FRENCH ARMY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 220, 17 September 1938, Page 14

FRENCH ARMY.

IN INDO-CHINA.

EXPENSIVE BUT NECESSARY.

PARIS. >r Tl, f, r «® n ' decfek>Tl °f M. Georges Mandel, Minister®f Colonies, to recruit an additional 20,000 troops in Indochina brings up the question of creating an Indo-Chinese army. Such an army is increasingly demanded by the IndoChinese themselves, as well as by some French officials who Are specialists in Far East affairs.

M. Handel's order for increasing the Indo-Chinese contingent was made at the time that he ordered an additional 50,000 troops in North Africa. This increase of 70,000 in France's colonial forces was a reply to growing threats against the empires security. _ Up till then Indo-China has been garrisoned by the Tongking division in the north, the Cochin China-Cambodia division in the south, and the Annam-Laos brigade in the centre. These troops are merely colonial detachments of the French army. What the Indo-Chinese want is a well-balanced army of their own with all the services an army requires. It Takes Money. In this French experts agree -with them—but it takes money. The natives go so far as to clamour for conscription, 'which would cost still more money, and the question would be: Where is it to be found? The threatening situation !n the Pacific resulting from- the Japanese aggression in China has caused the growing demand for an army in the Saigon and Hanoi Press. The demand is backed by such men as Alexandre Varenne, experienced colonial executive and at present Tongking's delegate to the French Overseas Supreme Council. Not only is the Japanese invasion a threat to Indo-China, but Siam is believed to be waiting, figuratively gun in hand, to see whether democracies will triumph in the present world struggle. Many Indo-Chinese fear that if the democracies are not victor ioiM the Siamese, whose country bulges far into the middle of lengthy Indo-China, will attack them.

In that case, if the attack were part of a world war, France could send but a few battalions at most to the aid of Indo-China. Hence the Indo-Chinese want an army of their own, raised and equipped on the spot.