Evening star., 1960-12-17
Anti Communist Victory in Laos
Moy Be Prelude to Long War
vIENTTANE. Laos. Dec. II

(AP).-The pro- Western gov
ernment Of Prince Boun Gum
and Gen. Phoumi Nosavan an
nounced the capture Of Wen
tiane airport today after driv-
ling pro-C Communist forces out
Of this Laotian capital.
The triumph of the anti
Communists. after q flaming
76-hour battle in the streets
that left the center Of the city
in ruins. may be only the pre-
lude to q long civil war in the
jungles.
Gen. Phoumi said the die
hard pro-Communist Pathet
Lao guerrilla fighters and left
list paratroopers Of Capt. Kong
lie retired in good order, ap-
parently taking Q good portion
Of their Soviet-supplied arms
and ammunition with them.
Vientiane was under martial
law, and Gen. Phoumi said 1t
would be enforced until O
cleanup is completed.
Pathet Lao Seeks Cover
Pathet Lao followers who
infiltrated the capital during
sthe government Of neutralist
Premier Souvanna Phouma
were reported to have gone
underground and win have to
be flushed out.
Prince Boun and Gen.
fPhoumi drove in Just before
dark last night and announced
the liberation Of the capital,
which had been governed since
August by various neutralist
and pro-C Communist govern
sments.
Almost the first act Of the
new Premier was to appeal to
the United States for assist
ance. particularly for the
people Of Vientiane, who he
said had suffered greatly be-
cause Of the actions Of the pro-
Communist Pathet Lao guer-
-ftllas.
Request Considered
I'm Washington, the State
Department said the request
was being given swift and
sympathetic attention. SI
tThe Japanese Red Cross
announced q similar request i,
had been, received from the
new government in Wen
y tiane.s A spokesman said
. doctors, nurses and medical
I supplies would be sent as
soon Is approval has been
received from the Interna- |
tional Red Cross Committee
in Geneva.
CReportS In Tokyo said
about 100 people had been, +.
killed and between 200 and |,
300 wounded, mostly civil
ians. In Vientiane. Some
5000 refugees were said to
be living in camps outside
1.-THE city,
- U. s. Embassy Razed t
Almost every major building
lin the center of the capital
was hit by shellnre during the
battle. The United States
Embassy was RACED =
,. No Americans were killed,
but a few were wounded
slightly. Is
Immediately after securing
the city. Gen. Phoumi's tank
units pushed on to the airfield
to the vest.
1t was there that the Ieftist +,
forces had set up Soviet-sup-
piled Artillery and raked thel
capital with q devastating pat I.
Tern Of fire. The guns were
Town IN by Soviet airlift, and
~American officers said they be-
. lieved Soviet artillerymen
helped work the guns.
8sS Laos has been q victim Of
sPathet Lao hit-and-run guer-
! rilla tactics for six years. Last
August 8 Capt. Kong Le staged
- coup that overturned the
!. pro-American government and
installed neutralist Prince
= SSouvanna Phouma as premier.
Prince Souvanna's plans to
bring the Pathet Lao and the
rightwtng rebels Of Gen.
Phoumi together In q coalition
srWere smashed when Gen.
Phoumi's army swept to Vien-
tlane's outskirts on December 8.
He ned TO Cambodia and,
Cr q day. a military commit.
Zee set UP by Capt. Kong lie
ruled the capital. Then QUINN
Fholsena, prot Communist In
formation Minister in Prince
6cuvanna's cabinet. formed q
government. Mr.. QUINN fed |,
when Gen. Phoumi's forces In
Haded the capital last Tuesday. |,
King Savang Vathana, who /
has stayed at his royal capital
at Luang Prabang trying to
keep aloof from the civil war, II
legaliSed the new government Il
on December 1S by naming