Evening star., 1961-04-30
LAOS
Horrimonin Southeast Asia
On Foct-Finding Mission

Continued From First Page
Vientiane after waiting for
hours for a rebel contact that
never came.
Government troops had been
ordered not to shoot unless
fired upon.
Both sides have announced
agreement in principle on
cease-fire, but have not agreed
on a site where negotiators
could get together. Both want
the talks held in their terri
tory; the British have suggested
some spot in no-man's land.
The Soviet news agency Tass
said Laos ex-Premier Souvanna
Phouma, recognized by the
Communist bloc as legal prem
ier and increasingly the Pathet
Lao spokesman, gave the gov
ernment 48 hours to send ennis
saries to the rebels capital Of
Xieng Khouang.
There was no indication Of
what might happen after 48
hours but the TaSs correSpon-
dent in Xieng Khouang said:
Hopes Of the Laotians for an
early cease-fire have been
dashed"
SEATO Session Set
In neighboring Thailand. the
council Of representatives of
the anti-Communist Southeast
Asia Treaty Organization an
nounced it would hold a special
Sunday morning discussion in
Bangkok on what a spokesman
called the increasingly grave
situation in Laos"
SEATO officials refused to
discuss possibilities of military
intervention but foreign min
listers of the eight-nation al
lance last month reserved the
right to take whatever action
may be appropriate in the cir
cumStances," should cease-fire
efforts bog down.
1t was pointed out 5000
SEATO troops, about 100 planes
and so ships now are engaged
in training exercise Pony Ex-
press" off North Borneo in what
is billed as the alliances biggest
defense maneuvers.
Few details were available on
the fighting in Laos.
More than 300 government
troops were rushed to Ban Keun
to reinforce the royal garrison
Of once ompany. A helicopter
returned to Vientiane from the
front with four wounded gov
ernment troops and there were
reports the fighting was con-
tinuing through the day.
Ban Keun is a key govern
ment city in the district 10
miles east of the Vientiane-
Luang Prabang highway.
Capture UncOnfirmed
There was no government
confirmation of the rebel claim
that Muong Phin had been
captured. The rebel announce
ment said merely that the
important post" was "iber-
ated" and that some govern
ment troops surrendered while
the rest fled.
The decision to send a gov
ernment officer into no-man's
land under a truce flag was
announced by Gen: Phoumi
Nosavan, government military
chief and deputy premier, after
he consulted his United States
military advisers.
Gen. Phoumi said he was
making a dramatic gesture to
demonstrate "our good will for
peace" He said the govern
ment radio has been hourly
broadcaSting calls for a cease
fire but no answer, official or
unofficial, had been received.
The general was just about
the only top-ranking govern
ment official in Vientiane. The
others, the King and premier
included, were in Luang Pra-
bang for the cremation of the
late King Sisavang Wong.
Political Hopes Dashed
Western hopes the cremation
ceremony would turn into a
political conference of all La
otian leaders collapsed when
ex-Premier Souvanna and Pa
thet Lao leader Souphanouvong
failed to show up. This was
considered in Vientiane a direct
Snub to the throne, which
might backfire on the rebels
by angering the Laotian
masses.
President Kennedy's rowing
ambassador, w. AVerell Har-
riman arrived in Vientiane to-
day. He declined comment on
what other Western diplomats
call a worsening government
position and said he was on a
fact-finding mission for United
States Secretary of State Dean
Rusk.
Mr.. Hartman said he was
flying to Luang Prabang Sum-
day for talks with King Sa-
wang Vathana and Premier
Boun Gum and possibly, Cam
bodia's neutralist Prince Shan
ouk, all gathered there for the
cremation rites.
There seemed to be a small
ray Of hope in reports that
Sinhanouk might lend his capi-
tai of Phnom PENN as a site
for truce talks. Acceptance Of
this idea by both sides could
clear the way for an effective
truce and the projected IA
nation peace conference in
Geneva May IL.
Control Unit Meets
The International Control
Commission of India, Poland
and Canada met in New Delhi,
annol1foced IL apread m S,ontI,