Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-18
Evacuation Set
In Any Event;
Rebels Poised
By tho Associated Press


"A high French official said to-
day the 5000 French civilians
in Hanoi will start moving out
as soon as a cease-fire is an
nounced or negotiations at
Geneva break down..
The statement came as French
Union forces and the Commu-
nist-led Wet Mimi rebels fought
bloodily but indecisively north
and west of Hanoi.
The French evacuation official
said he assumed a cease-flre
would be accompanied by safe
conducts enabling the French to
get away unframed.
At Trung CHA, French Union
and Wet Mimi military staff Off
GERS continued meeting daily on
"regroupment" plans for mill
tary forces to go into effect with
a ceaSe-f1re.
Two French mobile infantry
columns, clamping an East West
wise on Wet Mimi infiltrators,
drove rebel troops to the north
ern fringe of the Red River Delta
in the important Luc Nam sec
tor 80 miles northeast of Hanoi.
French units pushed back Red
forces near Son Tay, Is miles
west of the Delta capital.
But the rebels moved back
into both areas Scant hours after
they had melted away in front of
the French drives. Divebombers,
artillery. and tanks backed up
5000 French and Wet Namese
infantrymen at Luc Nam and
another 1000 near Son lay.
The Wet Mini maintained a
steady pressure against. the en-
circled Red River Delta as the
time neared for a Geneva de-
cisien on whether it is TO be war
or a cease-f1re in northern Wet
Nam
Red Divisions Poised.
Communist General Vo Nguyerr
Clap kept his six divisions ready
to. move into Hanoi under a
cease-f fire pact, or attack If peace
talks break down.
A smashing rebel attack to
capture Hanoi seemed certain if
there is no cease fire agreement
soon.
Hanoi awaited it's fate with
the same apthy it has shown all
year. Only for a brief few days
after the French pulled out of
the southern zone of the Delta
two weeks ago was there any
furry of excitement here.
French, American and British
authorities at that time advised
all their civilian nationals with
out vital business in the city to
move out. The French evacuated
pregnant French wives to Saigon
and Haiphong. Rich Wet Namese
and those with long pro-French
records damned airline Offices
to get tickets to Saigon.
City Again Lethargic.
All that has died down in the
past few days. Lethargy has
gripped the city once again, and
every one is waiting. The French
and foreign population awaits
the signal to set in motion evac-
uation plans for execution. Wet
Namese wait for whatever will
happen to them.
The last American woman left
Hanoi today. Helen Callbeck,
with ties in Kansas, California,
and Chicago, boarded trans
port plane for Cambodia after
eight months here teaching pri-
vate English classes.
Only II American correspond
ents and a scant number of other
Americans remain. The Ameri-
can Consulate in Hanoi refuses
to say exactly how many Amer
leans are still here. Unofficial
checks indicate that four to six
missionaries in the Hanoi area
are the only ones, except for
newsmen and Government Of
dclalS.
In a renewed assault on enemy
supply lines. the French un-
leashed B-26 bomber raids on
conveys rolling down from the
Red China border to Lang Son,
70 miles northeast of Hanoi.
Damage inflicted was not an
nounced.