Banks of the Rubicon

For the sixth time, the three Laotian princes met last week to hammer out agreement on a neutral, coalition government for their divided nation.

The first arrivals at Plaine des Jarres airport were Red Prince Souphanouvong and his halfbrother, Neutralist Prince Souvanna Phouma, who traveled from their nearby headquarters aboard a Soviet-made Hound helicopter. Twenty minutes later a transport from Vientiane touched down, and out stepped anti-Communist Prince Boun Oum and his obdurate Defense Minister, General Phoumi Nosavan. Members of the three delegations crowded into a small, tin-roofed army club raised on stilts above the ground.

Under U.S. pressure, Boun Oum and General Phoumi agreed at the start to give up the key Defense and Interior ministries in return for Prince Souvanna Phouma's promise that all important decisions in these vital areas be made by mutual consent--although no one was sure how a government could function effectively under such conditions. After an hour's talk, the delegates emerged for a breather and a good cigar. In a surprisingly mellow mood.

General Phoumi said progress had been made, and "I think in a few days we could have a formal announcement of a coalition government." Beaming Prince Souvanna added: "The conversations were held in an atmosphere tres amiable. It is truly 100% Laotian talking to Laotian." Red Prince Souphanouvong, leader of the Communist Pathet Lao forces, was delighted to face the TV cameras. In adequate English he predicted that the coalition government would mean "peace in Laos, a neutralist peace," and rejected the suggestion that it might lead swiftly to a Red takeover. When asked if he was a Communist, Souphanouvong replied, "I say nothing." But the political climate in Laos re sembles the New England weather -- if you don't like it, wait a minute. After two days of conferences, Prince Souvanna conceded that a "millimeter" of dissension had arisen over the allotment of the 19 Cabinet posts, but added cheerfully that the conferees had "almost" crossed the Rubicon, and "we've found it only a tiny stream." Hours later, the tiny stream looked as wide as the Mekong. A final meeting to sign the formal agreement broke down.

General Phoumi had agreed to be Finance Minister and Red Prince Souphanouvong to take the Economy and Planning port folio, but Phoumi flatly vetoed Souvan-na's candidate for Foreign Minister, a talkative, leftist bookseller named Quinini Pholsena. At week's end, as the three princes and the general separated, the only solid-seeming agreement was to resume meetings this week.

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