CHINA THREATENS SEVERE BASHING’

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30631, 23 December 1964, Page 13

CHINA THREATENS SEVERE BASHING’

f.V.Z.P.A.- Reuter—Copyright)

HONG KONG, December 22.

China today warned the United States that if it “dared so much as to thrust its head into North Vietnam, it would be severely bashed.”

An editorial in the Government newspaper, “People’s Daily,” quoted by the New China news agency, said: “Standing up to United States imperialism's aggression and provocations, the people and armed forces of China and Vietnam have struggled shoulder to shoulder to defend the cause of socialism and preserve world peace. “The Chinese people take United States imperialism’s aggression against Vietnam as aggression against China.”

Meanwhile, Mr Nguyen Huu Tho, leader of the insurgent South Vietnam National Liberation Front has said: “So long as there remains an American aggressor on South Vietnam’s soil, we will never leave our guns.” The Front, at a meeting to mark the fourth anniversary of its founding, also sent a message to “progressive American people” urging them to “struggle resolutely

i against the United States dirty aggressive war in South Vietnam,” the Vietnam news agency reported today from Hanoi.

In Saigon today leading Vietnamese generals were jockeying intensely for position, the Associated Press reported.

Indications were that Lieutenant-General Nguyen Khanh had been deposed as commander of the armed forces.

Khanh Going?

Reliable sources reported that Khanh’s wife would be leaving the country soon, possibly with Khanh. Khanh, who served as military Premier of the nation from January 30 until three months ago, reportedly was struggling to preserve his authority but was fighting an up-hill battle, out-flanked by the young officers behind Sunday’s purge of the civilian Government.

Meetings were being held in various parts of Saigon, all of them in secret. Generals, civilian leaders and United States Embassy representatives were scurrying from one headquarters to another. The United States strongly opposes the purge, holding that the civilian High National Council dissolved by

the generals was a vital factor in the eventual formation of a stable, representative government. American officials also were trying to head off an open clash in the ranks of the armed forces that might even lead to bloody fighting. No Forewarning

And in Washington, officials said the move by “Young Turk” generals in dissolving the High Council was made without any forewarning to the United States. Officials said that fact alone gave room for concern, because the United States

expected to be consulted about such things. The officials said General Maxwell Taylor, the United States Ambassador to Saigon, was trying to get the generals out of the political scene while, at the same time, urging a broader base of support for the Government by trying to persuade groups such as the Buddhists to begin discussions with the Government.