Evening star., 1954-04-25
Lost Of q Series.


How can America prepare for
the changes of leadership in the
offing?
. How will the impending shifts
affect American conduct at the Big
Four -plus-Red China conference on
Far Eastern affairs which opens in
Geneva tomorrow?
The Situation Today
In the preceding six parts of this
series we have found the following
country by-country situation:
Korea. Syngman Rhee. the Presi-
dent and undisputed leader of his
people. is 78. A mad scramble for
his mantle is almost inevitable
when he steps down or dies, because
he carefully knocks down all rivals.
Japan. Premier Shigeru Yoshida,
73. is expected either to retire soon
or possibly be ouSted as the result
of bribery scandal His successor
probably will be another conserva-
tive, but one less likely to follow
the United States lead.
FormoSG. Chang Kai-shek, 66, is
in good health and firmly in control
of Nationalist China. If he is re-
moved from the scene Unexpectedly
either government by committee
or continuation of dictatorship
with democratic trappings) under
Chen Chung, former premier and
new vice president, or Chang Ching
kuo. the generalisSimo's son, is ex-
pected.
Philippines. Ramon Magsaysay,
46, is firmly entrenched as president
at least until the end of 1857. After
he gets the Philippines considerable
internal problems under control, he
can be counted on to back the United
States anti-communist policies with
vigor.
Indo-Chind. Two Wet Namese
leaders are contending for the al
legiance of their people: Ho Chi
Mimi. a Communist whose wide pop
ularity stems from his nationalistic,
anti-French policies; and Bao Dai,
F'rench-Supported ex-emperor whose
inSiStence on an orderly march to-
ward independence at Frances pace
has opened him to widespread SuS-
picion as French puppet.
The free World has accepted Bao
Dai and seeks to rally non-C -Commun-
ist Wet Namese around him because
there is a deplorable lack of lead
erS in the country. They can't find
any one better.
A change is on the way in Wet
Nam. either for the worse to Ho, or
for the better to Bao Dai or-more
likely in case anti-C Communist forces
prevaiEto an elected nationalist
leader.
In Cambodia and Laos, limited
monarchies are still popular. King
Norodom Sihanouk in Cambodia is
only 81 but seems to be able to
command the respect of his people.
In Laos, King Sisavang Wong has
completed SO years on the throne
and his son is a likely successor.
The elected assembly works closely
with him.
Good Field Reporting
To cope with the impending Far
Eastern transitions of power. the
State Department should study the
changing scene constantly, looking
over the field of possible successors
in countries where change seems
imminent and making what prepa-
rations are possible.
The Importance of putting compe-
tent observers on the scene and
giving them complete freedom to re-
port things as they see them is
automatic. 1t was the impression of
this correspondent in his recent
tour of the Far East that the State
Department is still getting realistic
reporting from that area, with the
possible exception of Indo- China.
At any rate, the much-deplored
pressure toward conformity by some
Congressional investigators have not