LOCAL CONDITIONS/TRANSPORTATION ARTERIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500420126-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 26, 1999
• Sequence Number: 126
• Publication Date: March 15, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

MC ice, 01-41
mom
Approved For Release 2001/09/11 CIA-RDP80-00 '0,9A000500420126-3
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENC~
INFORMATION REPO
COUNTRY Irdoch1:- sn,
SUBJECT I,cal Conditions/Tr&nspo;-t.-xlon Arteries
I.11-wlw 1. Y-co.'. i~/?D.?fIh ?,. qln. Ll ulrou. 01.1.11
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2. Laos is the least developed state in Indochina. A 1z eo.t deal of It is nroua-
tainous and d
l
ense
y Wooded.
Sarevane, in southern Laos, is in the center of the tea coantry. Cocoa is also
raised in this lsrea.
g , e res are bamboo.
As of 1954 it is headquarters for a small detacl=an of Laotian troops, cciand-
oa
A series of smc,.Ll forts make it possible to drive i to Saravane f r o m Khong-
SedAne during the day. Saranene has w few stucco b s? th t
n
French supply convoys use the road along the Mekong to Savannel het) normally
making three trips a week. The jungle has been cut ck about 200 yards from
the sides of the road to decrease the possibilities f ambush by Viet Minh
6. The road is open at seven in the morning and all tr:z fl Lc stops at sundown.
7. Savannakhet is not only a road terminus, but is also the hub of river traffic
up and down the Mekong and across it by ferry to Tha nd. Saranna.khet has v.
large Chinese community of traders and hotel keepers-
11 The road running east from Suvannakhet towards the coast is patrolled by the
French. There aWe also a series of small forts alone this road, close enough
together so that the sound of small-arms fire at one can be heard at the next.
9. Some of these forts have radio communisation facilit ee, but many do not. I
understand that at one time these forts communicated with each other by beating
on large gongs. This practice was given up when the et Minh set up gongs of
their own in the Jungle.
SEE LAST PAGE r3
_!WC~ Ot A7EA C jC)eS
U.S. Officials Only
C01 FILFNTIAL
OISTft10UTI0N~ STAB -L ARMY ^.. NAVT }( I (AIR FBC 1 I
 Approved For Release 2001/09/11 : CIA-RDP80-00809A00050420126-3
ek. .p N:^1.:r.^f River
T::~.'r? is a gJ rc. i ~ -c am
the r 1. ~al at Ulicr ', he.rii K:A=g ?:i_':on F??.a.nccs, zLirecd tly e:c:cao the river
:~:'T Thak ek. a2-ers Is s.Ls: 9 L!tetvar d. ='r?` ',^i^.r thtk 1"'t"? Viet
Mint hell terr_tcry.
.:_I. When the :AMY - r?i v er J .ti.wi 1, ~. ? f lord y ?r ,
.^.g 1. - a~ .lord 6taee, argL traaa_ iE pC3Ea-
ble tr 3av&nnw *_, q t t: Vien:iar t. These barges are at.o ?t 60 feet it length
an 5 feet In r.. d * rx _0-i, ea:. v. ..g ,.e redo five Par etx bangL!n ar p r?w' pd by
one vr:,3 'turning :'sg and as zany as 15 pulled by one tug dcv-;atre?_:. The
sided Or th-aC t? tl are 7^::rci t: protest the C^'evs f~ fire.
Wh-'% t e river i5 l'.-gh; ra.'tsi :f as =ash as a =ilk 1cn6 are els3 floater
dcvn the Mek??rkj.
12. Vienti=e is trot: a river _c =?ir.?ua and the northern end of e -.ad fr= Udor.
Tharii, 7hs,tLar4.
13. There Ic u read :rx '1iec.t.a r.~rning north to Luang Prabeng but this has been
!cut f :r neverol years. C, c,:a;catio^. between Vientiane and. Luang Prabeng is
either ty air or ty river b:at vher. the Mekong is high.
14. All the t:cuse.y nee- the river bank in Vientiane are built on stilts an the riv-
er rises out of its tanks for some distance. At flood stage the Mckoag is as
;much as two riles wide. 'T'here are four or five stucco h uses in Vientiane and
the r'ainder are wade of tea?vood.
i5. The docking frrctl_ti'n at V.entiane are very pri^itive. There are no permanent
doi-ke. The 'target; are .r:1 -a ded l y simply running them up on the tank of the
river or tyint; th?~m t,-: r l c s driv n in the mud and buildiing wc.odcn wimps from
the tide of thr ship _ . '.h sh re.
1E. Because of the t e~~~^r I r nt'.rr?e of river trarf{.c, gasoline and diesel. , ue:_ are
fl,'./-1 int.D Vl~nt',ace :'r:- the unuth. An a result, fuel r.t~orage tank are located
at the aairp,_rt.
17. Pr:' tht airi'iei), located n..rttwcvt cf the town, an asphalt po-tv'?d road runs in-
V ert.iane. Thi. is the only ps.I t of the Vientiane-Lung Pralarv_ Road still.
ark use.
18., A d: r'. road paza1l_1s ti?F J?'elo!g and. runs from one end ofi Vientiane t.. th? other.
At the western end .f t-wn the rc.ad fizzles out in the ju gle. TC the east the
rotv?. r'e:,. ~.o a ferry which sses the td_kong to 1Tot:g Ehai, Thailand.
19.?. Ibis Henry is cper'at?-:d by a Chinese and is powered by two Putboard motors. It has
a romp in the tow which 1cwera to load and unload pa senff, ere and v=hicles. This
ferry can car: -y a small t r^._k tut is used largely for pas;engcr traffic. The
fare is three times as r.-. :h frsm Ij.L:.a to Thailand as it is from Thailand to Laos.
There are no permar,:-nt ' ??rrv clips; the ferry simply runs up on the tank.
20. I saw very few a?.)t : c or t.;.-u .'r.5 In Vir.?ntl ane and these wer small, oiJ, or both.
21. Vientiane also has J tti own ra11?:i etirtion supplied by the US, complete with ,;ener-
ating equipment. The tlansmitter? wus located at the airfield but I t?e.lir---ve it
has recently been moved an the transmitting tower proved o be a hazard to low
flying aircraft;.
2T. The US mieL-;l.on al.sa supplied a number of radio rect?i.ver sets ti.' vi.l..lagea in the
surrounding area. These sets were excellent but too complicated for the Laotians
to operate and attempts are being made to simplify this equipment.
23. There is a small hospital in Vientiane which was built by the French. It 1
citaffed with both Fr-n-:h and Lacti.eo. doctors who received their medical train-
ing in Frrsrc7. I believe the hcspital has its om electric generating equip-
ment .
CONFIAENTTAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY
 Approved For Release 2001/09/11 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500420126-3
OFFICIALS ONLY
24. There is a public marrket every day in Viertiane which takes place in the town
square. This market consists of a great mazy wall open standc where local
produce can be bought or bartered for. I also saw sore locally woven cloth of
gold and 'ilver thread as well as silver Jewelry and orna enta.
25. The only restaurant in Vientiane overlooks the to-an square. It is partially
owned by a Frenchman, whose name I do not recall, and the food is terrible.
26. The Laotians are not as anti French as either the Vietnamese or the Cambodians.
Laos is ruled ostensibly by a F.ing mad a cabinet of ministers, all of royal
blood. However in the Laotian. Government there are three Frenchmen to every
Laotian; and to each cabinet minlster,at least one French advisor.
27. I rankly do not believe that the Laotians much care whether they are ruled by
the French or the Viet Minh. As long as somebody feedsthem and looks after them
they are not particularly interested in what his politico are.
28. There are a number of mineral deposits in Laos south of Zieng Khouang, including
coal, silver and iron. However the terrain is no rugged and the native popula-
tion so = -energetic that little has been done to develop these mineral resources.
As far as I know there is no railroad in Laos at the present time. For any
large scale development of these mineral resources a. railroad would have to be
built. Because of the rugged topography this road would presumably be built
from the railhead in Thailand at L'don Thani.
30. I believe that prior to World War II there was considerable interest shown by
Japanese firma in developing these, resources in Laog.and I understand that the
Japanese would like to renew their efforts. _
31. I do not believe that the French would object to a Japanese proposal to build
a railroad into Laos from Thailand; Since the French control the Laotian Gov-
ernment they would be able to take a cut of any _mineral wealth brought out of
Laos without having to expend any French capital in the process.
US RARY - SULUECT- 8a AREA CODES
i 17.503 42L
754.22 42L
857-11 1121.
740.093 142L (3L)
740.094 3L(UL)
CONFIDlz TTAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY