Doubts On Offers To Send Forces

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29827, 21 May 1962, Page 7

Doubts On Offers To Send Forces

I N Z.J>A..-Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON, May 19. Opinions varied on the • wisdom of Britain’s readiness to send military aid to Thailand if a request for it was made, in yesterday’s British newspapers.

The "Guardian” believed that to commit Australian, New Zealand and British forces was probably a wrong decision and that there were objections to the involvement of British forces in Thailand. "The danger is not that they will get involved in fighting, for there is no fighting. But the British Government may weaken the mediatory position it has held as co-chairman, with the Soviet Government, of the Geneva conference. "Then there is the perpetual difficulty that faces Governments sending forces abroad: it is easier to go in than to get out. “. . . President Kennedy shows every sign of knowing what he is doing in Siam

and Laos, and is obviously anxious to achieve stability rather than provocation. “He wants to assure the Siamese that they can rely on him for protection. Bui the British. Australian and New Zealand forces are purely symbolic. "To commit them is a hard decision to take, and, on balance, probably a wrong one.” the "Guardian” said The “Daily Telegraph” said that there was reason to hope that the Western gesture of support might help to bring agreement between the local elements on whom a Laos settlement depended. “To the Laotian Communists—and the Chinese behind them—the Western gesture of support for Siam may serve as a warning against further adventure.” it said. “The Times” believed that the United States was clearly reluctant to be drawn into open military involvement in Laos. “What will follow is likely to be more a test of Western community of interest than a serious threat to world peace,” the newspaper said. ‘There are signs that the Commonwealth is ready to play its part. For Australia and New Zealand the military difficulties are few. For Great Britain the test may be critical. With the strength of the armed forces approaching its lowest ebb. the Government will watch developments with concern,” “The Times” said. Moscow Radio, in an Eng-lish-language broadcast for North America, alleged that General David Shoup, United States Marines' commandant who is visiting Britain, had said that the American Marines in Thailand “are ready to use nuclear weapons against Laos.” The broadcast then quoted Moscow Radio’s commentator. Aleksandr Druzhinin, as contrasting this with Washington declarations that American moves in Southeast Asia were defensive. “You will find that in order to defend Laotian liberty, the American Marines intend to fire nuclear weapons at the Laotians.” he said. “It is difficult to be more cynical, because it is certainly not Laos’s freedom that Washington is worried about when it sends its Marines to the Laotian frontiers all reedv for an invasion. “The real purpose of its behaviour is to save the tmnopular. corrupt face of Bonn Oum and Phoumi Nosavan. Any means will serve the purpose, even weapons of mass destruction.”