Evening star., 1961-12-04

the country's three rival pol
itical princes still have to work
out.
Princes Haggling
The princes-neutralist Sou
wanna Phouma. pro-Western
Boun oum and Communist
Souphanouvong - have been
haggling for weeks over where
and how to meet to set up
such a government, and how
large a military escort each
should be allowed for the meet
ing.
The Geneva conferences
two co-chairmen, Malcolm Nc
donald of Britain and Giorgi
Pushkin of the Soviet Union.
sent an urgent appeal to the
princes Friday to settle their
differences and establish a
united government without de-
lay.
The co-chairmen also asked
the princes to do everything in
their power to prevent a new
outbreak of hostilities. The
control commission warned last
month that a new civil war
may break out with the end
OF the rainy season if the
princes do not reach a quick
settlement.
fThe princes have agreed that
Souvanns Phouma should head
the new government, but they
have made no progress toward
agreement on how that gov
eIf1ment should be formed. The
dispute centers on what role
should be played by Boun Gum
and Souphanouvong and how
the cabinet posts should be
diriied among the three fac
tions.
- Communists willing
High Western officials said
recent developments in the
conference have convinced
them that both Russia and Red
China are now willing to reach
agreement on Laos with the
West. The Communist dele
cations acceptance to a French
military presence in Laos is
regarded as a significant indi-
cation of the Reds new atti-
tude. Previously the Com
munist strategy seemed aimed
at removing every trace of
Western influence from the
country.
Western experts believe that
even a small French military
detachment in Laos will have q
powerful psychological effect
and will help to reduce the
chances of a Communist take
over after the>neutrality statute
becomes effective.
Laos was an Associated.
state" Of France until 1854.
The French were permitted to
maintain limited forces and
military advisers in the country
after the 1854 Indo-China ar
n1istice but later turned this
right over to the United States.
It@Would revert to France under
the treaty now being drafted
here.
Souvanna Phouma has re-
peatedly stated that he wants
French military advisers and
instructors to remain in Laos.
Two Big Points Remain
Two major points of dispute
remain to be solved by the con-
ference:
i. A western demand that all
regular armed forces in Laos,
including those now under Sou
wanna Phouma's and Soupha-
nouvong's orders, must be in
tegrated in the royal Laotian
army, and that all irregular
units must be disbanded. This
is the toughest problem of all,
because the countless, ill-de-
fined groups Of jungle irregulars
are an important element. in
Souphanouvong's guerrilla
strategy.
2. A Communist demand that
a neutral Laos must be specifi-
cally excluded from the protec-
ton of the Southeast Asia
Treaty Organization. The West
maintains it can make no such
commitment at Geneva be-
cause several SEATO members
are not represented in the con-
ference.
The conference participants
are the three control member
nations, the Big Four (the
United States, Britain, France
and the Soviet Union), Laos
six neighbors (Red China,
North and South Wet Nam,
Burman, Thailand and Cam
bodia) and Laos itself.