Thurtday, April 14, 1S55
Last Civilians Leave Haiphong as Communists Prepare To Take Over City
IGHT MEDFOHD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE
Qioemoy-liatsu Befense declared itHost
El Dsundersf ood Topic in WorOd Affairs
from th editor of the New York
World-Telegram & Sun wai filed from
Paris on the lat lee of a round-the-world
flight of six neeks. most of
which were spent in the trouhle spots
f the Far East a part of the world
with which the writer has been in
elose and constant touch for 30 years.
By ROY W. HOWARD
Editor. New York World-Telegram
and Sun
Distributed by United Press
Paris From SEATO to
NATO, from East Asia to West
em Europe, the military and po
litical spotlights are on Quemoy
and Matsu.
Even in this glare of publicity,
these tiny islands, almost un
heard of until the last few
months, continue as the world's
most confusing, provacative and
generally misunderstood topic
of discussion.
The chiefs of staff as well as
the man in the street are en
gulfed in confusion.
Opinions as to the importance
of the future fate of the islands
vary widely. To some nothing
more is involved than a small
real estate deal. To others, better
informed, the fate of the islands
m&y set up an historic milestone
for Communism's drive toward
conquest.
Meantime, the need for an in
formed American public opinion
is most pressing. Viewed from
either the Far East or Europe,
American opinion as reflected in
news dispatches of the state
ments of public figures seems
hopelessly confused over many
critical issues with which -ve are
legitimately concerned.
Paramount Issue
Simply stated, the paramount
issue is whether, when the Chi
nese Reds attempts as it is
agreed they ultimately will to
sieze Quemoy and the island
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group known as Matsu, the Uni
ted States will asist Chiang Kai
shek's forces in defending the
islands.
As a result of congressional ac
tion, America's ultimate course
will be determined by the Presi
dent. It is generally agreed that
this is as it should be.
America is committed to resist
any Red aggression against
Formosa and the Pescadores, and
believes that if there is a show
down Britain will back us up.
However, virtually all the Brit
ish and probably a majority of
the American public do not rec
ognize in any Red attack on the
offshore islands the same men
ace they recognize to Ve invol
ved in an attack on Formosa it
self. Realignment of opposing opin
ions in the pending controversy
may be of interest. To take them
separately, the arguments of
those opposed to American or
British assistance in the defense
of Quemoy and Matsu are that:
The controversial islands are
nearer to the Red mainland than
to Nationalist Formosa and 1 ave
too little strategic value to justi
fy chancing a major conflict.
The islands are unnecessary
to Chiang Kai-shek's defense of
the Pescadores or Formosa.
Possession by the Reds would
not deter any future anti
Communist move against the
mainalnd since they would be
unserviceable as stepping stones
or an attack base.
A clash with Red China over
Quemoy and the Matsus would
be another wrong war in the
wrong place at the wrong time.
Other Side of Argument
Supporting the other side of
the argument are probably 80 to
90 per cent of the top flight
American military and diplo
matic personnel operating in the
Far East. These professionals be
lieve that permitting the Reds
to take the islands could mean
the beginning of the end of Free
China. They also think it would
topple such shaky remnants of
American prestige as still exist
in the Far East. In support of
this position they argue that:
The islands are of great value
as a deterrent to aggression be
cause, -by minimizing Red ship
ping access to Amoy and Foo
chow, they retart. the buildup
and hamper the support of main
land forces opposite Formosa,
and since the island inhabitants
are fanatically anti-Communist
and unfaltering in their support
of Free China, thousands would
face certain execution if captured.
Chiang's unaided defense of
the islands would be costly to
the Reds. With American sup
port the cost of the attack prob
ably would be prohibitive.
Chiang admittedly must de
fend the islands to preserve the
morale of his army of Nation
alist Chinese who voluntarily ac
companied him to Formosa to
fight Communism. These men al
ready have strategi:ally retreat
ed so many times under Ameri
can pressure that another with
drawal would shatter the army's
confidence both in Chiang's lead
ership and American support.
Nationalists Needed
This is important to America
because without a dependable
Chiang army American troops
will be necessary to insure the
continuance of Formosa, an out
post of America's Pacific defen
se. Millions of Chinese reside in
Burma, Thailand, Indochina, Ma
laya, the Philippines and Indo
nesia where they frequently ex
ercise great political influence.
Many of these people are not en
thusiastic about Chiang Kai
shek but are overwhelmingly
anti-Red and recognize the Gen
eralissimo as the only present
hope 'for a Free China. They
want China freed from Commu
nism but know that this is only
possible with outside help. If
Chiang is forced to defend Que
moy and Matsu alone, the lack
of American assistance will shat
ter the belief of the overseas
Chinese that the free world is
really determined to block Red
aggression. Such a loss of con
fidence would be disastrous to
anti - Communism throughtout
Southeast Asia.
There is plenty of legitimate
ground for the difference of
opinion between the two schools
of thought. Neither side has all
the answers.
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Rats Scurry Along
Streets, Gutters;
Explore Rubbish
By ERNEST L. ZAUGG
United Press Correspondent
Haiphong, Indochina U.R)
The bell in the . tower of the
French Chamber of Commerce is
tiny and cracked and it tolls the
hours with an empty and mourn
ful sound.
This is appropriate. The bell is
ringing out the French empire
in North Viet Nam.
On May 18, this city which
Frenchmen built half way
around the world from their
homeland will be thrown open to
the Communists. Ho Chi Min's
forces already are at the gates,
ready to take over as agreed at
the Geneva Conference last
summer.
The last civilians to leave
were packing and heading south
today. They must be out by to
morrow. A token force of sol
diers will stay a while longer,
but already Haiphong is a city
without a master.
The rats seem to have taken
over. They scurry along the
streets and dive into gutters.
They explore heaps of rubbish
left by departing refugees. They
clamber aboard houseboats
which squat in the mud flats of
the canal.
Cats Watch
The cats watch and doze, too
lazy to interfere.
A pig has planted himself
squarely in the middle of a once
busy street. He seems to think
he is boss here now. He might
as well be.
The mayor of Haiphong, Pham
Van Dot, has bravely tried to
hold together a disintegrating
administration. His chief job
was to get as much equipment
and as many people out as possi
ble.
French businessmen, who
weathered many a storm in this
inflamed appendix of Asia, tried
to muster their traditional high
spirits for their painful depart
ure. Many said they were sure
that merchant ships flying the
tri-color would some day nuzzle
into Haiphong's dock again.
The French are not the only
ones going south. About half the
native population has gone, too
Many Vietnamese who once de
nounced French "colonialism'
have chosen to go with the
French rather than face an aus
tere and brutal Communist re
gime like the one they have
heard about from the north.
Priesi Ready
A Roman Catholic priest
moves about ... the emptying
streets of Haiphong with a pistol
in hand. He shoots mad dogs that
prowl the alleys. This keeps his
eye sharp. The Reds have al
ready tried to kill him -three
times.
Haiphong is an Asiatic Dun
kirk for the Catholic faith. Of
the half -million refugees' who
have passed through here en
route to the south, ' 90 per cent
are Catholics.
When the Communists arrive,
Haiphong will get a face-lifting
to make it look like other cities
under Red rule. The city will
probably be cleaned up.
"The rubbish will be picked
up, a longtime French resident
said, "picked up off the street
and put into people s heads.
Several Feared Dead
As Bridge Collapses
Woodville, Miss. (U.R) Rag
ing flood waters of the Homo
chitto river today halted rescue
attempts to reclaim uncounted
victims in cars that plunged into
the water when a bridge col
lapsed. Authorities had no idea of
how many persons died late
Wednesday when two center
sections of the 100-foot bridge
caved in. It was feared that at
least two or three vehicles top
pled 30 feet into the water.
Radio Station Dancing
Declared Not Unusual
Atlanta U.R) The Georgia
Supreme Court holds that danc
ing in a radio station is not
"unusual, unnecesary or un
reasonable." The Supreme Court reversed
a lower court decision in favor
of Trammel Chitwood. of Cal
houn, Ga.j who had complained
that stomping square dancers in
the radio station upstairs were
ruining his shoe business.
ZUD
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Nuclear Production
In Washington Eyed
Washington (U.R) The
Atomic Energy Commission said
today it has approved . a study
by the Puget Sound Utilities
Council to determine feasibility
of nuclear power production in
the state .of Washington.
"The purpose of the study,"
the AEC said, "is to determine
the nuclear power system of sys
tems most practical, technically
and economically, for future con
struction and operation in the
areas served by the member uti
lities and to estimate when such
construction will prove economi
cally feasible."
Members of the council are
the department of lighting a! the
city of Seattle, the light division
of the city of Tacoma, the Pugct
Sound Power and Light .Co. . of
Seattle, public utility district No.
1 of Snohomish county, and pub
lic utility district No. 1 of Che
lan county.
Senior CAP Members
Slate Meeting Friday
Senior numbers of the Med-
ford squadron of the Civil Air
patrol will meet at the CAP
building at the Medford airport
Friday, April 15, at 8 p.m.
The senior program and the
classes for all new probationary
members will be discussed. The
asistance of all members will be
needed on May 22 f or "the" cele--bration
of Armed Forces Day,
and the program for that day
will also be briefly outlined at
this important meeting, officers
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