The Gracious Jailer

For more than 1,000 U.S. servicemen now held as prisoners-of-war in Asia, life is unpleasant at best. But durance has been considerably less vile for the eleven G.I.s held by Cambodia since their landing craft strayed out of Vietnamese waters July 17. Their host, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, seized on Cambodia's 15th anniversary celebrations in Phnompenh last week to prove himself a more than gracious jailer.

Sihanouk opened his performance by sending over a tailor to deck all eleven Americans out in white linen suits. Then, when they showed up at inaugural ceremonies, Sihanouk strolled over. "Thank you for your participation," he said, shaking hands all round. "Congratulations on your independence, Monseigneur," replied Warrant Officer Ralph McCullough, the group's senior member. "You are very kind," said Sihanouk. "Thank you very much." Then, after a two-hour bus tour of the capital, the men were treated to lunch at La Taverne, one of the city's finest French restaurants. (Among the highlights was their first taste of beer since July 17--a Chinese brew called Tsingtao.) That afternoon, they watched a four-hour pageant as the Prince's guests, and as a special bonus Sihanouk later sent them two cases of Cambodian liquor.

Given Sihanouk's off-and-on attitude toward the U.S., his handling of the prisoners seemed odd. In fact, he is simply adjusting his policies once more to the course of events in Southeast Asia. Initially, his price for releasing the eleven was high. But since the halt of American bombing of North Viet Nam, and the consequent feeling that peace is a few steps nearer, Sihanouk now says that the men will go free once he has received a note from Lyndon Johnson pledging that U.S. forces in Viet Nam will "do their best" to avoid violations of Cambodian territory. As a head of state, the Prince refuses to deal with anyone but L.B.J.; a recent Dean Rusk note containing the pledge was brushed aside as "insufficient."

Why the shift? Sihanouk is determined to ensure neutral Cambodia's survival, and he expects a unified, and probably Communist government in Viet Nam in the not too distant future. Traditionally, a strong Viet Nam has always meant trouble for Cambodia, and the Prince is now swinging toward the U.S. in order to preserve a counterweight to what he sees as the coming threat from the East. Thus the kindnesses toward the eleven G.I.s, whom Sihanouk seems increasingly eager to hand over. "Their stay is too expensive," he joked last week. "I have to pay for many good lunches for them."

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