The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-02-26
By LARRY ALLEN


HANOI, Indochina R-The Wet
mimi forces generally attack at
night. They come out Of the jungle
with mortars, rifles, pistols, gren-
AIDES, knives and razor-sharp bam-
boo spears.
Against this kind of foe the
French Union forces even with
their American-supplied fire pow
er, never have been able to land
a crushing blow.
The average soldier on the
French-Vietnamese side is dead
tired of the shadOwy war fought
in jungle, rice fields and on forest
covered mountains. He is dead
tired, but goes on fighting-usually
against overwhelming numbers.
Indochina is half again as big
as France, and has Is million in
habitants. Wet Nam, with 20 mil.
lions, is the largest state. About
eight million of the Vietnamese
live in the areas controlled by
Communist Ho Chi Minis Wet
mimi forces. The other IL million
live in the zone of the Bao Dali
government. The French-Vietnam-
IeSe forces hold most of the richer
areas, principally the deltas of the
Red and Mekong rivers.
The conflict that has marred this
land for more than seven years is
baSically a civil war. To millions
of Vietnamese, Ho Chi Mimi is
the symbol of a fight for independ-
ence and an end to the remnants
of French colonialism. Many of
them dislike communism but still
admire Ho Chi Mimi.
The French count upon the in
creased zeal of loyal Vietnamese
as the hope of an eventual mill
tary victory.
French admit there Is much to
be achieved before the Vietnam-
csc become a first-claSs fighting
force-and before the people as a
whole realize there is a war on.
Overall casualties top one mil
lion killed, wounded, captured or
missing. The conflict has cost
France and the Indochinese about
10 billion dollars. Two million Wet.
namese have been uprooted from
their homes
The United States government
regards the war as a struggle
against the spread of communism
into Southeast Asia and hence at.
fecting the security of the "
States. 1t has cost the United
States half billion dollars an.
nually in war equipment supplied
since 1850. This year America will
pay out about 800 million dollars to
support the anti-CommuniSt strug-
gle.
Red China is supplying the Wet
mimi with 5000 tons of war equip
ment monthly. If it decided to
throw in regular or volunteer"
troops to help Ho Chi Mini, the
situation obviously would change.
Currently, one hope for ending
the war lies in the April confer
ence at Geneva, where Indochina
as well as Korea is to be discussed.
While some leaders of the Wet
namese government say the time
is not ripe to discuss peace. there
is an underlying eagerneSS for
peace among French Union forces
Including the fledgling armies of
Wet Nam, Cambodia and Laosl
and among those Vietnamese
aligned with Ho Chi Mimi. France
also is eager for peace.
Wet Mans Premier Prince Buu
Loo says Wet Nam wants a peace
that guarantees individual liber.
ties, respects the government of
the Wet Nam and the continuation
Of the Wet Nam nation" These
viii be guiding principles for the
NietnameSe, Cambodian and Lao
tan delegations at Geneva.
How far Ho Chi Minis demands
may be pressed probably viii rest
IN the hands Of Red China.
The fighting is in the final eight
weeks OF the winter. before the