Laos Ready To Stop U.S. Aid

Press, Volume C, Issue 29480, 5 April 1961, Page 15

Laos Ready To Stop U.S. Aid

(N.Z Press Association—Copyrtaht) (Rec. 9 p.m.) VIENTIANE, April 4. The pro-Western Laotian Government was prepared to lose unilateral United States aid as the price of a cease fire, the Minister of Information, Mr Bouavan Norasing, said in Vientiane today.

The United States aid agreement had made it possible for Laos to end United States assistance immediately. he said, according to British United Press. "We are ready for all aid to our country to pass through an international control commission.” Mr Bouavan said. "We are ready to accept the withdrawal of Americans.” But the Russians would have to call off their North Vietminh allies and bait the airlift to the rebels at the same time as United States aid was stopped, Mr Bouavan said. “If the Russians sincerely wish for peace,” he said, “it will put an end to their aid to the rebels and cause other countries to remove their troops from our country." Mr Bouavan said both United States and Russian aid should stop simultaneously, and a cease fire cojild start about the same time. Nehru’s View The Indian Prime Minister, Mr Nehru, said in an interview published today that be

was not sure how far Mr Khrushchev could go in ordering an immediate cease fire in Laos. “After all, ■ lot of those who are actually doing the fighting are more or less guerrillas," he told the magazine "US. News and World Report” in a copyright interview. “It would be difficult to reach them even if they were organised—and more so under actual conditions,” he said. Mr Nehru said that a cease fire was the first step toward a solution—the stand which the United States and Britain have adopted in communication with the Soviet Union, He said: “Of course, if the Russians stop sending supplies, that will have an effect, but it will take longer than 24 or 36 hours. So it isn’t certain to me when a cease fire could become effective.” Mr Nehru added: “If there is a cease fire then the International Supervisory Commission (India, Poland and Canada) can be reconvened Eventually there can be a political conference of the other nations to discuss some kind of political settlement"