1.
CU STREET SIGN 'AVENUE DE VERSAILLES'
0.02

2.
GV BLOCK OF LUXURY FLATS.
0.06

3.
CU No. 60 AT ENTRANCE TO BLOCK.
0.08

4.
ANGLE VIEW... BLOCK OF FLATS.
0.11

5.
SV INT... PRINCE SOUVANNA SEATED MAKES STATEMENT (S.O.F.)
0.40

6.
ANGLE VIEW... EXT... BLOCK OF FLATS.
0.44



Initials PC/V/WS/LW



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: FOLLOWING THE NEWS MAY 15 THAT PRESIDENT KENNEDY HAD ORDERED 1,800 AMERICAN MARINES TO LAND AT BANGKOK, THAILAND, AT DAWN MAY 17, THE LAOTIAN NEUTRALIST LEADER, PRINCE SOUVANNA PHOUMA, TOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE IN PARIS (FRENCH SOF) HE HOPED THAT US MILITARY INTERVENTION WOULD NOT TAKE PLACE IN LAOS BECAUSE IT WOULD LEAD TO "GENERAL CONFUSION - A SECOND KOREA".

THE LAOTIAN LEADER, WHO IS DUE TO LEAVE PARIS FOR LAOS ON MAY 19, SAID THAT ON HIS RETURN HE WOULD REQUEST AN INTERVIEW WITH KING SAVANG VATHANA TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION BEFORE MEETING PRINCE BOUN OUM, THE RIGHT-WING PRIME MINISTER. AFTER THIS MEETING HE WOULD SUMMON PRINCE BOUN OUM AND PRINCE SOUPHANOUVONG, LEADER OF THE COMMUNIST PATHET LAO, TO A MEETING IN THE PLAIN OF JARS.

SOON AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF US FORCES TO THAILAND - TO JOIN THE 1,000 AMERICAN TROOPS ALREADY STATIONED THERE - MR DOSRYNIN, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON, REQUESTED AN INTERVIEW WITH MR AVERELL HARRIMAN, THE US ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EASTERN AFFAIRS, WHO HAS BEEN INTIMATELY CONNECTED WITH EFFORTS TO FORM A COALITION GOVERNMENT IN LAOS.

IN HIS MAY 15 STATEMENT PRESIDENT KENNEDY SAID THAT HE HAD ORDERED, UPON THE INVITATION OF THE THAI GOVERNMENT, ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS OF THE US MILITARY FORCES, BOTH GROUND AND AIR, TO PROCEED TO THAILAND AND HELP TO ENSURE ITS TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY. THE LANDING OF AMERICAN TROOPS WAS CONSIDERED DESIRABLE BECAUSE OF RECENT ATTACKS IN LAOS BY COMMUNIST FORCES, AND THE SUBSEQUENT MOVEMENT OF COMMUNIST MILITARY UNITS TOWARDS THE THAI FRONTIER.

THAILAND'S GOVERNMENT HAVE REQUESTED THE UNITED STATES TO DEPLOY HER TROOPS AT STRATEGIC POINTS WELL OUTSIDE THE CAPITAL OF BANGKOK. THIS IS SAID TO BE TO AVOID GIVING THE IMPRESSION THAT THE COUNTRY, WHICH HAD NEVER BEEN UNDER WHITE COLONIAL RULE, HAS COME UNDER ALIEN OCCUPATION.