Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-09-16

What Prince Souvanna
Phouma and Gen. de Gaulle
are now suggesting Is that
the real problem Of South
east Asia will not be solved
until the same solution is
applied in Wet Nam.
Whether or not this might
be possible depends, of
course, on more than the
willingness Of the United
States to consider the idea.
1t also depends on the will
ingness Of Red China. Here
perhaps lies the real differ
ence between the point of
view in Paris and Washing
ton.
American experts appar-
emily still regard China as
the chief villain in the con-
flict in Wet Nam. They be-
lieve that it Is simply an ex-
preston Of China's dyna-
mic policy Of expansion, and
that II 1t is not countered
with determined commit
ment of American power,
China's preponderant pres
ence in Southeast Asia will
automatically bring the en-
tire area under Communist
domination. ...,
Gen. de GauI1e'S outlook
does not completely contra
dict this American view.
His thinking about Wet
Nam is based simply on the
idea of an existing military
stalemate in the area during
which neither side is likely
to win q clearcut military
victory over the other.
He is also anxious to ex-
plot what he reads as q
weakness Of China's position
in the wake Of the split with
Russia and the serious inter-
nal economic problems the
Chinese face.
Gen. de Gaulle's hopes are
also based on the, univer-
sal WEAKNESS within Wet
Nam itself Of a struggle
which imposes enormous
sacrifices on the people on
both sides of the 18th parallel
and which appears to be-
come more futile as time
goes OH. ..-
1t echoes, incidentally, the
recent prediction of North
Wet Mans Communist preSi-
dent, Ho Chi Mini, that uni
fication with neutrality is
probably the only possible
solution for Wet Nam.
Change Of Government
Achieving any such solu-
ton will not come easily or
quickly. It certainly would re-
quire, for one thing, the re-
placement Of the present
government Of South Wet
Nam, And, though Gen de
Gaulle would certainly de-
plore any Manifested foreign
influence" along this line,
he would not be sorry to
see the departure Of Ngo
Diem Diem and his family.
Even thinking in terms
Of such an ultimate solution
which is, after all, all that
Gen. de Gaulle Is suggesting
may seem to many people
Impractical" or "unrealis-
tic"
Curiously enough, how
ever, these views are shared
in large measure, according
to reports here, by Frederick
Noting. the former Ameri-
can Ambassador in Saigon.
II Is true that Mr.. Noting,
who has now been replaced
by Henry Cabot Lodge, did
not have a particularly
happy stay In South Wet
Nam or a particularly gra-
cious treatment from his SUI
periors in Washington. New
ertheless, when he was In
Paris on an earlier tour OF
duty, he was considered
here as one OF the ablest
and most promising career
man in the American For
eign Service.
Whatever may happen in
Wet Nam, however, is again
almost incidental to the
pursuit Of Gen. de Gaulle's
grand international design.
This design, for better or
worse. will certainly be
around for o long time to
come. 1t will be pressed with
the same exaSperatinR. i'm
perturable tenacity that has
characterized the Generals
leadership. ....s
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