Evening star., 1955-10-30
Coup BY Diem
Roises Hopes
OF West Bloc
BY GERALD WARTNG
speeiaI Correspondent Of The star

sAIGoN.T The custer Of Bao Dai
as Chief Of State Of Wet Nam II
only partly explained by the soy-
ernment's alleged fears that the
former Emperor was playing footsis
with the Communists In North Wet
Nam.
Ever since Bao Dai tried unsuc-
cussfully last spring to dismiss
Premier Ngo Dinh Diem It's been
obvious that Q showdown had to
come between the two men. The
only questions were when. and
under what conditions.
Diem picked the time-last Sum
day--and the method. . referen.
dunn. The question he put TO the
people was only nnminally whether
Bao Dai should be retained as
Chief Of State or deposed. The
real question, spelled out BY his
governments active opposition to .
Bao Dai, was whether the people
wanted the popular Diem or the
unpopular ex-Emperor and French
puppet as their national leader.
The result seemed to bear out
the words Foreign Minister WI Van
Mau used when I questioned him
about the Bao Dai problem:
''Bao Dais disastrous politics, his
dissolute ways and the life Of in-
decent luxury which he lives far
removed from his people have pro-
duced . profund disapproval among
the Wet Nanaese people" Mau said.
As d result OF the referendum.
Diem has Ia effect succeeded Eeo
Dai rs Chief Of State. The only
moves needed To formsli1e his new
status are the Transformation, and
Diem's election as president.
The Real condid1tes
( The consequence OF the new turn
of events Is that Diem and Ho Chi
Mimi, president Of the Communist
republic In North Wet Nam, are on
d more equal footing In appealing
for support among all the Wet
Namese people. They are the cam
didates Of the opposing, ideologies
for the leadership OF the nation.
with no absentee playboy to confuse
the issue.
Another consequence foreseen
here is that Diem's coup viii
strengthen his country's independ-
ence OF France. It is generally
believed in informed circles here
that France was behind Bao Dai,s
effort to fire Diem last Spring. Now
the Quai D'Orsay's influence over
Bao Dai no longer matters to Wet
Nam.
BY this and earlier moves Diem
has established the fact as well m
the theory Of Wet Namese independ.
erce. He has established goyern-
nent control Of the army ct the
expense of the French high COM
inand. and has used the army to
break the resistance put up BY the
private armies of the Hoa Hao and
Binh xuyen sects. He has fomented
and encouraged divisions within the
Gao Dai which have rendered that
sect irnpotent, as q threat TO his
regime.
Diem Is combing the public serv-
ice and the country 10 clean out
secret Communists. He has M
augurated monetary reform pro-
gram. and Is cracking down on
price fixes and black marketeers.
He has refused to talk election
with the red regime ID the north
which the Communists charge In
o breach Of the armistice agree
ment. Fortunately for Diem. the
bigger Wet Mini army (25O.00O
compared with Diem's ITO O,0O0)
cannot mount sustained offensive
without logistic support from China
and perhaps Russia and the cur
rent EaSe-West rapprochement
probably means, in the opinion of
observers here, that China and
Russia would not now sanction re-
sumption Of the war to attain thu
uniflcation Of Wet Nam under
Communist rule.
Diem Is Populor
Diem's reception by the people
when he travels outside Saigon, az
well as the referendum results, i'm
dicates his great popularity. Yet
there are areas IN his realm where
his governments writ doesn't run.
There is apparently no reliable
intelligence on the magnitude Of
Wet Mimi infiltration. have heard
q French assessment that the Wet
Mimi control 35 per cent of South
Wet Nam. But the American
opinion is that the government con-
trols all the main population areas.
and Wet Nam government officials
say the Red underground Is being
betrayed to the authorities by the
people It was supposed TO be con-
trolling.
There Is considerable diversity Of
opinion among foreign observers In
Wet Nam as to whether Diem Ii
the man to keep the country OUT
side the bamboo curtain. Honest.
energetic. intensely nationalistic
and anti Communist though he
may be. 1t Is said that he Is not .
smart enough politician and leader
to cope with Ho Chi Mini and
Pham Van Dong.
This criticism maybe largely the
result Of . defeatist attitude. But
even Diem's most constant critics,
the French, agree with the Ameri-
cans when the latter say that all
other reputable South Wet Namess
leaders are tainted by earlier as
sociation with the French. and that
whatever Diem's shortcomings, only
he has q chance to save Wet Nam
from communism.