Evening star., 1961-05-14
GENEVA
'Rigidity' Of U. S. Policy Seen
Unpopular With Neutral Nations
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.. Continued From First Page
right to speak when invited
by the conference chairman.
The Americans have sug-
gested that If Souvannah Pho
uma wants to include the
Pathet Lao in his group, there
would be no objection. Or, as
an alternative, both govern
ment delegations might be ac-
cepted as full members, with
the Pathet Lao sitting in as
observers. Or, finally Laos
might simply be excluded from
the conference altogether.
At the moment the best
chance of settling the dispute
rests with the Laotians them
selves. Reports reaching Geneva
from Phnom Phonh in Cam
bodia suggest that an effort
is under way to form a coali-
ton government which would
automatically resolve the prob
lem Of who should represent
Laos here.
If this does not happen, how
ever, the outlook is not good
for the opening of the con-
ference on Monday. Certainly
none of the compromise sug-
gestions offered by the West
have made any apparent i'm
preston on Soviet Foreign Min
lister Gromyko.
His meeting today with Sec
retary of State Rusk resulted
in no headway whatever. And
last night there was specula-
ton in some delegations that
the conference might break up
before it starts.
Rusk Is on Legal Ground
This may not be so far
fetched as it may sound. Mr..
Rusk apparently feels that in
this argument he is on sound
legal ground. For the time be-
ing, at least, he is being sup
ported-though with no great
enthusiastically his British and
French colleagues.
The Secretary may feel that
II he loses this battle there will
be no point in going on with /
negotiations to try to provide
solid guarantees for a neutral /
and independent" Laos.
There is at least no wish on ,
his part to subscribe to an I
agreement which was a fraud
leading quickly to a complete ,
Communist takeover of the !
country.
For his part, Mr.. Gromyko is
well aware he can afford to be ,,
tough. There is no doubt that
American "rigidity" on the l
Question Of Laotian representa-
tion will be higher unpopular :
with the neutral countries here.
Even the British and French
do not really agree that the /
point is so vital as to justify :
breaking off negotiations, and
very probably resuming the war
In Laos.
Laos Called Good As Lost
Indeed to almost everyone &
except the Americans in Ge- l
neva. the cause Of Laos is. as {
good as lost. And in the sal
wage operations, matters Of
legal principle are not terribly
important. /
Even within the American I
delegation itself there may be !
some doubts about the wisdom
of Mr.. Rusk's strategy. Though {
his position on the seating of
the Laos delegation may be
sound legally. it makes less
sense from the standpoint of .
logic. }
Though the Pathet Lao may :
not be a government in any i
sense Of the word, it is never !
theless the power which threat
ems to take over Laos by force :
Of arms. Whether it is a politi- ,
cal party or not, it will play an !
important and possibly domi- !
hating role in any future Lao :
tian government. !
In short, 1t is difficult to see ,
how any valid agreement on the '
future of Laos can be arrived
at here in Geneva unless the
Pathet Lao, along with its
Communist friends, are parties
10 it. It
Nevertheless, II Mr.. Rusk (
ends by conceding on this point s
now, he will be entering the l
negotiations under the worst t
possible conditions. If there is
to be any real negotiation at all, I
the United States must make it
clear that there is in fact an
alternative to accepting meekly K
whatever conditions the Com
tnunist wish to impose. And a
threat to break up the confer
ence may be one way of getting
this point across. L