Turmoil In Saigon After Purge

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30630, 22 December 1964, Page 17

Turmoil In Saigon After Purge

t.V.Z. Press Association —Copyright)

SAIGON, December 21.

The civilian Government of Premier Tran Van Huong urgently debated today whether to try to hang on to its remaining threads of power after a week-end purge by young generals.

Both Mr Huong and the insurgent officers met separately to determine future roles each side should play in governing South Vietnam.

With his authority seriously weakened by the purge of the High National Council, Mr Huong may resign, leaving the country without an official Government.

About 30 politicians were reported to have been arrested by the military early

yesterday and about 70 staff! officers who had been assigned to the Chief of State’s office had been sent under guard to mountains north of Saigon. All of these officers had been on the staff of the former Chief of State, Lieuten-ant-General Duong Van Minh, and had been left at the disposal of the civilian Chief of State, Mr Phan Khac Suu. They presumably were removed from Saigon to eliminate an obstruction from the “Young Turks” objective of getting rid of General Minh and a number of other senior army officers. General Minh was scheduled to return to Saigon this week from the United States.

The political situation in Saigon was in turmoil today, although the city itself looked normal.

U.S. officials believed that while Mr Huong still is technically the top administrator

of Vietnam, the latest assertion of over-all authority by the military has badly damaged his position. Saigon’s civilian police chief, who was not involved in Sunday’s purge, was unable to reach the Premier by telephone, leading to speculation that he might be under house arrest.

The nominal chief of the armed forces, LieutenantGeneral Nguyen Khanh .also was believed under close surveillance by the coalition of young generals. In New York, the “Daily News” reported that the U.S. Ambassador. General Maxwell Taylor had sternly warned the young generals that the United States may review its commitments to South Vietnam unless they restore civilian rule. It said the Ambassador laid down the demands during a one-hour meeting with the four officers who led the uprising.