S.E.A.T.O. Troops In Thailand Planned

Press, Volume C, Issue 29516, 18 May 1961, Page 15

S.E.A.T.O. Troops In Thailand Planned

(N.Z Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, May 17. The United States Vice-President (Mr Johnson) planned to explore with Thailand’s leaders the possibility of stationing United States and perhaps troops of other Allied nations in Thailand, the ! ‘New York Times” said today.

Mr Johnson, his wife and a large official party arrived in Bangkok yesterday from Hong Kong on the last leg of a South-east Asian tour. The Vice-President reached Bangkok as doubts of the United States’ will to defend the critical area against communism grew in the wake of the Communist advance in Laos, a “New York Times” correspondent said in a dispatch from Bangkok. The proposal to place United States fighting units ' in Thailand, perhaps with soldiers from other countries of the South-east Asia Treaty Organisation, was the principal new military idea to emerge from Mr Johnson’s trip, the dispatch said. To give his full attention to the matter, the Vice-Presi-dent had cancelled a scheduled early morning excursion by .boat today to the picturesque “floating markets" on the Chaophya river, a “must” for tourists in Bangkok. Instead, he would plunge into staff conferences connected with the defence of Thailand against the grave threat of Communist infiltration, the dispatch said. A similar proposal on stationing of Allied troops was believed to have been left with President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam, where an estimated total of 12 000 Communist guerrillas were undermining the proWestern Government with “a bloody nocturnal campaign of terrorism,” the dispatch said. But it was far from certain that either Thailand or South Vietnam would welcome the deployment of American or other Western fighting men in their terri-

tory to combat communism. For one thing, it was questioned whether foreign manpower was needed to defend these lands. Also, there was a strong feeling against having Westerners fighting Arians on Asian soil, the correspondent said. S.E.A.T.O. must stand firm and united, Mr Lyndon Johnson said in Bangkok this morning. “The time for pussy-footing around has passed. We must stand firm," jie said. He was speaking to S.E.A.T.O. officials and reporters, in the foyer of the S.E.A.T.O. building, before attending a secret S.E.A.T.O. meeting. "As we say in the language of my hill country, it is time to separate the men from the boys.” Mr Johnson said.

Thailand’s Prime Minister. Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, was reported to be cool towards a proposal, advanced by Mr Johnson Last night, to strengthen the alliance by stationing small S.E.A.T.O. units from all eight members of the alliance on Thai territory as a precautionary measure, A.P. said. Mineral Quest In New Guinea (N2 PA -Reuter— Copyright) THE HAGUE, May 17. The Lower House of the Dutch Parliament yesterday approved a bill authorising the Government to make a 75-year contract with a Dutch - American company for the exploration and exploitation of minerals and ores in Dutch New Guinea.