Planes Mobilised For Da Nang Push

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31027, 5 April 1966, Page 17

Planes Mobilised For Da Nang Push

(X.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SAIGON, April 4. ' Premier Nguyen Cao Ky today mobilised aircraft for an airborne attempt to seize control of Da rxang, the strategic northern city he says is in the hands of Communist elements, the Associated Press reported. Trouble meanwhile developed at Dalat, 140 miles north of Saigon, where 3000 students were reported to have taken over the city’s radio station.

The reports said the students were demanding the overthrow of the Government and an end to the use of Dalat as a rest and recreation centre for United States troops.

The demonstrators first occupied a joint U.S.-Vietnamese military police station and there were fears that some Vietnamese troops in the city had sided with the students.

All American troops were ordered to remain in their quarters.

Police and students also tangled in Saigon this morning. About 100 students began milling around the student headquarters building, stopping cars and handing out antigovernment leaflets.

They forced the police to retreat to safety when they unleashed a barrage of rocks and stones. Reinforcements were reported to be on their way.

At mid-morning today Da Nang, 370 miles north-east of Saigon, was reported quiet but United States officials expected the Ky government to launch its operation soon. All civilian flights were cancelled as the government took over Vietnam airline planes. It also severed telephone communications wjth the north, virtually cutting South Vietnam in two.

At a press conference yesterday, Premier Ky said: -Either the mayor of Da Nang is shot or the Saigon Government falls." Mayor Replies In Da Nang, the Mayor, Nguyen Van Nam, branded Premier Ky’s claims "stupid" and predicted that the Saigon military regime would be overthrown. “This city does not belong to the Viet Cong,” he said. The central government is expected to move at least a regiment of troops into Da Nang, the Associated Press said. They may be taken from the two divisions in the second corps region which is commanded by Major-General Vinh Loc, an officer known to be antagonistic to the Da Nang group. United States military aircraft continued with a busy Da Nang schedule today. The United States military

high command, however, has reportedly made it clear to Premier Ky that American planes cannot be used to carry troops into Da Nang. At yesterday’s conference Premier Ky asserted that the Da Nang question “is purely an internal issue and the United States cannot become involved.”

But United States troops might become involved if fighting breaks out in Da Nang. A large United States Army advisory group is situated within the city, together with various shore installations for the Navy handling of the numerous United States ships that come into Da Nang’s port. The United States Marine installations spread out along the eastern part of the city. South Vietnam could be plunged into a form of civil war if dissident army, police, civil service and civilian groups in the northern cities of Da Nang and Hue resist government troops sent to “liberate” them from antigovernment elements, says the “New York Times.”

Civilian Rule Paratroopers of the airborne brigade were seen packing battle gear in Saigon yesterday and ‘heir American advisers were not involved in their movements —an indication the Vietnamese were to be used in a civil operation. Vietnamese Marines were also reported preparing to move toward Da Nang. The United States has been quietly urging the Saigon military government to speed up the machinery for returning power to a civilian re-

gime, it was learned in Washington yesterday. The Administration hopes by this means to ease the political tension created by current anti-government demonstrations in South Vietnam.

The United States Embassy in Saigon has been urging Premier Ky promptly to appoint a commission to lay the groundwork for a rapid transfer of authority to a civilian government. The feeling in Washington was that the demonstrators were more interested in wining concessions that overthrowing the Ky regime, though the danger that events might get out of hand was not entirely discounted. Tn Seoul today the South Korean opposition political parties requested the suspen-

sion of the scheduled dispatch of 20,000 troops to South Vietnam in view of the political position. Both the Minjung Party and the Shinhan Party said in their respective statements that it is “unreasonable” to send more Korean troops because of the current developments in South Vietnam.

A spokesman for the Minjung Party said that policy makers of his party will meet tomorrow to prepare a resolution asking the government to suspend the sending of troops. The two groups have been strongly opposed to the goernment’s decision to send troops. The government is scheduled to send one Army regiment in April and one division in July.