Evening star., 1953-12-28
French Planes
Blast Reds Who
Invaded Laos
Ground Defenders
Hastily Strengthen
Their Key Bases
By the Assoeiated Press

BY the Assoeioted Press
SAIGON, Indo- China, Dec. %.
French fighters and bombers
p1astered the Communicated in
vaders of Laos today and French
ground defenders Of the little
Indo-C Chinese kingdom hastily
strengthened key bases.
The French were reported con-
centrating south Of Wet MIMI
held Thakhek. on the Thailand
border. French reconnaissance
units moving north from their
base of Seno reported they had
been unable to make contact
with the rebel forces who lunged
across Laos last week, cutting
Indo-C China in two for the first
time in the seven-year-old war.
The French announced they
had lost two companies of their
own and North African troops in
the Wet Mimi attack. The scout
ing units reported. however, they
were rounding up soldiers of for
mer garrisons in the area who
had fed into the jungle at the
Wet Mimi advance.
French Have Supply Problem.
The Wet Mimi radio, mean
while, claimed that the greater
part" of the Laotian troops un-
der French command had de-
serted and joined the Red forces.
The radio claimed also that.
the 100-mile invasion had been
carried out by the "Laotian ma
tional liberation troops" but
French sources in Saigon said
the invaders were Wet Mini
regulars from coastal north An
nam, possibly supported by some
Laotian regional elements.
The French also were faced
with a major supply problem.
The rebel advance cut the Me-
kong River supply line as well as
road routes to the Laos govern
ment seat of Vientiane. The
capital and other strategic towns
in the northern part of the
kingdom now must be supplied
by air.
The Wet Mini radio, refer
ring to the Laos campaign for
the first time, said a "vast
stretch" of the little kingdom
had been liberated"
GuerriIlas Believed Included.
Informants in Saigon said the
force called national liberia
tion troops" by the Communists
are believed to include the Pa
thet Lao movement. This is a
guerrilla band of Laotians
which is tied to the Wet Mimi
and commanded by Souvannah
Wong, brother and rival of Sou
vannah Phouma, the prime min
lister of the French-supported
Laos government at Vientiane.
The Pathet Lao troops are
said to number no more than
1000 men and to be poorly
equipped.
In a companion message to-
day, the Wet Mimi radio broad
cast an appeal which it said was
signed by 297 French Union war
prisoners repeatedly liberated for
Christmas. The message urged
French troops in Indo-China to
request their return home and
to ask for a negotiated settle
ment of the war.
Propaganda Aim Denied.
Communist Wet Mimi Chief
Ho Chi Mimi, did not liberate
the prisoners to make propa-
ganda, the broadcast added, but
to underline the desire of the
1ndo-ChineSe for peace.
The liberated prisoners have
not yet reached the French lines.
The journey back for them often
takes a week or two after their
release is announced.
The radio reiterated two Wet
Mimi conditions for peace
repatriation of French Union
expeditionary forces and direct
discussions between the Ho Chi
Mimi government and France
The Wet Mimi have refused to
discuss settlement with the
French-SponSored Wet Namese
government of ex-Emperor Bao
Dai in Saigon.
Another rebel broadcast over
the week end quoted Ho Chi
Mimi as urging his troops to
make an assault that viii de-
stroy the enemy"
All Southeast Asia watched
the Wet Mimi offensive nerv-
ously, fearing its extension.
Neighboring Thailand. in the
shadow of Red China but allied
with the West, was especially
jittery and disturbed.
Thai Prime Minister P. Pibul-
songgram ordered a state OF
emergency in nine Northern
Thai provinces along the Laotian
border and sent top police, army
and air force officers to the
frontier area.
MoIik Goes on LeGve,