The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-12-15
SOUTHERN ASAT1c
PICTURE DISPLAYS
WIDE CONFUSION
BY CHARLES GRI-M,cu

SA1GON-P)- The political
military picture in Indochina , ana
like g Mexican stardoff lo0As
Balkan deadlock with subtIa ,D a
entail complications and inter.,' vi,
divergence of aim and purpos ,.ea
1t shows the Chinese disarr,;
surrendered SUI; japanese north Of '-t tss
10th parallel and leaving rn, ule
Tested the anti-French Wet nT;!,
government seated 1t Hanoi Tsa
British, meanwhile, are nran,n tne
to withdraw after disarminrg %' ing
Japanese south of the demarcS..; we
line, halving the country, wSiIe .Ua
French forces spread their ro ale
cupation area outside ss;1o
aga inst hostile harassment NJ 9 :.
Annamites. " Tile
The French estimate it will t,..
several months to recover tS sae
colonies a n d protectorates v bielf
formed tn e prewar Indo "tisa
union. The Wet Mini SLOGAN -"
mains independence Or Death - =
1t is only a question Of finn.
and arrival of reinforcementS b
fore the French complete the snh
jugation of the Ann.r,;+o. '0O'
southern Indochins', where tbar
gained their initial reoccunatio,
foothold in an alliance with IN.
British. The Indian 10th division
entered the picture with the sola
avowed intention of disarming tbs
Japanese, but they mcidentsIv
provided the French with Their
bridgehead to reconquest.
The Chinese-ruled north provide,
an entirely different picture. Tas
French are dealing with the Chi.
nese in the hope of obtaining per.
mission to rearm 4,5OO French
troops who have been idling in the
Hanoi citadel since they were dis.
armed by the japanese last March
8. And to return an equal mum.
Der, wi tn arms, from China
whence they fled in the wake o,
the Japanese coup.
The Hanoi scene sharply con.
trasts in many respects to S:igop
where isolated nightly shootings
and terroristic day and night gre.
nadings continue, and arriving co.
lonial troops swing through tho
streets to the Annamite battle.
fronts.
It has been calm in Hanoi since
Oct. 81 when Annamites shot
some Frenchmen in an armed
cls sh between the Wet Mini and
the small rival Dong Mini Anna.
mite f a ct ION. The clash was
stopped by Chinese troops. The
Dong Minis, described as lean.
ing toward the Chinese national.
lists, were celebrating Sun Vat
Sens birth anniversary.
Another contrast shows most Of
the Annamites have deserted their
So lyon and Cslolon homes, while
in the Chinese-guarded national
capitol in North Cochin China, ap.
proximately $4,000 French ci.
villains, stroll about with unarmed
citadel soldiers, under the noses Of
the Annamite armies and the Wet
Mini government.
The Chinese, concerned with dis.
posing of $4,000 japanese in the
north, and the British, with 10000
in the south, ostensibly are disn.
terested bysts nders, keepers Of the
almost-forgotten former enemy
Since the first French liaison
was established by plane which
flew from Hanoi to the Saigon
headquarters of Commissioner
Adm. Dargenlieu and Gen. LIE
Clerc, regular air traffic has been
established. French planes carry
administrative and military per-
sonnet between S ig on Hanoi,
Running and Chungking unmo'
Tested.
The Chinese hold the key to the
whole situation north of the 18th
parallel, and have large forces es'
tablished and in transit from
southern China, through Tonkin TO
board American ships taking them
to garrison mission duty In For
mosa and Manchuria.