davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1962-05-17
Marine Units Funnino Out
oword Thai Border Posts

to a "Mekong River line," even
though such a line would &c
inside Laos in the northeast
and southeast corners Of that
country.
Since there may never be a
fight. the difference may not
have to be resolved. The State
Department wants to be able
to negotiate a political settle
ment in Laos without a ques-
ton of American soldiers being
in Laos.
But If there is a fight. the
military men would want to
move into those corners of Laos
and defend the river line. The
alternative would be to defend
an unmarked border which runs
along mountain peaks and hill
tops and which gives no par
ticular advantage to the de-
fense.
All this, the administration
hopes, will prove to be an aca-
demic discussion. The odds
now seem to be against any
war involving Americans.
In fact, there is concern al
ready in the administration
about the problem of getting
the troops out Of Thailand
again. Officials do not want
the men to be stuck there in
definitely, as are two American
divisions in Korea. They hope
the men can pull out quickly,
as they did in Lebanon, after
the threat to Thailand is eased.
Evening star., 1962-05-17
Two ThoiIond-Bound
Officers Served Here

Two high ranking Marine
officers who have been assigned
duty in Thailand served In the
Washington area in recent
years.
Maj. Gen. Donald M. Weller
and 1t. Col. Harold w. Adams,
both formerly assigned to Ma
rine Headquarters in the Pen
tagon, are among those dis
patched by the President to the
Southeast Asian nation.
Gen. Weller is to be the chief
Of staff to the commander of
United States combat elements
in Thailand, Army 1t. Gen.
James L. Richardson. From
June, 1858 until August, 1860,
Gen. Weller was assistant chief
Of Staff, G-1, at the Marine
headquarters and resided at 608
West Taylor Run parkway, AL
exandria. Since September,
1861, he has served as deputy
commander of the Fleet Marine
Force in the Pacific.
Col. Adams is commanding
officer of the Sd Battalion, 9th
Evening star., 1962-05-17
BANGKOK
BANGKOK
u. S. Marines Arrive
To Defend ThoiIond

Continued From Page Al
Saigon he conferred with Gen.
Paul D. Harkins, who heads
United States forces in both
Wet Nam and Thailand.
The American Marines and
lnfantrymen are expected to
be strung out from Udon, a
town just below the Laotian
capital of Vientiane. and east
and south to Ubon, across from
the southern part of Laos near
Cambodia. Both Udon and
Ubon have airports and are
On rail lines to Bangkok.
The American invasion-by-
invitation OF this ancient land
Of Buddhist temples, smiling
people and rich rice fields went
off smoothly.
The first wave came ashore
at daybreak.
With youthful Marines lining
the railings. the Point Defiance
and the Navarro steamed up
Chao Phraya River to land
them at Klong Toey with their
battle equipment.
The first Marine ashore was
Capt. Maurice H. WINS, 35, Of
Chambersburg, Pa, a platoon
commander. The Leathernecks
we're quiet with little to say.
Maj. w. R. Affleck, 38, of
Beaufort, s. c., was asked how
long the Marines expected to
be in Thailand. "As long as we
are needed" he replied terSely.
A platoon Of tanks remained
In the ships to be unloaded
later.
Evening star., 1962-05-17
Kefuuver Opens
Drug Industry
Attack in House
BY the Associated Press

Senator Kefauver, Democrat
of Tennessee, who has been
battling the drug industry for
years in the Senate, opened a
new front today in the House.
Armed with thousands of
pages of testimony from the
hearings he has conducted,
Senator Kefauver urged the
House Antitrust Subcommittee
to support his efforts to bring
the drug industry under closer
Government regulation.
The subcommittee chairman,
Representative Celler, Demo-
Icrat of New York, has intro
duced a bill similar to one
Senator Kefauver has pressed
Both are aimed mainly al
limiting the right of drug
manufacturers to patent theil
products, encouraging the ust
of generic drug names instead
of brand names in the writing
of prescriptions. and requiring
full disclosure of a drugs side
effects in advertising.
Senator Kefauver said the
three years he has spent on his
investigation convinced him
that by any standard and
under any test, prices for
patented prescription drugs are
unreasonable and frequently
outrageous"
Mr.. Celler said he agreed,
and added that drug purchaS-
ers form a captive market,
forced by the demands of i'll
ness to buy drugs ordered for
them by their doctors.
Evening star., 1962-05-17
Rain 10 Help
Thai Defense
BY the Associated Prew

The rain will be an ally Of
American soldiers and Marines
defending Thailand's Mekong
River border from Communist
penetration.
From now until id-Septem-
Der. the almost daily rains will
swell the already unfordable
Mekong which forms most of
Thailand's 1,000-mile boundary
with Laos.
The Mekong, some 1000 to
5000 feet wide, is considered
the last major physical barrier
standing in the path of the
pro- Communist Pathet Lao who
dominate the heavily wooded
ridges running much Of the
length Of Laos. These ridges
overlook plains extending to
the Mekong.
The rainy season, now start
ing in Thailand, will hinder
somewhat the operation of
the American expedition in
some ways.
1t is expected to hamper
United States fighter bombers
and other aircraft supporting
the American infantrymen and
Marines ranged along the FROM
tier. Among other things, the
heavy rain and clouds may
make air refueling more diff
ficult.
Evening star., 1962-05-17

Ito find excellent defensive po-
sitions. .
On the Laotian side, a broad
valley stretches out toward the
high mountains which are con-
trolled by the Communists. The
Reds have not yet tried to
cross the valley and reach the
Mekong.
In the valley, near the river,
are the three principal Laotian
towns-Vientiane, the capital,
Luang Prabang, the Royal
capital" and religious center in
the north, and Pakse in the
south. All are held by the
Laotian government.
If a political settlement is
possible in Laos, then tn e
American soldiers will not have
to carry out their designated
mission to preserve the in
tegrity of the territory of
Thailand."
But If the Reds do not stop,
If they come down from the
mountains and take the Me-
kong valley and the important
towns in it and then keep roll
ing, the Americans are ready
to fight, administration Off
cials say.
But. fight where? where
draw the line?
State Department officials
say the troops will defend the
Thailand border. most Of which
is formed by the Mekong River.
Military men refer, however,
Evening star., 1962-05-17

would demand firm guarantees
against Laos being converted
into a Communist state before
agreeing to formation of a
coalition government. He
charged Souvanna Phouma was
not willing to give such guaran-
tees.
Souvanna Phouma, who quit
Laos in disgust six weeks ago,
is returning from France this
week end. Both he and spokes-
men for Prince Souphanouvong.
the leader Of the pro-Commu-
mist Pathet Lao troops, have
said they are ready to resume
the political negotiations. How
ever, the Pathet Lao has de-
manded that the United States
withdraw the military advisers
who are bolstering the Vien-
tiane Army.
Evening star., 1962-05-17
A. p. Scoops World
With Thai Photos

NEW YORK. May II CAP).-
The Associated Press today
scored a world picture beat Of
many hours with first spot pic
lures of United States Marines
landing in Thailand.
An AP picture transmitting
machine in Bangkok sent its
signals into Tokyo for q relay
that extended halfway around
the world. From Tokyo. the
picture was sent to San Fran
cisco. and into APPS coast-to-
coast wirephoto network.
Two members of APPS Tokyo
photo staff, Asia Photo Editor
Hal Buell. and Photographer
Yuichi Ishizaki. had flown to
Bangkok in advance of the
troop landing operation. An
other AP staff photographer.
Fred Waters, now on assign
ment in Northern Laos. will
feed his current negatives into
APPS. Bangkok transmitting
operation.
Associated Press pioneered in
experimenting with transmit
ting pictures out of Bangkok
last year during the SEATO
conference.
Associated Press first Bang
kok troop-landing pictures were
received last night in time for
use by Thursday morning pa
pers across the United States.
Additional photos were received
early today to provide fresh
copy for Thursday afternoon
wirephoto subscribers.
Evening star., 1962-05-17

Marines. Of the Third Marine
Division. Fleet Marine Force.
His Washington tour of duty
included special assignment
with the G-l division for several
months in 1855. From Novem-
ber, 1866, until August, 1860,
he was assistant monitor of the
personnel department at the
Marine headquarters. He for
merly lived at 7139 Everglades
drive, Alexandria.
Evening star., 1962-05-17

where family background and
known loyalty are the main
criteria for advancement.
American military advisers
select potentially good officers
for advanced training but find
it difficult to get permission
for them to participate in spe-
cial courses.
Advice Rejected
Americans also complain the
present Laotian military lead
ers. most of them trained in
France. don't accept United
States military advice.
For example, United States
Officers say they advised the
government against sending
crack battalions to reinforce
Nam Tha when the pro-Com-
munists started harrassing
operations. The Americans
argued they might be needed
in any pro-CommuniSt push in
more critical areas.
The worst American fears
were realized when these bat
talions struggled across the
Mekong River into Thailand
in complete disorganization
with their morale broken.
One American summed up
the situation of the royal army
thus:
What is needed is RESPONSE
bility of leaders to their men,
more qualified staff officers to
conduct routine operations ard
acceptance of United States
military advice and techniques.
Unless this can be brought
about, more debacles like that
at Houei Sal may come about -
Evening star., 1962-05-17
BY RICHARD FRYKLUND
Star Staff Writer

A battalion of United States
Marines will begin to fan out
toward the Thailand border to-
day as part of a military ges-
ture which the administration
hopes will cool off the ram
paging Reds in Laos.
The Marines started to land
near Bangkok yesterday.
Already in Thailand is half
an Army battle group, with the
other half due to arrive from
Hawaii soon. Air Force and
Marine air units also are arriv-
ing to back up the ground
soldiers.
The American forces will
move rapidly north and east
from Bangkok and at first con-
centrate at three points: Korat,
in south-central Thailand, at
Udon Thanh, near the Laotian
border in the north, and at
Ubon Ratchathani, near the
Laotian border in the east.
Along Mekong River
From these three spots the
troops will spread out along the
Mekong River line to cover the
possible invasion routes into
Thailand and patrol along the
Mekong River.
The three jumping-off towns
will remain important head
quarters. They are on the sin
gle track railroads that fork
out from Bangkok to the Lao
tian border, and they have air
strips capable of taking Ameri-
can jet planes.
The 5,O00-man Americ C a n
land and air team, along with
the Thai army particularly the
three 750-man Ranger units) :,
should be able to stop any pos
sible Laotian Communist ad-
vance into Thailand, Pentagon
officers believe.
This, they believe, should be
clear also to the Communists,
So they hope that the combi-
nation of a military line plus
diplomatic pressure should
make it unnecessary for the
Americans to fight.
The way is cleared, in other
words, for resumption of ne
gotiations in Laos for a new
neutral, coalition government,
which the Kremlin assure d
President Kennedy it would
promote.
Will Patrol Line
The American troops expect,
then, to settle down to patrol
activities, enlivened only by the
occasional Laotian Communist
infiltrators who have been
crossing into Thailand for sew
eral years.
The broad Mekong River
makes a fine defensive line,
according to military men. 1t
averages 1000 feet across, has
a swift current and is too deep
to ford even during the dry
season. There are no bridges.
Its banks are high and for
ested or are thick with high
grass and bamboo. American
and Thai troops will be able
Evening star., 1962-05-17

ist Prince Souvanna Phouma.
Gen. Phoumi, who had IN
sisted on right-wing control
of the army and police in the
proposed coalition. now is re-
ported to have agreed to let
the defense and interior posts
go to neutralists, but Wash
ington officials feel he still
wants to hold veto power over
the choice of ministers.
Premier Leaves FOrmOsa
Prince Boun Gum and Gen
Phoumi left Formosa for Vien-
tiane today after a largely un-
successful visit in search of aid
Despite their military reverses
they were outwardly defiant.
I'VE are willing to form a
coalition government in Laos
but not for the Communists, u
Gen. Phoumi told newsmen.
Prince Boun Oum said HI
Evening star., 1962-05-17
80 GuerriIIus
Slain in Wet Nam

SAIGON, South Wet Nam,
May II (AP). - Thirty-eigh
Wet Cong guerrillas were killed
Tuesday and % captured in a
mopping up operation about
100 miles west of Saigon, a
government communique re-
ported today.
1t said the only government
casualties were two wounded.
In another operation Tues
day, civil guards and rangers
killed 81 Wet Cong and took
four prisoner in Vinh Binh
Province south of Saigon, the
communique reported.
Evening star., 1962-05-17
INTERPRETATION
u. S. Still Sees Hope
In Lootion roops

Mr.. Arnett visited the lootion border
town Of Houei Sal os the Lootion
Governments northern army vos
retreoting into ThoiIond O few doys
ago. Ia this dispoteh he reports the
reasons behind the debocIe.
Evening star., 1962-05-17

Royal Thai army trucks
rushed the Marines to Don
Muang airport where they
Joined the group being air.
lifted from the carrier Valley
Forge!O
Crowds of That's lined the
streets and cheered the Amer
leans as they rode by.
Within five hours the first
big turboprop transport took
off with Marines for the rail
and highway center of Korat,
about l80 miles northeast of
Bangkok.
A spokesman said the airlift
out of Bangkok may take UP to
two days.
Korat, a staging center for
further movement north, has
rail lines to Nongkai, on the
Laotian border in the north,
and to Ubon, a large town near
the frontier northeast of
Bangkok.
Movement of the Marines to
the northeast-instead of to the
northwest where the pro-Com-
.munist Pathet Lao forces drove
closest to the Thai border-was
seen in Bangkok as an attempt
to demonstrate United States
intentions of avoiding anything
resembling aggressive action.
The swift action by President
Kennedy in sending troops to
stand by worried Thailand drew
the approval of other nations
in the anti-C Communist SEATO,
including Britain, Australia and
New Zealand.
No Reports of Fighting
France, Pakistan and the
Philippines are the other mem
bers of the eight-nation SEATO
alliance. The Philippines had
previously pressed for inter-
vention in Laos when serious
fighting there first flared up.
France was against any such
move at that time.
There were no reports of
fighting in Laos since the royal
forces in Houei Sal fled in panic
across the Mekong River into
Thailand a week ago.
The United States-backed
airlift of about 5000 Laotian
troops back to governmental
territory was nearing compile
ton.
Ranging over rebel held
territory in Northwest Laos
from Chiengrai, in Northern
Thailand, reconnaissance pilots
reported they failed to spot any
Communist troops.
The Reds advanced on Houei
Sal after overrunning the pro-
vincial capital of Nam Tha,
80 miles to the north, but never
actually occupied the border
town abandoned by the royalist
troops. There was speculation
in Chiengrai that the rebels
might have Withdrawn their
main forces to Nam Tha, which
the pro- Western Laotian gov
ernment had built up as a
stronghold but gave up after a
brief fight.
United States officials in
Washington still pinned their
hopes for peace on resumption
of political negotiations be-
tween the conservative, neu-
tralist and o-Communist fac
tions in Laos.
The United States, to pro-
mote the ong-stalled negotia-
tions for a coalition govern
ment, was reported considering
resuming its monthly payment
of So million to nay rhe ex-
penses of the right-wing Wen
tiane government Of Premier
Prince Boun Oum. But indi-
cations in Washington were
that the Kennedy administra-
ton would demand Prince
Boun Oum dump his chief
deputy and the real power in
the regime, Gen. Phoumi No
Savan.
President Kennedy repeatedly
blames Gen. Phoumi for the
military crisis because he
blocked the formation OF a
coalition regime under neutral
Evening star., 1962-05-17
By PETER ARNETT
Associated Press staff Writer

.VIENTIANE, Laos, May H.
American military authorities
in Laos have not written off the
Royal Laotian Army, even
though it virtually handed over
the whole Of Northwest Laos to
pro- Communist forces in a
panic last week.
An American military adviser
at the scene of the mass evac-
uation of government troops
from Houei Sal declared:
"Okay. 50 they chickened out
this time. But they are all we
have here. and with some
changes they'd be as tough as
the other side"
Until Is months ago, when
Lao was fighting Lao. the pro-
Western governments forces
controlled most of mountainous
Laos and kept anti-government
rebels begged down in inacces-
sible jungle er2laves.
Since then. however, at least
10 battalionS of tough Com
munist Vietminh troops have
moved down from North Wet
Nam and 5000 Vietminh ex-
perts and military technicians
have welded the pro- Communist
Pathet Lao forces into we'll
organized units.
Strength Equal
Numerically, the Vientiane
governments 60,000-man army
equals and probably exceeds
the o-Communist strength
within the country.
The pro-CommuniSts, how
ever. have shown capability in
amaSSing fire power. At Nam
Tha earlier in May, they had
an estimated 2-to-l superiority
over the royal army's artillery.
Five thousand government
troops withdrew from Nam Tha
after the pro-Communists
pushed in toward the northern
town from three directions.
American or Japanese troops
faced with the same situation
would still be there, an Amer
ican military adviser COM
mented.
The United States has 800
military advisers officially in
Laos and assists in direction
Of army field operations. The
Vientiane troops have been
issued United States Army
standard-range infantry equip
ment. including howitzers and
mortars.
The Pathet Lao is known to
have about so tanks in the
PLANES deS Jarres region in
Central Laos, compared to the
governments IL. but these
appear to be for defensive OPP
erations. Laos mountainous
terrain makes use of tanks
elsewhere fairly unfeasible,
according to American military
advisers.
Command System Blamed
Why, then, did Vientiane':
forces in the northwest, which
included five crack paratrooI
and infantry battalionS
Chicken out" last week?
The official government rea
son is that they were out,
numbered and because Of thu
long trek south to the Tha.
border were too exhausted tc
establish a defensive position
American military authorities
say the main reason is that
the royal army has an over
tapping command structure
preventing freedom of move
ment by field officers.
Here you have three or four
generals getting in each others
hair all the time" one Ameri-
can source said.
Another problem is promot-
ing the best men in a situation
Evening star., 1962-05-17
Tass Carries
0bjectiveStory
On ThaiIand

MOSCOW. May II (AP)
Tass news agency circulated a
factual account from Bangkok
today Of the arrival Of United
States Marines and other
forces in Thailand.
There has been no comment
here on the buildup in the
Southeast Asian nation ad-
joining Laos since Tuesday,
when a Pravda writer declared
the concentration of United
States naval forces in the area
was another dangerous step
fraught with serious conse-
quences."
The official news agency re-
port from Bangkok quoted
Thailand's interior minister,
Prapat Charusatien. as saying
the American forces would be
stationed along the Laotian
frontier so long as the situa-
ton remains dangerous to the
independence and sovereignty
of Thailand."
Invitation Noted
The dispatch noted the Amer
ican forces had been invited
to Thailand. 1t contained about
the same facts on the arrival
of the Marines and Air Force
planes as reported by western
newsmen.
The only critical comment
carried by Tass was attributed
to QUINN Pholsena, a Loatian
leftist, and the North Korean
newspaper Nodon Sinmon.
QUINN Pholsena, who was
described as Laos foreign min
ister-he was a member of the
Souvanna Phouma government
that is still recognized by the
Soviet Union-was quoted as
saying ''provocations" by United
States military advisers and
the conservative government at
Vientiane were responsible for
the rupture Of the cease-fire at
Nam Tha two weeks ago.
THE Vientiane group and
the United States want to pic
ture everything in such a way
as If we were aggravating the
situation" he was quoted. I'VE
are emphatically objecting to
this"
Indo- China Warned
The North Korean newspaper
was quoted as saying dark
storm clouds of war are loom
ing above Indo- China" because
of American imperialists' mill
tary provocation against Laos. I"
The Polish press appeared to
reflect the Soviet official atti-
tude in calling anew for crea-
ton of a coalition government
that would carry out a neutral
policy. But the official news
paper Trybuna Ludu charged
that the sending Of United
States Marines to Thailand was
"again Transforming Southeast
Asia into the nucleus Of a dam
cerollS conflict"
Evening star., 1962-05-17
FOUND

CAT, altered male, solid gray tMal-
aiebe sSs, rd.a rsn' Arl. we IA. 's s-47S7. anu y.
yrs, black and white. short tail;
found Riverdale area. UN. 4-7212.
DOG, beagle. female, tri-color; vic
of Falls rd.. mi. from Rockville.
PO. 2-2699.
HORSE, Oakton, Va. area, Contact
ELLEN CRAIG, DU. 5-S067.
Evening star., 1962-05-17

Published Daily and Sunday
at 225 virginia Ave. Sc.
Second Class Postage Paid
at WASHINGTON DC.
Milford chronicle., 1962-03-09
Alexander 9. Bell
Musfer Of All Trades

Alexander Graham Bell, born
lis years ago last Saturday in
Edinburgh, Scotland, came as close
as modern man can come TO being
not a Observation-Disclosures, but
er-of-all-trades"
If you tried to translate Alexan-
der Graham Bell into Italian, it
would probably come out some
thing like Leonardo da Vinci
Both Bell and Leonardo h d
tireless curiosity about every facet
of life they saw or experienced.
Their fields of action diverged but
in some cases overlapped. B t h
men were deeply interested in air.
planes. Leonardo once sketched
flying machine III rotating
blades in which a man could travel
through the air Bell, who was ex-
perimenting with aircraft ten years
before the Wright brothers first
successful flight, actually helped
build the first Curtiss biplane.
Morever, Bell forecast the hell
cOpter years before it was develop
ed. He was an authority on hear
ing, acoustics, and speech. He once
taught a dog to talk, or at least
to say "Ow-ahoogamama", which
was interpreted by the family as
How are you, grandma
He planned the course of study
for Helen Keller, a blind, deaf
mute