Mr Toure in Zagreb . Pres Tito &apos;s policy for neutralism . from our own correspondent . Vienna , Jan 9 . President Tito and Mr S&amp;eacute;kou Tour&amp;eacute; arrived today in Zagreb , where crowds of people welcomed the Yugoslav leader &apos;s guest , who is celebrating his thirty-ninth birthday there . the state visit of the President of Guinea is evidently regarded by the Yugoslav leader as an emphasis on Yugoslavia &apos;s affinity with Asian and African countries and , moreover , an opportunity to underline his support for anti-colonial movements . coming as it did , soon after the conference at Casablanca , the Yugoslav press has written much on the significance of the meeting of leaders of Africa , placing particular stress on the urgency to settle the Congolese and Algerian problems and condemning the intervention of colonial and neo-colonial powers . Mr S&amp;eacute;kou Tour&amp;eacute; &apos;s stay in Yugoslavia is one in the series of forthcoming visits of neutralist leaders from those continents , and President Tito has already indicated that soon he is to travel to some of those countries . today , for example , the foreign Minister of Indonesia arrived in Belgrade as the guest of the Yugoslav foreign Minister . conference favoured . in fact such Yugoslav activity has been particularly intensified in the past year or so and though so far , apart from joint action in the united nations , these exchanges have not been seen on any wider basis , President Tito is known for some time to have favoured a conference of neutralist leaders . the wish was particularly apparent in comments on the occasion of the conference in Casablanca and , in particular , in Yugoslav approval of the idea of an inter-African consultative assembly which would coordinate activity on the political and economic sphere ; and it is not difficult to see that President Tito would like some such idea extended also to the whole uncommitted world . but he now feels , in view of a changed international situation and especially in view of fresh problems facing the new and independent countries of Africa , that the time is ripe to have more frequent consultations between the uncommitted countries and even to work out common stands on various problems facing those nations . two subjects , the Congo and Algeria , are the main topics of the talks in Belgrade - and on both the two leaders have identical ideas . Laos invitation to Prince Souvanna . request to return . from our correspondent . Saigon , Jan 9 . two emissaries from the Laotian government of Prince Boun Oum have arrived in Phnom Penh , Cambodia , to invite Prince Souvanna Phouma , the former Prime Minister , to return to Laos . no details of their mission have been disclosed , but it was reported earlier in Laos that Prince Boun Oum was considering asking Prince Souvanna Phouma to join his government . Prince Souvanna Phouma has not yet replied to the mission , but recent statements made by him in Phnom Penh indicate that he still regards himself as the only legal Prime Minister of Laos . his policy of strict neutrality from 1951 to 1958 kept the kingdom in peace , though at the cost of virtual partition of the country into the pro-communist north and the pro-western centre and south . legal government . Prince Souvanna &apos;s former Minister of information , Mr Quinim Pholsena , who claims to be his representative in Laos , yesterday addressed all officers of the pro-communist forces occupying the province of Xieng Khouang and emphasized that Prince Souvanna &apos;s government was the only legal one in the country . Prince Souphannouvong , leader of the pro-communist Neo Lao Haksat party , also spoke to the officers in the same terms . this emphasis on the legality of the former government suggests that all is not well with the political and military leadership of the pro-communists . most of the province of Xieng Khouang and the tactically useful Plain of jars , however , appear still to be firmly in their hands . the government has claimed the recapture of Vang Vieng , the pro-communists &apos; former base 60 miles north of Vientiane , but this claim had been made before the end of last month . a correspondent who travelled yesterday to within a few miles of Vang Vieng was told by officers that this village was still held by the pro-communists . new image of liberal party leader for Canadians . from our own correspondent . Ottawa . with the Prime Minister sunning himself in Jamaica and his cabinet out in the grass roots making 160 speeches in 80 constituencies in 10 days , the liberal party are holding a national conference here with some 2,000 delegates , the biggest gathering since 1958 when Mr Lester Pearson was chosen as party leader . in some ways it will be a testing occasion for him , although some think his position unassailable simply because there is no one else in sight to supplant him . so the conference will concentrate on laying the foundations on which to win the next election . conservative stock low . the rally comes at a time when in spite of carefully worded statements by the Prime Minister there is an air of electoral expectancy . members of the cabinet are basing their speeches on a new conservative booklet called the record speaks which outlines in some detail the accomplishments of the party since it came to office three and a half years ago . nevertheless there is little illusion in the conservative party that their stock at home has fallen in the face of heavy unemployment and an uncertain economy . last year saw the defeat of two conservative provincial governments , Quebec and New Brunswick , and in the four federal by-elections last October the party fared badly . they are now faced with four other by-elections , one at Esquimalt Saanich , British Columbia , one in Leeds , Ontario , and the other two in the Maritimes - Restigouche Madawaska , New Brunswick , and Kings , Prince Edward Island . all four were conservative strongholds . last September a public poll showed that for the first time since the administration came to power in 1957 the liberals were ahead ( 43 per cent were in favour of the grits if a federal election had been held last autumn , 38 per cent for the conservatives and 12 per cent for the C.C.F ) . however , a separate poll revealed that Mr Diefenbaker was still ahead in terms of popularity as an individual leader ( for Mr Diefenbaker 36 per cent , for Mr Pearson 34 per cent ) . how far is Mr Lester Pearson acceptable to the people of Canada as a Prime Minister ? many observers at the national rally will be seeking an answer . it is difficult for many to see Mr Pearson in the role of a popular orator at the hustings , the spellbinder that Mr Diefenbaker was in the last two campaigns . the impression remains that the liberal leader is still the diplomatist , more at home in the chancery , or the corridors of the united nations , not the father figure , so necessary in Canadian leadership , or the practical politician , able to talk about sewage problems in Algoma East . on the other hand , Mr Pearson excels in meeting people informally , but many still regard him as some sort of cross between an egghead and a missionary . bow tie gone . his party advisers are now trying to correct that image . the bow tie has gone ; he is having lessons on television techniques and is being coached by speech experts . everything is being done to promote a new image . certainly , he is now a much tougher character politically than when he took over the leadership . he was mercilessly trounced by Mr Diefenbaker in the House in those early days . it has been a hard road back but now , with plenty of political ammunition given him by the government in recent sessions , he is leading the opposition with skill and assurance and is a match for the Prime Minister across the floor . Mr Pearson is now talking about his new and dynamic liberalism and this week will show perhaps how far Mike will go . the main topic under review is unemployment , but there will be 21 committees examining subjects ranging from foreign investment in Canada to the problems of the Atlantic provinces . however , be this election year or not , Mr Pearson , with his party increasingly confident of return to power , must convey to the nation that he has the stamp of a Prime Minister of Canada . Bonn doubts on European space project . Mr Thorneycroft &apos;s task to remove scepticism . from our own correspondent . Bonn , Jan 9 . Mr Thorneycroft , the Minister of aviation , who arrives in Bonn tomorrow for talks with the federal government on a European space satellite project , will find the Germans interested in the principle of space research , but rather sceptical about British plans for organizing it . stated more bluntly , they are still unconvinced that this is not primarily an effort on Britain &apos;s part to salve Blue Streak , which was abandoned last summer as a military project ; or that the new European space satellite is indeed to be purely scientific in character . Mr Thorneycroft &apos;s main purpose will be to remove these doubts , and to persuade the federal government that the financial burden involved is really worth while , at a time when any increase in budgetary commitments would almost certainly involve a corresponding rise in taxation - something no one is prepared to contemplate in an election year . duplicated effort . the cost of the European satellite project is estimated to be at least &amp;pound;60 m spread over five years . a foreign ministry spokesman said today that west Germany , mainly for budgetary reasons , had not signed a resolution adopted at an international conference in Geneva last December , which called for the drawing up of a European convention on a space satellite project . but , at the same time , there is reason to believe that the federal government is not convinced , on the basis of the information it has so far , that such a project would be justified from a scientific point of view ; and not merely constitute a prestige satellite , duplicating to some extent American efforts , as Die Welt suggests today in a highly critical editorial article . on the specific question of the use of Blue Streak , Mr Thorneycroft &apos;s task will be easier . he can point out that this is the only rocket and launcher in Europe to have reached a sufficient stage of development for adaptation as the first stage in putting a heavy satellite into outer space . there has also been some talk of adopting another British rocket , Black Knight , for the second stage , but the French have one of their own called Veronique which they would like to see used . missile fears . perhaps one of the main reasons for German misgivings is the fear that the French may not be especially interested in scientific research as such , but more anxious to develop something which could carry an atomic warhead of their own manufacture . the federal government has made it clear that it would have no part in any project for the development of long-range missiles - which in any case would contravene the provisions of the Brussels treaty . the foreign ministry spokesman added today , however , that the Brussels treaty was irrelevant , because research on the various rocket stages had already been concluded , and only cooperation on the type of capsule was involved . a lesser obstacle to German participation is the absence of any ministry or Minister directly responsible for it - and therefore of any budget under which funds could be appropriated . meanwhile , Professor Eugen Sa&quot;nger , chairman of the German society for rocket and space travel , has arrived in London as a representative of the federal government , together with experts from other countries , to study Blue Streak . he will be taking part in an international conference on the space project which will meet on January 30 in London . other ventures . during his two-day stay in Bonn , Mr Thorneycroft will also have talks with Herr Strauss , the Minister of defence , Professor Erhard , the Minister of economics , Herr von Brentano , the foreign Minister , and Dr Seebohm , the transport Minister . he will discuss various plans for joint research and development of military items , and in particular , it is understood , a vertical take-off fighter aircraft . this is expected eventually to replace the Fiat G-91 , and the F 104 Starfighter , the backbone of the German air force . 