Evening star., 1961-04-30
KENNEDY
Continued From First Page

in Laos but fears for the Sc
curity of all Southeast Asia if
it does not act.
In Bangkok, Thailand, the
Southeast Asia Treaty Organi-
zation called a special meeting
for today to consider the Lao
tian crisis and receive a report
on yesterdays discussion at the
White House.
At the State Department, the
daily report on military condi-
tionS stated the Soviet airlift
to the rebel forces had been
stepped up yesterday "by con-
siderable degree" and that the
rebels were attacking at four
points in northern Laos"
Situation Worse
The military situation is
steadily growing worse for the
pro-Western government of
Premier Boun Oum, officials
conceded. This appeared to be
the critical issue before Mr..
Kennedy and the National Sc
curity Council. The extraordi-
nary Saturday morning policy
session lasted two hours, end
ing in early afternoon.
After talking with the Presi-
dent, White House News Secre-
tary Pierre Salinger said: The
National Security Council dis
cussed problems dealing with
Southeast Asia"
Mr.. Salinger would say no
more and other officials SIM
ilarly declined to talk, evidently
being under presidential in
struction to sit tight over the
week end. awaiting last ditch
efforts to arrange a cease fire
and also consultation with al
lied governments. In this case
the alliance is that Of the
Southeast Asia Treaty Organ
ization.
Mr.. Kennedy expected re-
ports over the week end from
rowing Ambassador w. Averell
Hartman, who arrived in Wen
tiane yesterday. Mr.. Salinger
said Mr.. Hartman was look
ing over the situation" Reports
were due also from Gen. Lyman
l.. Lemnitzer, chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is
on a tour including stops in
Southeast Asia.
The White House discussion
brought together with Mr..
Kennedy such men as Vice
President Johnson, Secretary Of
State Rusk and Secretary Of
Defense Mcnamara, as well as
Director of Defense Mobilization
Frank B. Ellis.
Admiral Burke Present
Admiral Arleigh Burke sat
in as acting chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff. CIA
Director Allen w. Dulles and
Edward R. Murrow, director Of
the United States Information
Agency, attended as did Budget
Director David Bell.
Others included Undersecre-
tary Of State Bowles; Deputy
Defense Secretary Gilpatric;
Jerome B. Wiesner and Nc
George Bundy, special assistants
to Mr.. Kennedy; U. Alexis
johnson, Deputy Undersecre-
tary Of State, and Paul Mite,
Assistant Secretary of Defense
Considerable significance ap-
parently lay in the fact that the
meeting was attended by 1t.
Gen. Lionel c. McGarr, chief
Of the military assistance ad-
visory group in Wet Nam, and
Ambassador Frederick G. Mol
ting jr., who is to be the new
envoy to Wet Nam. ~.
The presence Of Gen. McGarr
and Ambassador Noting led to
speculation that Mr.. Kennedy
is as much interested in shor-
ing up the flanks Of the South
east Asian area around the
Central Laotian battle-ground
as he is concerned with the
civil war itself.
u. s. Heavily Committed
This concept of the defense
problem means that the ad-
ministration is in fact heavily
committed to the support of
Thailand, an allied country in
.SEATO, and of South Wet
Nam, which is not an ally
though protected by the guar
antees Of the SEATO treaty
against Communist aggression.
Actually. Communist guer-
rillas have been waging an
undercover, after-dark war OF
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