The Wilmington morning star., 1945-09-06
AMMAN MAY PROVE
TROUBLE SPOT IN
PEACE WITH JAPAN

Warnings of opposition to tho =.
sumption of French rule !,
frances former Protectorats -,
AMMAN now Japan's puppet stat.
of Wet Nam, bear witness 10 ~
difficulties the United Nation,
must face on the road to vor,s
peace. The situation issues ,ro..
an agreement reached by II.
Vichy government and J.n.
whereby Japanese forces w,..
permitted to occupy specified
areas and places in AMMAN as MI;
itary and naval bases.
AMMAN, says the National Con.
graphic Society, is one of the t;r.
states h a t made up prew.,
French Indochina. 1t is an 72o
mile strip of territory edging III.
S-shaped coast fronting the south
China Sea. Width varies from
about lis miles in the north IA
some 100 miles in the south, with
the middle section narrowing n On
miles.
Mile-high mountains rise within
Is to 80 miles of the coast. Hills
and plains fill the space between
the mountains and the sea. Manv
streams flow from the high
ranges.
Climate is hot and moist. Rain.
fall is heavy, at times causing
rivers to burst out of their bank
and sweep over large lowland
areas in damaging floods. Ty.
phoons rip across the sea, and &C.
casionally shatter coastal towns
and villages.
A little larger than the State O,
Illinois, with a prewar population
of 6,211, 900, AMMAN had trouble in
feeding its people with its own
produce. Rice is the chief food
product, some districts yielding
two crops a year. Fish is a ira.
ditional part of coastal diet. Veg.
etables and tea are grown on hill.
side terraces. Other important
products are sugar cane, coffee,
tobacco, medicinal plants and cot.
ton.
The principal minerals mined in
AMMAN are iron, copper, zinc, and
gold. In the country's outflowing
trade stream have been fine baci.
net woods, sugar, cinnamon, tea,
and silk goods.
Tigers, leopards, deer, buffalo
and other wild animals roam the
uplands. Big game hunting was a
major attraction. Natives spoke
fearfully of the tiger as His Lord.
ship, and in some places set up
shrines to show their veneratlon.
Origin of the Annamese is in
doubt. There is evidence that they
came from the north several thou.
sand years ago, conquering the
resident CHAINS, a mixed race Of
Malays and Hindus. The highlands
are the home of the Mois, a peO
pie little above savagery. Long
dominated by China, the civillza'
ton of AMMAN developed under an
emperor or king, a corps of civil
and military officials with the title
of mandarin, an body Of
scholars stepped in the lore Of
Confucianisrn. Buddhism is nom'
nally the principal religion, though
several other beliefs are actively
represented.
French intervention in the af
fairs of AMMAN began about l787
with the avowed purpose Of as
surfing the safety of native Chris
tians. A protectorate was estao'
lished in 1884. Under this orm o9
government France has been rep
resented by a resident official
who advised the king and his
council of ministers in accordance
with the wishes of the French gov
eminent.
fields of French influence was en-
cheering. Railways, roads, haroof
works (notably at Tourane, the
chic port, irrigation projects
and mining developments were
yearly becoming mo e numerous
before the war. The influence Oh
yearly becoming mo numerou,
before the war. The influence OIL
French architecture was reaolly
apparent in Hue, AMMAN capl,a
and largest city, with about oV''
G00 1,ror,,, J,yo11orc