Cambodia: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Brave, Clean, Reverent & Snookie

Like the young bride always threatening to go home to Mother, Cambodia's neutralist Prince Norodom ("Snookie") Sihanouk more or less survives on the international scene by constantly threatening to break off with somebody. Last week, as Red Chinese Foreign Minister Chen Yi dropped by for Cambodian independence-day ceremonies, Sihanouk affirmed what no one doubted—that he was perfectly capable of renouncing "our monarchic and nationalist regime to adopt the Communist regime." Next thing, Snookie warned Russia and Red China that unless his economic problems are solved, Cambodia might abandon these nations and "align itself with the very rich United States so that they can meet the annual deficit of our national budget"—a suggestion that might no longer be very welcome in Washington.

Finally, Sihanouk made his gravest move of all, and this time he didn't just threaten. Drawing himself up to his full 5 ft. 4 in., Snookie solemnly severed Cambodia's relations with that well-known instrument of imperialism—the Boy Scouts World Bureau.