Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-31

cation, Gen. de Gaulle was in
dicating disapproval of United
States policies in Wet Nam.
Senator Aiken said, however,
he did not understand why the
State Department appeared to
be baffled and annoyed by Gen.
de Gaulle's action.
AS a member of the Western
bloc, the Senator said, France
has a responsibility to help pre-
serve peace and resist COM
muniSm.
Aiken Qualities View
1--WE haven't seen any de-
tailed proposal, Of course, Sen
ator Aiken said. Maybe this is
a bid to reassert French influ-
ence In Southeast Asia.
France is trying to be i'm
portant. Let's take them up
on this. If this is not a bluff,
I'd go so far as to leave a great
part of our supplies and equip
ment in the area for them and
stay there during the transit
ton period"
United States policy makers
are deeply concerned about the
future development of the Wet
Nam crisis. which turns on a
political dispute between the
government of President Ngo
Dinh Diem and Buddhist and
student elements antagonistic
to the government. The United
States has been outspokenly
critical of government actions
against the Buddhists. includ-
ing many arrests and attacks
last week on Buddhist temples.
At the same time, United
States leaders have felt their
scope of action is limited be-
cause, as one official said,
there is a war on" and the
United States wishes to avoid
any action which would weaken
operations against Communist
guerrilla forces.
Alphand DicIOSes Topics
Mr.. Alphand said the Wet
Namese situation and Gen. de
Gaulle's statement were among
the topics he discussed with
Mr.. .Rusk. The meeting was
set up prior to Gen. de Gaulle'S
statement, Mr.. Alphand en-
phasized.
IT think Gen. de Gaulle's
statement is very clear" Mr..
Alphand said, and it includes
first an appeal to the entire
people of Wet Nam-not just
one section Of Wet Nam-an
appeal to the entire people OF
Wet Nam to recreate a ma
tional spirit and to foresee a
solution that will create unity
and peace internally and indie
pendence vis-a-vis the East
and West and a good neighbor
policy, especially toward Cam
bodia.
ut includes Also" Mr.. Al
phand continued, "a sort of
blame of the present situation
in Wet Nam and a condemna-
ton of the violence in Wet
Nam. From the French point
of view the solution will have
to be more political than mill
tary."
Envoy Interprets de Gaulle
What Gen. de Gaulle seemed
to be suggesting, as presented
by Mr.. Alphand, was that
France stands ready to assist
the Wet Namese people in the
Communist northern part of
the country as well as in the
war-torn southern part, to as
sert national unity and indie
pendence with freedom from
both Eastern and Western in
fluences-a policy Of neutrality.
The impractical aspect Of
this, as United States officials
see it, is that Gen. de Gaulle's
words might be listened to at
least by some people in the
southern part of the country
but that he has no possibility
Of a hearing in the north and
that the concept of neutrality,
therefore. has no workable APP
plication In Wet Nam.
Mr.. Alphand said Gen. de
Gaulle was talking in long
range terms. When questioned
about what he meant by Gen.
de Gaulle's expressing "a sort
Of blame of the present situa-
ton in Wet Nam" Mr.. Alphand
said the statement was not a