Evening star., 1961-04-07

TgdnlZaJlOn-are now all 10r
an "unaligned and independ-
ent Laos"
If the same objective had
been acceptable to the United
States three years ago, Laos
and the rest of the world
might have been spared a
great deal of anguish. What
has happened in the mean
time is proof, no doubt, of
Communist skulduggery. But
it is also proof of the bank
ruptcy of an American policy
aimed at making laos firmly
aligned" with the West and
completely dependent on the
United States.
In 1858 there existed, in
fact, a government in Laos
dedicated to the principles
of neutrality and independ-
ence. Led by Prince Souv-
anna Phouma, a distant rel
ative of King Savang Vat
hama, the main objective of
this government was to bring
an end to the Communist
backed rebellion that had
torn Laos in the last days
of the French war in Indo-
China and to "reintegrate"
the Pathet Lao rebels into
the life of the country.
1t was also something of
a family affair. The leader
of the Pathet Lao was Souv-
anna's half-brother, Prince
Souphanouvong, long time
ardent disciple of the Wet
Minis top military COM
mander, Vo Nguyen Clap,
and by far the most force
full personality on the Lao
tian landscape. Since 1949,
Prince Souphanouvong had
led what was essentially the
Lao chapter of the Wet Mimi
rebellion, directing his guer-
rilla fighters in action
against the occupying French.
At wars end his forces had
firm control of the two
northern provinces of Phong-
sally and Samneua, near the
border of Wet Nam.
LaOtian Experiment Starts
After the French army with
drew from Laos in 1854,
Prince Souphanouvong an
nounced his willingness to go
along with the effort of ma
tional reconciliation under
the terms of the Geneva
Conference.
The experiment started off
hopefully enough. With a
great show of fraternal emo
ton, the two princes met
and agreed to bury their past
differences. The northern
provinces were returned to
the jurisdiction of the gov
ernment in Vientiane. Some
$500 Pathet Lao guerfillas
were duly enrolled under the
command of the Royal Army.
A total of 4,500 men we're
demobilized.
At the same time, the
Pathet Lao transformed it
self into a political party
known as the New Lao Hak-
sat. Prince Souphanouvong
entered the government as
Minister of Planning. Souv-
anna Phouma stayed on as
Prime Minister.
It was at this stage that
the United States stepped
heavily onto the Laotian po-
litical scene and the expert
ment in integration came to
an abrupt end.
The American presence"
in Laos dates from early
1855 when John Foster Dull
les reached the conclusion
that something drastic had
to be done to fill the vacuum
left by the departing French.
Though the United States,
under the terms of the
Geneva agreement had no
official role to play in Laos,
there was no obstacle to the
flood of money which started
pouring into the country the
same year.
Little legal objection either,
to the arrival of American
military equipment for the
Laotian Army, or the pres
ence of Civilian technicianS"
in large numbers as instruct
orS in its use. BY 1858, Souv-
anna Phouma'S Western =
leaning neutral government
was in fact entirely depend
ent on American support.
U. S. Fears Red Takeover
The Americans, further
more, were not happy about
the way things were going.
There was a general feeling
that Souvanna Phouma,
though obviously no Com
munist himself, was naive
and Intellectual in dealing
with his dynamic half
brother. Integrating the
Pathet Lao into the country
and the government ran the
American argument. was the
equivalent of inviting a Com
muniSt takeover in the long
run.
In May, 1858, a national
by-election gave the Pathet
Lao 13 out of 20 contested
seats in parliament. The
worst fears of the American
experts were confirmed and
the AK fell swiftly. Soon
after the fateful by-election,
American aid to Laos was
abruptly cut off on orders
from Washington. Souvanna
Phouma's coalition govern
ment promptly collapsed.
For some time, his success
sor had been waiting impa-
tiently in the wings. Gen.
ph0IIY1ni Nocouon tho Jo,,y.