S. Vietnam Has Ninth Govt. In 16 Months

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30678, 18 February 1965, Page 13

S. Vietnam Has Ninth Govt. In 16 Months

(N Z P.A.- Reuter —Copyright;

SAIGON, February 17. Dr. Phan Huy Quat, the new Premier of South Vietnam, today presented a 21-man Cabinet to Mr Phan Khac Suu, the Chief of State. It is the ninth new Government in 16 months.

It is dominated by nominal Buddhists but only two of them are regarded as closely associated with the Buddhist leaders who toppled three previous Governments.

Four Roman Catholics and three Army officers are included. Political observers say the Armed Forces Council, led by Lieu-tenant-General Nguyen Khanh, will retain actual power.

General Khanh, in a broadcast this morning, reserved the right of the forces to step in as “mediators” in any political dispute.

It was in this role that they dissolved the Provisional Legislature last December and overthrew the Tran Van Huong Government last month. Dr. Quat is a former Foreign Minister and a Buddhist who has remained aloof from the recent demonstrations and political actions.

All bases for Communist aggression in South Vietnam must be destroyed and all supply routes wiped out, he said today. The United States is understood to be waiting to see what support Dr. Quat can muster from the armed forces and the Buddhists on major issues. The new Government is provisional. It will be replaced by a government to be elected under a constitution yet to be written. The constitution will be written by a National Assembly, which is scheduled to be elected next month. Observers doubt if the elections will be held as scheduled because of the military situation. Thirteen people were offi-

cially reported killed and three wounded when troops fired at demonstrators at Trang Binh, a district capital about 30 miles south of Da Nang. Usually reliable sources said 16 were killed and 22 wounded.

In sharp clashes in provinces bordering North Vietnam, Government forces inflicted severe casualties on the guerrillas, said BrigadierGeneral Nguyen Chanh Thi, the First Army Corps Commander.

Guerrillas ambushed a company of Government troops yesterday, killing 32 and wounding eight, according to reports reaching Saigon today. Ten soldiers are missing.

At Da Nang the second battery of U.S. ground-to-air Hawk missiles were unloaded from two American Navy ships today under strict security precautions. “Deliberately Planned”

The U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam. General Maxwell Taylor, last night said American retaliation raids on North Vietnam probably had a greater psychological than military effect. General Taylor said it was too soon to assess the effects of the raids. He added: “I don’t suppose there’s any great military effect. The advantages are primarily in the psychological field. “Certainly the limited actions which we have taken—and they have been deliberately planned—and moderate responses do suggest the possibility of other and bigger forms of reaction in the future.” The Russian Premier (Mr Kosygin) today demanded a full American retreat from South Vietnam. It was his first public statement since returning from North Vietnam, China and North Korea. Missiles Arrive

China and the Soviet Union today were reported to be making a huge build-up of arms, men and missiles in and near North Vietnam.

Officials in Saigon said Soviet ground-to-air missiles had arrived in Hanoi.

In Taipeh, Formosan intelligence officials said China had massed jet aircraft and

men near its border with North Vietnam. The officials said at least nine Chinese squadrons (144 aircraft) were stationed at the new air base at Mingchiengf in southern Kwangsi Troops Deployed An estimated 200,000 Chinese troops had been deployed along China’s southwest border with North Vietnam, the intelligence officials said.

Two Democrat Senators in Washington called for efforts toward a negotiated settlement in South Vietnam. Senator Frank McGovern said Americans supported President Johnson’s actions, but his mail indicated by a ratio of 15 to one “that the people also favour efforts on our part to negotiate a cease-fire and a settlement in Vietnam.” Senator George McGovern said he hoped the raids were “aimed at increasing the pressure for negotiation rather than the false hope that military victory is possible for either side.”