SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2966 'I"HE MICHIGAN DAILV PAGE THREE SATURDAY, OCTOBER ZZ, 1966 TIlE MIChIGAN DAILY PAGE THREE Communist Guerrillas Active n Thailand By WILLIAM L. RYAN Associated Press News Analyst BANGKOK, Thailand-A short time ago one heard in Bangkok the same sort of complacent, con- fident talk from Thai and U.S. officials as was heard in South Viet Nam five years ago. Today, while much of the confidence re- mains, the complacency is gone. The threat to Thailand of a new people's war in the style of Viet Nam is recognized. There are parallels between what is going on in some parts of Thailand now and what took place in South Viet Nam in 1960-61. There are important differences, too. If the Viet Nam conflict goes badly for the Saigon government, if it is settled on terms which might be considered favorable to the Communist side, Bangkok fears its troubles will multiply swiftly. On the other hand, if the Com- munists appear to have been de- feated or to have been forced to settle on less than their own terms, the dangers from the incipient guerrilla war in this country may diminish. In some respects, the guerrilla threat in Thailand is about at the level of the threat to the Saigon government five or six years ago. The Communist insurgency there was on a small scale in 1959-60, as it is these days in Thailand's impoverished northeast provinces. In 1961 there was a sudden in- tensification of guerrilla efforts in South Viet Nam, as if to sig- nal a big push to topple the Sai- gon government. Slowly, the num- ber of U.S. military advisers in- creased, although they still num- bered in the hundreds. This insurgent intensification of effort came directly after the Com- munists announced formation of the National Front for Liberation of South Viet Nam to serve as a political arm of the Red guerrilla forces. There is a parallel in Thailand. The guerrilla forces in the north- east, still small in number al- though numerous in operations, called themselves the Thailand In- dependence Movement. In Janu- ary, 1965, a political arm was formed for them, calling itself the Thailand Patriotic Front - TPF. This came on the heels of a statement by Peking's Foreign Minister Chen Yi that "We may have a guerrilla war going in Thai- land before the year is out." Since then, guerrilla activity in the northeast has stepped up. This year the rate of assassination of government officials and village leaders has been more than 10 a month. Well-organized bands of 40-50 guerrillas sweep into vil- lages, murder officials and lecture the peasants. The guerrillas are hard to find and hard to flush out. The inspiration - and possibly the headquarters-is in Peking. It seems likely the guerrilla leaders are still there, including a man identified as Lt. Col. Phayom Chu- lanon, head of the new merged Independence Movement and Pa- triotic Front, which retains the name TPF. The impression among intelli- gence sources here is that the TPF decided in mid-1965 to switch to a more militant campaign because of the escalation in Viet Nam. The guerrilla forces are believ- ed to include possibly 1000 men in the northeast and some hun- dreds in the far southern prov- inces. Apparently communication has been established between the two areas. The differences between the Viet Nam of 1961 and the Thailand of today are big and important, how- ever. Thailand is a stable country for the most part, and much of it is booming and prosperous. Only the northeast provinces suf- fer from poverty. While it will be a long struggle to remedy that, the regime is working on it. Although Thailand is ruled by a dictatorship, it is mild in compar- ison to that of Ngo Dinh Diem, who by 1961 had cracked down so hard on any breath of opposi- tion that he had driven many Vietnamese into the arms of the Communists and had complicated the task of his own armed forces. There is no such suppression in Thailand. In addition, there is an enor- mous American presence already in Thailand - 27,000 men. The United States has constructed a complex of powerful bases, some of them in the northeast, and turned them over to Thailand. Perhaps most important, a poli- tical uproar is going on in Red China today. Until it is settled, China may be in poor condition to accept long risks. The Communists in Thailand have less prospect of a broad pop- ular front than they had in Viet Nam. The differences would seem to lessen the threat to Thailand. But there is little tendency in official circles to take anything for gr ant- ed. Conference Emphasizes Peace Talks Rusk Says Purpose Of Manila Meeting To Seek End of War MANILA ()-Secretary of State Dean Rusk ruled out war planning at the Manila summit conference and said yesterday its purpose will be to try to find some way to end the conflict in Viet Nam. Rusk arrived from Washington to join other foreign ministers in planning for the seven-nation ses- sions to be held Monday and Tues- day. The peace theme was stressed by each of the arriving diplomats and by Foreign Secretary Narciso Ramos of the Philippines, who was at Manila's International Airport to great them. Rusk and Ramos, in separate discussions of conference pros- pects, emphasized that peace- making is a two-sided task. Rusk pressed the question of what the Communists in Viet Nam would do if the United States ordered a new pause in the bombing of North Viet Nam. "We are interested in what ing pause," Rusk declared in would happen in events of a bomb- words obviously aimed at Hanoi. "We haven't been able to find out." Rusk said the purpose of the conference will not be to lay out war plans, though there will be a review of the military situation. "We'll be meeting to consider ways and means of bringing this war to a conclusion," he said. "This is the overriding purpose of the meeting." He was asked whether the South Vietnamese government would be willing to join in a peace confer- ence with the Viet Cong also par- ticipating. 'Our position so far," Do re- plied, "is that we have to fight Communist aggression." If a cease-fire could be ar- ranged, his government would want to ask all Communists in South Viet Nam to withdraw into North Viet Nam. Then, he said, all those who were not Commu- nists-apparently meaning any non-Communist enemies of the present Saigon government-would be welcomed in South Viet Nam. SALT LAKE CITY (P) -Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey said yesterday the Communists "have been defeated and chocked" in Viet Nam. "We could go ahead and pro- claim the victory," he said at a news conference, 'but that doesn't mean the Communists would stop fighting." He said, "The prospects of a military victory for the Viet Cong and the North iVetnamese are nil." This was as close as any high government official has come to declaring that a military victory had been achieved in the Viet Nam war. Calm After Planes Hit CAMPAIGN TIME SHORT: Two Bills Remain in Path Of Laotian Bases Congressional Adjournment -AssociatedP ress TWO SECRET SERVICE MEN are shown covered with paint behind President Johnson's bubbletp limousine yesterday. Two youthful dissenters of the Viet Nam war hurled the red and green paint during a motorcade in Melbourne, Australia. Half Million Greet Johnlison;* Confers wvith Holt on Poicy MELBOURNE, Australia ((AP))- President Johnson's limousine withstood a bombing-with wash- able paint-as Australia's second largest city turned out half a million persons to cheer him yes- terday. The Johnsons had just passed through the heart of Melbourne to the cheers of the biggest crowd yet on their Asian trip. It happen- ed so quickly that eyewitness ac- counts differed. The young man who threw the paint either fell or threw himself in front of the slowly moving au- to. The car stopped and U.S. Se- cret Service agents seized him and turned him over to Australian po- lice. Under Australian law, his name was withheld. The presidential couple imme- diately went on to their next en- gagement, a reception at Govern- ment House. The Melbourne visit was a half- day side trip from Canberra, the Australian capital 300 miles away, and it produced the most spectac- ular turnout yet in Johnson's meet-the-people traveling through six Far East nations. Some Australian officials figur- ed the crowds at a million, out of Melbourne's total population of more than two million. The police estimate was half a million. All agreed the total topped that for Queen Elizabeth II when she visit- ed in 1963. Johnson appeared delighted with the welcome. Time and again he would halt the procession, climb out of his car to mingle with the' surging humanity, and talk to them through a portable amplifier. The main foreign policy sub- stance of Johnson's visit was handled earlier in the day in a two-hour meeting in Canberra with Prime Minister Harold Holt,' and his top aides, spoke of Viet Nam. A joint Johnson-Holt statement issued after the meeting said: "It was agreed that the military posi- tion in Viet Nam was now demon- strably such that North Viet Nam could achieve no military victory. "It was, however, clearly recog- nized that it would be necessary firmly to maintain the present military effort until a satisfac- tory settlement could be negotia- ted. Johnson meets briefly today with Arthur Calwell, head of the Labor party. The Laborites oppose the Holt government on the Viet- namese issue, but Calwell has in- dicated he welcomes Johnson's vi- sit as a matter above partisan po- liticals. Report Power Play Between Military Leaders in Capital. By The Associated Press VIENTIANE, Laos-Tense calml fell over this Laotian capital last night aftersmilitary installations were attacked by planes in a power struggle between the nation's air force chief and the armed forces high command. There were reports of a coup, but in Paris, the Laotian premier, Prince Souvanna Phouma, said: "The government is in firm con- trol of the situation. I have just received a telegram from Vietiane and I understand the neutralist forces have everything under con- trol and are staying out of this dispute." He described the air attack as a dispute "between generals." Further complicating the pic- ture, reports have been received here that General Kong Le, com- mander of the neutralist forces, left his headquarters on the Plain of Jars on Oct. 17 for Thailand. Gen. Kouprasith Abhay, com- mander of the Vientiane 5th Mili- tary Region, told newsmen the air force chief, Brig. Gen. Thao Ma, had formed a revolutionary coup committee. He said Thao Ma had sent advance word he would send his planes to bomb Vientiane a second time. Reliable sources reported the air force had threatened to return and bomb and strafe Vientiane at 10 a.m., but that hour passed with- out further action. The first bombing and strafing lasted 30 minutes. The armed forces high command in Vientiane had planned to re- move the 32-year-old Thao Ma from command of the air force, effective next Tuesday, and de- mote him to a post on the general staff at Vientiane. After the Vientiane group de- manded Thao Ma's removal,ta 'compromise was reached. But the air force commander refused to carry out the agreement to move his headquarters from Savanna- khet, in Southern Laos, to Vien- tiane, where he could be watched. A government source said Prince Boun Aum, a former prime minis- ter and still a powerful man in La- otian politics; was planning to go to Savannakhet and try to take over control. waiting around for the Senate, then quit, too, for the night and will reconvene at noon today. Both House and Senate had the problem of keeping enough mem- bers on hand to do business. Mans- field told a reporter he doubted Congress would be able to adjourn today. He indicated the session might spill over into next week, but did not forecast its length. If adjournment comes today, it will leave campaigning members only 17 days away from the Nov. 8 elections that will shape the 90th Congress. After a day of off-and-on ic- cess and a hectic round of negotia- ting sessions, Mansfield reconven- The Senate's dispute swirled1 around a tax bill originally de- signed to encourage foreign in- vestment in the United States. The focus of their opposition: al provision to let taxpayers earmark $1 of their income taxes for pres- idential election campaigns. Un- der it Republicans and Demo- crats could get $30 million apiece for the 1968 race. The House and Senate cleared a $10.5 billion labor and welfare appropriation after a compromise which stripped it of a provision which in effect permitted hospital segregation on doctors' orders. Another negotiating session - on House-Senate differences on, WASHINGTON ((P)-The 89th seeking a way to clear aside that Negotiators reached agreement Congress voted itself to the brink [ final piece of business. jon the $5-billion appropriations of adjournment yesterday and Across the Capitol, the House bill, including $11 million for Pre- found a Senate impasse over a voted 129-102 to go along with sident Johnson's demonstration ci- catch-all tax bill barring the way. the Senate on a Communist trade ties program-a big slash from the The House cleared its calendar issue that earlier had loomed as $24.2 million sought. They also set of business, but Senate Democratic the barrier to adjournment, funds for the war on poverty at leader Mike Mansfield of Montana That vote accepted a Senate some $1.6 billion, below the $1.75 said the Senate would meet again provision leaving it to President billion ceiling set by Congress. today to take up the tax measure Johnson to decide whether the Both House and Senate must and a final, $5 billion appropria- Export-Import Bank should un- agree. tion bill. derwrite trade with Communist With half a dozen members on The House, which had been bloc nations of Eastern Europe. hand, the Senate cleared a House- ed the Senate and said the foreign legislation that would set federal investors tax bill-designed to at- standards for state unemployment tract overseas investors but laden compensation programs-ended in with other provisions-would be failure. House - Senate conferees, taken up this morning. met twice, at administration urg- In the Senate and its anterooms, ing, in an attempt to produce a leaders and lawmakers held a has- compromise. They failed and said ty round of negotiating sessions, the bill was dead. approved administration bill de- signed to fight inflation by sus- pending for 15 months two major tax incentives to business invest- ! m1It. I i men . With that bil's passage, Con- gress gave its final approval to an agreement that will merge the Na- tional Football League and the American Football League, to pro- duce, eventually, a single, 28-team organization. One bill drew heightened atten- tion because President Johnson has said on his tour of the Pacific that he will sign it overseas. That is a $170-million measure to help U.S. colleges improve their courses in international -,ffairs. Senate approval sent it to the President. A bill providing medical care in- stead of prison terms for narcotics addicts completed its Capitol Hill route and went to the White House. TO ITE THRU SUNDAY! Terrorists Set Boobytraps; Weather Slowing Air War SAIGON, ()-Viet Cong terror- ists struck three times yesterday, and in the most serious attack killed or wounded 57 South Viet- namese by exploding a homemade mine in a crowded market place in the Mekong River delta. Two grenade attempts aimed at Amer- icans in Saigon failed. Only minor skirmishes were re- ported in ground fighting, while the air war continued at about the weather-slowed pace of the last few days. High-altitude B52 bombers from Guam were in ac- tion again. A summary made available by the U.S. mission earlier this week showed that 12 Viet Cong terror attacks killed 20 persons, including one American serviceman, and in- jured 30 others in a seven-day; period ending last Monday. Viet Cong terrorists also were said to have kidnaped 71 persons in the 12 raids. - ---- ii i I World News Roundup By The Associated Press TOKYO - North Korea has charged that U.S. soldiers fired across the military demarcation line on two occasions last Thurs- day. The official news agency said that Thursday night, "the U.S. imperialists committed the hostile act of showering 220 bullets for more than one hour on the por- tion of our side in the demilitariz- ed zone." * * * BRASILIA, Brazil - Govern- ment troops were removed yester- day from around the Congres- sional Building and free access to the structure was restored. GRENADA, Miss. -- Mississippi highway patrolmen sealed off the area around Grenada's two inte- grated schools yesterday after Ne- gro pupils stalked out of classes and marched downtown. .* * * HOT SPRINGS, Va.-The chair- man of the Business Council re- ported yesterday that food re- tailers who have cut prices un- der pressure of housewives' boy- cott "are losing money hand over fist." He predicted an early end to the cut-price selling. The Metropolitan Drauta Quartet- featuring Hal Youngblood and Jimmy Launce of WJR, Detroit presenting: DON JUAN IN HELL "A warming performance"-A. Fiddler I; I ~ The nr4 eis invited to remain for an informal I ". - - -r / 1 it r 1 i