Vietnamese Signs Ordered

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31542, 2 December 1967, Page 13

Vietnamese Signs Ordered

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SAIGON, Dec. 1.

The Saigon city government yesterday ordered that all the foreign-language signs in Saigon, which swarms with United States and Allied troops, be rewritten in Vietnamese, the “New York Times” news service reported.

Foreigners wondered how the profusion of English signs ranging from the Copacabana Bar to the Astor 1 Hotel—could be translated.

How do “Pizzeria,” “Big Bby Hamburgers,” “Golden Hands Massage Parlour,” the “Miami Bar,” or the “Crazy Cow Restaurant” translate into Vietnamese, Americans are asking. The Town Hall announcement, noting that some signs might be impossible to translate, said: “Any installations having foreign names must

add new Vietnamese names on the sign boards.

“Since the Vietnamese name is important, it must be written on the highest part of the board three times larger than the foreign name.” The city government gave no reason for the change. Some Americans and South Vietnamese regarded the announcement as an indication that the Government of President Van Thieu was seeking to soothe critics who feel it is too closely allied to and dependent on the United States. “On some streets, Saigon and Bien Hoa and Cuchi resemble occupied cities,” said one Vietnamese journalist: “The streets look American, with laundries, car wash places, bars. It is overdone. “The Vietnamese especially the authorities do not

want to admit publicly that people are scrambling for the American dollar,” he said. “They want to feel that we are keeping our sovereignty.”

The announcements said the signs had to be changed by December 31. “All violations committed after this time limit will be heavily fined, and the related installation may have its trade licence withdrawn,” it said. The order also attempts io remove the garish quality of many of the streets in Saigon that are filled with soldiers. Restaurants, hotels, snack bars and steam bath houses are not allowed use coloured neon lights on their sign boards, but only white lights. In the announcement, the word “American” is never used. All non-Vietnamese are referred to as foreigners.