REBEL GAINS IN LAOS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29501, 1 May 1961, Page 13

REBEL GAINS IN LAOS

Kennedy Ponders Intervention (*X Am—Copynonti * Washington, April 30. President Kennedy rested at his country retreat a few miles from Washington today as he weighed a decision on whether to call for military intervention in Laos. The President met his top military and political advisers yesterday in a secret session to discuss possible military action to halt an armed Communist take-over in Laos and immediate repercussions in neighbouring areas, United Press International said. Mr Kennedy met with the National Security Council for two hours and then immediately conferred with a smaller group of advisers. He will have another meeting tomorrow to deal with the situation.

A White House spokesman refused to say what decisions, if any, were taken at yester. day’s meetings. But they were known to have dealt at length with the immediate crisis in Laos and the lesspublicised but equally dangerous Communist activity irr South Vietnam. U.PX said. Within hours of the end of the meeting, the State Department announced that the Soviet arms airlift to the rebels in Laos had been in. creased “by a considerable degree’* yesterday. Officials had reported that the airtift had tapered ’off over the last few days while a cease-fire wa. under negotiation. But the airlift went back yesterday to being “about as heavy as it has ever been,” a State Department spokesman said. A White House spokesman would not comment on reports that the United States ■vas considering bringing the laotian crisis before the United Nations, but the British, French and United States delegates there were said to be having urgent talks on Lacs. The Kennedy Administration's evident determination to support the Royal Laotian Government of the Prime Minister. Prince Boun Oum, against the Pathet Lao gave rise to renewed speculation that the United States was on the point of sending an appeal to the South-east Asia

Treaty Organisation to inter- , vene in Laos. The State Department in • effect continued to reject ex- : planations that fighting was > continuing because the rebels . had poor communications and ’ therefore were not aware of ' all the details of moves to . bring about a cease-fire. I Authoritative sources in • Washington said that the ! Pathet Lao were believed to s be driving towards the twin ■ capitals of Luang Prabang i and Vientiane in order la present the prospective 14t nation conference onj the f neutralisation of Laos with a ? fait accompli. United States officials indit cated that if the United States 5 decided on military inters vention in Laos, the other ■ seven members of the SouthEast Asia Treaty Organisa1 tion would be asked to assist, - UP.I. said yesterday. s S.E.A.T.O. a month ago 5 pledged "appropriate action" 5 to save the Royal Laotian . Government if necessary. 3 United States forces available for action in Laos in1 eluded aircraft and marines aboard ships in the Gulf of ’ Siam and the South China B Sea. The British had pledged . the Commonwealth division i in Malaya and Pakistan and e the Philippines had said they n were willing to participate. n U.PI. said: n Officials indicated_ that the • first step in the S.E.A.T.O

military plan—building up ■ forces along the Laotian bor-der-might already have started. President Kennedy said last night that the United States was ready to bear more than its share of the burden of fighting world communism "but we can only help those who are ready to bear a share of the burden themselves." At the end of his first 100 days in the White House. Mr Kennedy told a Democratic Party fund-raising audience in Chicago: "We are prepared to meet our obligations , . we will continue to demonstrate that we desire for other people what we desire for ourselves.” The President said the

United States had the resources, power and determination to serve as “the chief defender of freedom” against the aggressive expansion of world communism. President Kennedy' threw away his prepared text and spoke “off the cuff.” ’However, the prepared speech was not withdrawn and was published in New York newspapers. It contained a warning that the survival of the world civilisation was at stake and "the hour is late” in the struggle against communism. The text also contained another warning to the American people. The Soviet Union was not the greatest adversary of Americans, he said. The great enemy was "our own unwillingness to do what must be done." Presidential, aides said that the rrtein points of the prepared speech represented the President's j views and the speech, although not delivered. would not be withdrawn. s In the speech: he delivered. President Kennedy said that in his opinion it was impossible to overstate the dire condition of international affairs.

However bleak the international picture might be, he said, he believed “our future can be bright.” “But I believe we live in a hard and difficult era." he said. He- also said: “Our great ally is the fact the people desire to be free. I believe they will rise to the cause to which we have given our support.”