Evening star., 1961-03-26
KENNEDY
President and Macmillan to Discuss
Positions Token in Laos Crisis

1*tA &AAeS so
don in Laos and the opening
On Monday Of the SEATo con-
3erence."
: z Their conference is expect
ed to set q united British
american policy for meeting
the threat to peace in all
Southeast Asia posed by q
Communist drive TO conquer
Laos with Soviet support.
Both the United States and
Britain are pledged to defend
Laos independence If worst
comes to worst. But both are
hoping that the Soviet Union
will cooperate in moves for q
peaceful settlement guaran-
teeing Laos neutrality.
Peace hopes hinged on So
Wet Premier Khrushchev's re-
ply to British proposal for q
cease-fire to precede negotia-
tions for such q settlement in
Laos.
Gromyko Due Tomorrow
The answer to the question
Of peace or war may become
known when the President
meets Mr.. Gromyko at the
White House at noon Monday.
Before Mr.. Kennedy left the
capital this evening, Mr.. Salin-
ger announced that Mr.. Gro
myko had asked for the ap-
pointment with the President
70 deliver . message from the
Soviet government.
The President sent q personal
message to French President
de Gaulle on the Laos situation
before heading southwark for
his first meeting with Mr.. Mac
milan.
Along with the United States,
Britain and France are mem
bers Of the Southeast Asia
Treaty alliance. The United
States presumably is trying to
line up SEATO allies for con-
certed action II it should be-
come necessary to send in mill
tary forces to aid the loyal
Laotians fighting the Commu-
mist drive to take over their
country.
In Laos Two Days
n Gen. Trapnell spent two days
in Laos looking over the Situa-
i. ton In that country OF swamps
and mountains where experts
predict that any organized
army might be begged down
for years before being able to
wipe out Communist guerillas.
Returning to the United
States, he landed at Friendship
Airport near Baltimore at 4
pm. today.
Gen. Lemnitzer took Gen.
Trapnell to the Andrews base
before the President arrived
there In o helicopter from the
White House. Gen. Lemnitzer
left before Mr.. Kennedy ar
rived at 5:32 pm.
Ten minutes later the big Jet
took off. About 20 minutes after
take-off, the President called
Gen. Trapnell, Charles e. Boh-
len, special assistant to the
Secretary Of State and an ex-
pert on Soviet affairs, and Nc
George Bundy, special assist
ant to the President for ma
tional security affairs, into his I
private section Of the plane for |
Q conference.
This discussion lasted abos.S
half an hour. Gen. Trapnell |
returned to his seat. Mr.. Boh-
len and Mr.. Bundy remained
with the President. At 6:45
pm. Mr.. Bohlen stepped out Of |
the conference for a brief pfi-
vate talk with Christian George
Chapman a Southeast Asian
desk officer in the State De.
partment.
Mr.. Salinger sought to EN-
phaSize that the Presidents
conference with Gen. Trapnell
had no emergency significance.
He said Mr.. Kennedy ordinarily |
would have had Gen. Trapnell
report to him at the White
House.
Mobile Trained Force
Gen. Trapnell's 18th Air
borne Corps is Q KEEP part Of
the Strategic Army Command,
o mobile force trained and
equipped for quick movement
anywhere in the world in en-
ercency situations.
He is reported to have made
several trips to forward posi-
tions Of the royal army dur.
ing his two.day missions to
Laos. His mission naturally
spurred speculation that the
United States might be making
precautionary plans for a quick
movement Of American armed
forces into Laos II the situation
should demand.
The President has empha-
sized hope, however, that Mos
COW viii agree to q cease-fire
in the Laotian fighting as q
prelude to negotiation Of q
peaceful settlement.
The acknowledgements mill
tary movements, coupled with
the quickly arranged Kennedy
Macmillan n conference, ap-
pesred aimed at trying to con-
vince the Russians that Amer
lea and her allies mean busi-
II e e 4