CLASH OVER LAOS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29536, 10 June 1961, Page 15

CLASH OVER LAOS

Conference Suspended IN Z.P.A.-Reuter~Copyright) GENEVA, June 9 Britain and tee Soviet Union have disagreed about when the next meeting of the 14-Power Laos conference should be held, and formal sessions of the three-week-old talks are now “on ice.” Britain. France and tee United States told Russia yesterday that they would stay away from the conference. which is virtually deadlocked, until they had completed consultations with their Governments about the latest “serious violation” of the Laotian cease-fire by the Communist side—the fall of Padong in the Plain of Jars. The chief British delegate (Mr Malcolm Macdonald) told this to Mr Georgi Pushkin, head of the Soviet delegation, at a one-hour private meeting, a British spokesman announced. Though the conference itself had come to a halt there was intense backstage diplomatic activity among delegates. Several of them separately called on Prince Souvanna Phouma. the neutralist Laotian leader, who arrived in Geneva yesterday by air from Moscow, together with his half-brother Prince Souphanouvong, head of the Pathet Lao. This is the first time that the two princes have come to Geneva since the conference opened. Meanwhile all was reported calm in the region of Padong where right-wing Government forces have abandoned their main base positions. The Soviet Foreign Minister (Mr Andrei Gromyko) returned to Geneva by air last night from Moscow to rejoin tee conference. Mr Gromyko said he was “resolutely optimistic” about the prospects of success for the Laos conference.