Laos caught
the high command of guard.
The command had expected
some kind of rebel action in
this area, they added, but no one
had looked for major offensive.
Prince Souvanne Phouma,
Premier of Laos, appealed to the
free world for aid. asserting that
the Wet Mimi invasion again
proved their imperialism"
The Thakhek area is heavily
populated for this part Of the
world, with some $4,000 persons
living on both sides Of the river.
The Mekong is quiet wide there.
but many sand banks obstruct
the channel.