U.S. Aid Mission To Indo-China Under Fire

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23313, 24 July 1950, Page 6

U.S. Aid Mission To Indo-China Under Fire

(Bv HugluLaming, N.Z.P.A,-Reuter Correspondent in Indo-China)

SAIGON

Will Anglo-American financial aid to South-East Asia pour dollars dowp the drain? Will .economic aid achieve its purpose —halt the southward surge of communism?

These and kindred fjuestions are being asked ir. Saigon by many business men, soldiers and diplomats, giving a hesitant welcome to the special United States Economic Mission to Indo-China, just established by the State Department.

Announcing the mission’s establishment, in a letter to Emperor Bao Dai of Viet Nam, Mr. Edmund A. Gullion, charge d'affaires of the United States Legation, stated recently: “My Government has reached this decision in order to assist Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam to restore stability and pursue their peaceful and democratic development.” The American Note added: “The Government of the United States recognises that this American assistance will be complementary to the effort made by the three associated States and France, without any intention of substitution. American aid is designed to reinforce the joint effort of France and the Governments and peoples of Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam, on whom rests the primary responsibility for the restoration of security and stability ”

Funds Whittle Down

When the first American economic mission under the chairmanship of Mr. Alien Griffin, visited Saigon in March last, ‘he overa'l sum of 100,000.000 dollars was mentioned as the full extent of aid to 'he thro? kingdoms As the weeks wore on. 'he sum was whittled down at Washington to 15.000.000 dnl lars for economic aid and an unspeci fieri sum. unofficially estimated at 25.000,000 inll-rs for military aid Ad ditinnally Indo-China was to receive nnrt of 'he un«nent residue of American aid to Nationalist China, amounting, it w->s rarioudv r-'onrtod. to between 20.000 000 and 35,000.000 dollars Specific figures are still awaited. American diplomats in Saigon stated an announcement would probaly be in Washington in June. Such aid as will be given, they added, would be linked, hut not subsidiary to. general Anglo-American-Mistralian aid for Burma, Malaya, the Pb’TiDO’nes and Indonesia. French official reaction is favourable to the American economic mission—if onlv because France cannot afford to run counter to American proposals and beca"«" th n overwhelmin'* propor (ion of lIS military aid will go to flm French A'’mv in Tndo China. Tofb'rotia] French business circles, in Tndo-Chinn are crif’cal. A f ew think that more dollars in Indo-China will mean more business for them, but the mninritv pnnearod to agree with a n rnirin o at number of 4t, e Chamber nf who said: “We fear an influx of American goods will dr-’ve w«nrh off the market. So far, French nreriuc's' ha' r o eoloved a nro inotiv" fari'T Doac American aid mean that Ar’erj-on goods will come to Indo “It Can Happen Here”

Tt can haooen here too. they con tended. A senior French armv officer commented: “If Britain and Australia soent the millions sterling thev nrooos? to give norma on their own defence. tUo.. ,vo"'d be more reali'dir" ,T ~ "ddpd; - You are nouring monev down tbn drain. v n o cannot '‘•'m fro R->a Cdp with dollars, refrigerators, or films, or roi’od un guerrillas with mrri lp nical olotwhs,” Whaf is wanted in Indo China” The Frp*i rl h answer o'*’marilv military equipment; mora '■'iks, guns, aircraft, a’””'our ad riv°vcrnft.

Tbp itv- oe kingdoms—which have so far fajicd to agree between themselves on the te-opertlonal allotment of American a-’d—demand agricultural and oo”th-movina mtHunerv.. electrical. rai’Hvnv and bui'din" eouiomonf. fer-tiltsoi-s —ond hard ca c h in n'entv. Tb« ppa-ant wou’d ovobablv reph’ “First freedom from fear of Viet Minh raids, tiro more water '-itfaio-'q and oxen” R"t in Oriental fbo na-is-nt 's s-uont. patiently e 0a,,..;,-,o |i o Uis f or 1 000 vears. Pna : o V ; at, Minh. Communist-eon h-ol’od station b"oodea-iing from _*he voli-d 7000 near tbo f”onl ,o r. oamment'od eousfieal'v on b" UB Aid rpnn “in-* \t-oi nle'icina liberty p or Miol-ov Mouse films. Ministers w ; " biiv shiny American c-u-s. peasants "”'l ri'ion Pu*v free” In that ease, why rl-iouM A mormons ho m'« —r, n privilege den : cd to British roods”” Possible Misuse of Aid If has been said, pcrihly with a grain of u*iv truth, that U.S aid may indirectly subsidise ooium growing in T aos. purchase more concubines for Cambodian rovnltv. enrich proprietors of Seimo roulette salons and the host of intr'"uora for nomooni p n d political po’-or in this troubled land. T'm special a : d mission will be headed bv Mr. Robert Blum, a competent admin’s'rator nf the Economic Cooperation Administration, who will noon sub missions in Laos. Cambodia -md in Hanoi, c-mmi of North Vm- 1 Ham. with headquarters office in

Sn ! "on. A '’ro’-dirm to banking ctrc'"" nual salaries and overheads of the mission vil' "dual the operational cost of a hnt tleshin.

French newspapers ’n S" ir, nn have expressed fear ffint T n do China may Qvrln I--'- 1 - '

Ihe Americans may financially and oolitie a iiv oust France from the coun(’•v in the sa"’" v—- ns thev allege Brttgin persuaded France to

T eh-inoo and c "’''a in l 0 "'' American r’le’nmats scoffe-) at the suggestion which, thev- said, reflected a "colonial mepfalil v.”

Frenehmen rcoHed that American end Australian pressure forced the Dule't to "rant r'—-”->letc independence to T n dopee ; a —U S A threatened <o vnt'-d’-nv' Mart-hall . A ’’d from Holland—|hn recu't b'U’V* n hle, V to P<»ntUri?Seid p)uteh business. fa" of Dutch n'«s nn-i they ohameed. a new market fp.. Ae'erleep PX "(Vf'"‘S. A Viet Nri"eese r- e. ys« a rfno i,l TT.apni "nmrre-ited “Re far. Americeo aid h"s <a de c natch of a mission dhe chief of wffi-h is paid I°n tt’-ees the salarv of ibe p-emier). a lo( n r r^eec u "s "od some r’fles. none of cm * ” vil’eeec \\r „ \y,« n * In iri'o'T he-" •’•'•'eh. and wbat \v» am in and how much we have to pay for it.” Editor Warned The editor was warned that his journal wou’d be ordered to suspend publication if such comment was repeated, the press censors contending with some justification, that the comment played into the hands of Viet Minh Communists. The article had. however, voiced the opinion of many intelligent Viet Namese. Laotians and Cambodians. A leading Cambodian official said: "We want American aid. but we feel wo should be trusted to administer it ourselves. not to have to apply lo an American for permission to spend." Recent statements in the ..House of Commons by British Foreign Secretary. Mr. Ernest Bevin and at, Washington by Mr. Dean Acheson hinting broadly that France should grant Viet Nam a still-wider measure 0 f independence, have not pleased French officials here. They said that the administrations of the three kingdoms had not proved conspicuously successful in meeting all the responsibilities conferred upon them by the agreement of March last year.

In anv case, thev asserted the defence of Indo-China remained a French responsibility, terribly expensive in men and monev. Though none will admit it publiclv for obvious noMtical reasons, several Viet Namese politicians, have said in private that a wider grant of self-government would prove more embarrassing than helpful at the moment, owing to a chronic shortage of experienced administrators and in tcrnal terrorism.

Meanwhile. _ hotel and restaurant keepers in Saigon. Pnom Penh and Vientiane arc rubbing their hands in gleeful expectation of the arrival of

American mission staff with personal dollars to spend Bookstalls begin to display old copies of American magazines and chemists advertise old dysentery remedies under new names such as “President’s' purge.”