TROOPS FOR INDOCHINA

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25082, 14 January 1947, Page 7

TROOPS FOR INDOCHINA

8000 Sail From Toulon “STATE OF WAR” DENIED (Rec. 11 p.m ) LONDON. January 13, The liner He de France has sailed from Toulon with 8000 more French troops for Indo-China. “French reinforcements when they disembarked at Saigon were tqld by the High Commissioner (Admiral d’Argenlieu) that it was inexact tq say that a state of war existed in Indo-China,” says the Paris correspondent of “The Times,” quoting Saigon reports. “Admiral d’Argenlieu added that the military operations in Tonking were neither more important nor graver than those which in the past had necessarily sprung up here and there in Indo-China.’’

Another report says that the Viet Nam president (Mr Ho Chi Minh), speaking on a Viet Nam transmitter, Bredicted that' the French, who had een pnabje to defeat Viet Nam in 20 days, “would fail to do so in 20 years.” “The difficulties in Indo-China will be solved and peace will be restored

as a result of an understanding with the elements there truly representing Indo-China’s population,” said the French Colonial Minister (Mr Moutet) when he returned to Paris. In spite of w’hat was being said, In-do-China was not being put to fire and sword, said Mr Moutet. The oply important thing for the time being was to organise the defence of French civilians and restore order. > The responsibility for recent -incidents in Indo-China rested partly on the French, said Mr Leon Boutbien, a Socialist Party executive member, who returned to Paris with Mr Moutet. Mr goutbien said he had been able to make unofficial contacts with Viet Nam. The ones he met had been overwhelmed and led on by extremists. It should be possible for the French to come to an understanding with representative elements in Indo-China. Reuter’s correspondent, cabling from Hanoi, says that th 6 French have not yet been able to put the first convoy through and Hanoi is still depending on meagre food supplies flown from Haiphong.