CAMBODIA THE SLUMBERING PRINCE FORMER U.S . SECRETARY OF STATE DEAN ACHESON 
IS ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY ESTEEMED AMERICANS IN PNOM PENH 
. THE REASON DATES BACK TO LAST YEAR, WHEN ACHESON SUCCESSFULLY 
REPRESENTED CAMBODIA BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE IN THE HAGUE 
IN A TERRITORIAL DISPUTE WITH THAILAND . LAST WEEK THE U.S 
. TRIED TO CAPITALIZE ON THIS FRIENDSHIP IN AN EFFORT TO 
END ITS ACERBIC AND SOMEWHAT MYSTERIOUS LITTLE QUARREL WITH CAMBODIA'S VAIN, 
UNPREDICTABLE LEADER, PRINCE NORODOM SIHANOUK . THE U.S . WAS RUDELY 
REBUFFED . SENDING ACHESON OUT TO CAMBODIA ON A PEACEMAKING MISSION 
WOULD BE FINE, DECLARED THE PRINCE, BUT ONLY ON THREE CONDITIONS 
: 1) THAT WASHINGTON APOLOGIZE FOR THE U.S . DIPLOMAT WHO 
DESCRIBED AS " BARBAROUS " RADIO CAMBODIA'S TASTELESS COMMENTS ON JOHN 
F . KENNEDY'S ASSASSINATION, 2) A FORMAL WITHDRAWAL BY U.S . 
DIPLOMATS OF A QUESTION ASKING WHETHER THE " CAMBODIAN GOVERNMENT HAD 
REJOICED OVER KENNEDY'S DEATH, " 3) AND THE CLOSING DOWN OF 
A RADIO STATION THAT SIHANOUK CLAIMED WAS RUN BY CIA IN 
LAOS OR THAILAND FOR THE PURPOSE OF SENDING SUBVERSIVE BROADCASTS INTO 
CAMBODIA . WASHINGTON TERMED SIHANOUK'S CONDITIONS " TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE . " 
IN FACT, SIHANOUK IS PROBABLY ONLY TAUNTING THE U.S . OUT 
OF FEAR OF THE RED CHINESE AND WANTS TO AVOID AN 
OVERT DIPLOMATIC BREAK . SIHANOUK IS STILL ANXIOUS FOR A GENEVA 
CONFERENCE TO GUARANTEE CAMBODIAN NEUTRALITY, BUT SUCH A CONFERENCE IS MEANINGLESS 
WITHOUT U.S . PARTICIPATION . AS SIHANOUK HIMSELF SAID LAST WEEK 
AFTER CLOSING CAMBODIA'S EMBASSY IN LONDON, " IT APPEARS NECESSARY, WITHOUT 
A DIPLOMATIC BREAK, TO PUT OUR RELATIONS IN SLUMBER . / 
