Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-01
Battle 10 Decide
Fate Of Laos
Believed Near
Red Invaders Only
II Miles From
Country's Capital

HANOI, Indo- China, May L.
The battle deciding the fate o.
the ancient mountain kingdom
of Laos-besieged by the Vie
Mini legions of Moscow-trainec
Ho Chi Minh-may be under way
within 48 hours.
BY then the barefooted in
vaders from neighboring Wet
Nam, who have engulfed over
a third of the interior Indo-
Chinese state in less than three
weeks, are expected to attack
King Sisavang Vong's royal seat
of Luangprabang.
If the Wet Mimi win there, 1t
may be only a short time until
they reach the borders of Burma
and Thailand, each of which has
a stable Communist element
The Wet Mimi now are only 80
miles from Thailand and 100
miles from Burma.
Thailand Mans Border.
In Bangkok, Premier P. Pibul-
songgram said that Thai mill
tary units now man the entire
border with Communist-invader
Laos. He added in an interview
that the Thai government has
ordered preparations for mobi-
liZation in case the situation de-
velops into a threat to this coun-
try. He said he does not believe
such a threat is imminent. Aid
has been requested of the United
States. he added.
Four to five Wet Mini divi-
sionS have poured into Laos since
the first Red attack there April
IL.
Today the invaders were re-
ported within IL miles of Luang-
prabang, on the north and east.
The French have promised a
last-ditch defense of the SUM-
baked, palm lined little town Of
5000 Laotians. A desperate
paced airlift has poured French
union troops and American
supplied war materials into the
town.
The Wet Mini progress has
been slowed somewhat by the
tenacious resistance of noun
tain posts manned by French
and Laotians, and by hammer
ings from French fighters and
bomberS.
Sunday Attack Likely.
But the Red-led legions have
slashed their way through dense
jungle, Waded swift streams and
trekked over tiny mountain
trails for more than 200 miles
from their chief supply bases
on the Black and upper Red
Rivers of north Wet Nam. Now
they are almost within shoot
ing distance of the royal town.
The belief was widespread that
the Wet Mimi assault from the
north and east may come early
Sunday morning. The sabbath
is a favorite day for Wet Mimi
attacks.
Supplied by Communist China.
Hos men are armed principally
with machineguns, rifles, pistols.
grenades, high explosive charges,
and knives. They were expected
to pave the way for the assault
with heavy mortar fire.
Would Face Heavy Fire.
The attackers would face
devastating fire from mobile ar
tillery and modern weapons sup
piled to the French union by the
United States, as we'll as STRAIT
ings and bombings.
The French and Laotians are
confident they can defeat the
invaders. They believe that if
they give Hos men a severe beat
ing at Luangprabang, the Red
ambition of overrunning all Laos
and Cambodia and merging them
into the rebel Communist state
of Wet Nam" would be thwarted.
King Sisavang, 68, and
stricken with rheumatism, his
family and Luangprabang's in
habitantS refused to leave the
town. Civilians turned to with
the troops, digging trenches and
building barbed wire entangle-
E1entS and other defnncas