‘A HARD LOOK’

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30454, 30 May 1964, Page 13

‘A HARD LOOK’

S.-E. Asia Meeting

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter —Copyright) WASHINGTON, May 29.

American ministers and military officials will confer on the South-east Asia crisis in Honolulu on Monday and Tuesday.

Mr Dean Rusk, the Secretary of State, will preside.

Mr Rusk will visit Thailand and South Vietnam before flying to Honolulu. Mr Robert McNamara, the Defence Secretary, General Maxwell Taylor, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and Mr John McCone, head of the Central Intelligence Agency, will also attend. The United States is now engaged on a “major reassessment of the situation” in South-east Asia, including a “hard look” at how to deal with the crisis not only for the immediate future, but over a longer period. The radio station of the Communist Pathet Lao yesterday broadcast that the Lgotian Prime Minister, Prince Souvanna Phouma, had no right to seek foreign arms aid, the New China News Agency reported in Peking. The radio, commenting on the prince’s appeal to the Soviet Union for arms this week, said he was taking orders from the United States “to undermine the National Union Government . . .

therefore Prince Souvanna Phouma has lost his right to do anything in the capacity of Premier. ...”