LAOS THE TORTOISE & THE HARE A MONSOON DOWNPOUR RAINED ON THE 
PLAIN OF JARS LAST WEEK AND SO DID A BARRAGE OF 
COMMUNIST PATHET LAO ARTILLERY AND MORTAR SHELLS . IN AN EFFORT 
TO CONSOLIDATE LAST MONTH'S GROUND GAINS ON THE PLAIN, THE REDS 
BEGAN PINPOINT ARTILLERY ATTACKS ON THE LAST REMAINING NEUTRALIST TOE HOLDS 
ON THE PLATEAU, AS WELL AS ON THE HEADQUARTERS OF NEUTRALIST 
ARMY LEADER GENERAL KONG LE AT MUONG PHAN, JUST WEST OF 
THE PLAIN . TYPICALLY, THE REDS BLAMED THE U.S . FOR 
THE RESUMPTION OF HOSTILITIES, SAID THAT " THE AMERICANS HAVE GIVEN 
ORDERS TO THE REACTIONARIES OF KONG LE TO ATTACK OUR FORCES 
. " EVEN AS THE TROIKA-LIKE INTERNATIONAL CONTROL COMMISSION OF INDIA, 
POLAND, AND CANADA, WHICH WAS SET UP TO POLICE LAOTIAN NEUTRALITY, 
TRIED TO RESTORE THE PEACE, IT LOST ONE OF ITS THREE 
HEADS . COMMUNIST POLAND RECALLED ITS ICC REPRESENTATIVE TO WARSAW IN 
THE WAKE OF VIGOROUS U.S . PROTESTS THAT THE POLE'S " 
OBSTRUCTIONIST TACTICS " AND DELIBERATE BOYCOTT OF ICC FIELD OBSERVATION WORK 
WERE SABOTAGING EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN A CEASE-FIRE BETWEEN THE NEUTRALISTS AND 
THE PATHET LAO . AS THE SPORADIC ARTILLERY DUEL CONTINUED, NEUTRALIST 
PREMIER SOUVANNA PHOUMA DESPERATELY TRIED TO GET HIS PRO-COMMUNIST HALF-BROTHER, PATHET 
LAO LEADER PRINCE SOUPHANOUVONG, TO AGREE TO A RESUMPTION OF TRUCE 
TALKS . BUT SOUPHANOUVONG VETOED EVERY LOCATION FOR THE PEACE TALKS 
SUGGESTED BY SOUVANNA PHOUMA . SIGHED A NEUTRALIST COLONEL : " 
THE DISCUSSIONS MOVE LIKE THE TORTOISE AND THE WAR CAN MOVE 
LIKE THE HARE . MAYBE BEFORE THE LOCATION FOR THE PEACE 
TALKS IS DECIDED, THE DECISION FOR LAOS WILL HAVE BEEN MADE 
IN BATTLE . / 