Evening star., 1940-12-26
BY GLENN BABB,

| Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.
NEW YORK, Dec. 26.-The efforts
OF Frenchmen to retain control of
French Indo-China. and of Japanese
| to swing this rich domain into their
Greater East Asia" are approaching
q showdown.
The Japanese, already firmly es-
tablished in the northern part of the
colony, are showing intense interest
In the south, which contains among
other desirable things a naval base
of great natural strength at Camranh
Bay, on the southeast coast, and the
rich port of Saigon.
Maj. Gen. Raishiro Sumita, head
of Japan's military mission in Indo-
China, is visiting the Saigon area,
ostensibly to investigate recent ma
tive outbreaks there against French
rule.
The same disorders have called
Gov. Gen. Admiral Jean Decoux to
the south. The French have given
evidence of keen alarm lest the
Japanese seize the opportunity TO
move into the south with troops,
planes and warships.
Further, the Japanese are seeking
sweeping economic concessions which
British and Chinese reports insist
will in effect end French rule in
Indo- o-China. Some 30 French officials
arrived recently in Toxic for the
next phase of these negotiations, al
ready begun in Hanoi, and the out
come may become a milestone in
Far Eastern history.
Seldom has land been in sorrier
plight to face power seeking
mastery than this Oriental outpost
of Frances empire.
Indo- China Desirable Territory.
The situation is such as to invite
Japanese domination-is such. in
deed, that the japanese would be
exercising almost unprecedented
restraint if they kept hands off.
Indo-China is desirable territory
still nominally governed by a broken
empire, beset by vengeful neighbor
-Thailand (Siam)-riven by in
ternal discord, divided by the strife
of Frenchman against Frenchman-
the Vichy-De Gaullist conflict.
And Japan, one of the great eX-
panding empires of the age, has
military boot thrust within the door.
Indo-China has become the i'm
mediate field for Japan's surge to
the south. which history may record
as one of its greatest imperialist
movements. A land larger than
Texas and more populous than
Spain apparently is In process of
changing masters.
The United States has declared
its interest in this process. Last
September Secretary of State Hull
said Japan's acquisition of bases in
French Indo-C -China-then in pros
pect, now a fact-would have an
unfortunate" effect on. public
opinion in the United States.
To this admonit.on Japan paid no
apparent heed. Her troops now are
garrisoned in Hanoi, the capital, and
Haiphong, chief port of the north;
and several bases along the northern
border, adjoining China, have been
taken over by the japanese air
force.
Japan's army and air forces in
Indo-China are more numerous and
far better armed than those of the
nominal French masters. Within the
last few days dispatches from Hanoi
have reported the Japanese rapidly
enlarging their air bases, bringing In
formidable new squadrons of bomb
ers and other types of aircraft.
Trustworthy figures on this con-
centration of military power are
lacking, but it is reported sufficient
to impose Tokio's will on the en-
feebled French administration at
any time force seems called for, and
1t is building bases from which still
further advances into the rich
colonial lands of the south may be
launched.
Few experienced observers in that
part of the world believe that
Japan's foothold in Indo- China is
anything but beginning.
Japan's expansion on the CONT
nent of Asia and in its island fringes
already was well under way before
the European war opened, its latest
phase beginning with the conquest
of Manchukuo in 1881 and continue
ing with the invasion of nearly all
Northern and Eastern China from
1887 on.
But the conflict in Europe and
the crushing NaZi victories over the
7th, 9th and E SITS.