The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1963-10-01
The Allen-Scott Report
Prince Souvanna Phouma - in Private - Warns IT, $
Officials
Against Forcing South Vetnam into Laostype Coalition
with Reds

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3o-The
dark fear Of a SSoviet deal
on South Wet Nam is forcing
Prince Souvanna Phouma to
make statements in public as
different as night and day from
his private ones.
A key figure in the backstage
diplomatic talks involving Wet
Nam, the Prime Minister of
Laos appears at times like a
Soviet puppet in his public state
ments, supporting a solution Of
War-torn Wet Nam parallel 10
the one instituted in his country
In private conversations. the
charming Laotian prince acts
like modern Paul Revere.
warning U. S. officials against
forcing South Wet Nam, his
southern neighbor. into a Goa
lition government with Com
munist North Wet Nam.
If South Wet Nam IS neutral
lied, Prince Souvanna Phouma
is convinced that the Commua-
lists would in very short time
take over not only all Of Wet
Nam but Southeast Asia as we'll
"A coalition government in
Wet Nam will not work, Prince
Souvanna Phouma warned a
group of legislators gathered at
the Washington residence Of IN
der Secretary Of State w Aver
ell Hartman. The Communists
in the north are too well organ
lied and armed. 1t would only
be a matter Of weeks before all
of Wet Nam would be in Com
murist hands.
Didn't you urge the forma
ton of a coalition government
in South Wet Nam III a recent
statement in New York;" chal-
lenged Secretary Hartman. who
privately is pushing for po
litical solution in Wet Nam.
After a long silent glance az
Hartman. who negotiated the
faltering coalition in Laos,
Prince Souvanna Phouma turned
to the sitting legislators AMI
smiling broadly. said:
After hearing my plea, I Be
lieve you gentlemen will regard
my remarks in New York as be
ing misquoted or misconstrued
by the press. l believe that IS
the diplomatic way to express
it,
INSIDE STORY Despite
this timely warning that the
U. S. cart deal with the Com
munists in Wet Nam. a power
full group of President Kennedy y
chief policy makers are cOntinu-
ing their backstage push for 4
coalition government in Wet
Nam.
Headed by Secretary Harri-
man. these advisers argue that
the price of a military victory
in the dirty VietnameSe war is
higher thar American vital in
terests can Justify and that the
only alternative is a political so
luton.
J They stress that their position
is supported by the findings Of
Defense Secretary Robert Nc
Namara and General Maxwell
Taylor. who are now III Saigon
on a special presidential fact
finding mission.
The first Mcnamara Taylor
cables indicate that the Com
munist guerrillas. the Wet
Congs, cannot be defeated in
South Wet Nam as long as they
have an open supply line to
North Wet Nam.
Since it is U. S. policy not 10
extend the war into North Wet
Nam. the Hartman group point
out that a military solution is
not possible
They contend that unification
and naturalization Of South Wet
Nam should be the basis for
ending the war there. Once the
Communists agree to that type
Of settlement, the u S. should
move to reconvene the Geneva
Conference Of 1854 ard negotiate
the agreement regardless of the
position Of South Wet Nam *
President Diem.
This soft-line approach is BE-
ing vigorously opposed by the
Joint Chiefs of Staff. If neces-
sary. they favor operating di-
rectly against North Wet Nam