Anxiety In Britain At Situation In Vietnam

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27709, 13 July 1955, Page 13

Anxiety In Britain At Situation In Vietnam

LONDON, July 12. The situation in Vietnam continues to cause anxiety in London and the less news there is the greater the anxiety seems to become, says the diplomatic correspondent of the “Glasgow Herald.” “It is not easy to get a true picture of events, for while there is silence except for ‘official’ news from the north there is nothing but contradictory news from the south,” he I writes. “Nor is anyone prepared to say just what is being planned by Dr. Ho Chi Minh during his toun ef his Communist allies. Dr. Ho’s Peking visit was, from his point of view, a triumphant success. Not only was he elevated to the stature of Stalin by being called ‘Uncle Ho.’ as he described himself to Peking’s children who greeted him. but he left with the promise of aid amounting in value to about £lOO 000,000. “Mr Mao did not give him the money, of course, but a programme of practical aid in the physical reconstruction and the improvement of the north will have cost this by the time it is completed. “The immediate impression is that Peking, like Dr. Ho. is quite convinced that North Vietnam is staying Communist, and is agreed that the odds are very much that the south will cro that way. “What Dr. Ho expects from Moscow, where he should be arriving very shortly via the Mongolian People’s Republic, is not yet dear. It is believed that he had political talks in Peking to decide possible courses of action in Vietnam. “As from July 20 talks should begin between North and South Vietnam to arrange for an election throughout both countries which will settle the future government of the United States in Indo-China. if a Communist majority is not secured, will result in the permanent division of the country. “To any such division Dr. Ho is opposed So is Mr Mao and it would be in keeping if plans for security and unitv h»d been discussed. These plans naturally are fluid and not surprisingly. Dr. Ho would like to have Moscow’s consent to them before the Geneva conference. “Mr Diem in the south is not on the horns of one but several dilemmas. He has not a united country behind him. He is still wrestling with rebellious sects and although he seems to be winning, the permanence of any victory is very dubious. It seems agreed by observers that the Communists have only to wait for the fruit to fall into their laps. “But as there is always the possibility that a year may make a considerable difference and that waiting so long might jeopardise the chance of getting a Communist majority throughout the country, the desire to hasten thincs is very strong. “Even if Dr. Ho is willing to wait, the pressure of younger and Moscow or Peking-trained elements could well force his hand. “While the Asian Communists have,

a common plan, no such agreement of aim exists on the non-Communist side. The S.E.A.T.O. Powers, through their military committee, have been discussing the situation—to what end we do not know. But it is clear that if Indo-China .finds union under communism, it would be impossible to defend Siam, Cambodia and Laos. “When he met Sir Anthony Eden, Mr Nehru discussed the South-east Asian situation and it is almost inevitable that it should be discussed at the Geneva conference.”