"Chinese Warning On Laos Impudent”

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28981, 24 August 1959, Page 11

"Chinese Warning On Laos Impudent”

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, August 23. The “New York Times” today condemned Communist “impudence and effrontery” as it bluntly replied to China’s statement that grave consequences would follow if the United Nations sent observers to Laos.

The “New York Times” said: “There are times when Communist impudence and effrontery reach depths that free and civilised men find hard to plumb. How is one supposed to react and retort to statements of policy and purpose that are obviously conceived in iniquity and born in falsehood?

“Presumably we wish above all for two things: to find out the truth and to keep the peace. The Communists in Asia are manifestly determined to obscure the former and prevent the latter “The immediate case in point is the latest broadside from Peking in which the United Nations is warned that the ‘gravest consequences’ will follow if the United Nations dares to send observers to Laos to find out what is happening in that threatened kingdom. We are entitled to ask a few questions even if we are somewhat bewildered in the devious labyrinth of Communist lies. “ ‘Grave consequences’ to whom? To the United Nations? Red China is still at war with the world organisation. “To Laos? It is already in the obvious path of Communist conquest and there could be no graver consequence than the consummation of the plot which apparently is still being hatched in the top-level meetings of Moscow’s agents ..." the “New York Times” said. “Of course, the virtually defenceless Laotians are not the prime target. The United States has drawn far more fire from Peking.

“The United Nations is now the ostensible target and the Communists are testing out the weapon of intimidation, with the threat of gravest consequences if the United Nations so much as dares to ask for the facts.

“The real danger to the Reds, obviously, is the truth in the case. Even within limits the Communists obviously cannot endure a search for the truth. And if the United Nations shows any desire to look for it there will be ‘gravest consequences.' “There may be a little object lesson here for those who are still crying for Red China’s admission to the United Nations.”