A Shift of Emphasis

More than diplomatic courtesy, or even military coordination, is involved in the flurry of international visits between the Korean and Indo-Chinese fronts. A stepped-up priority for Indo-China is in the works. Conviction grows in Washington and Paris that a relatively small increase of pressure there might bring a decision more quickly than in Korea.

Last month France's No. 1 soldier, Marshal Alphonse Juin, visited Korea, and paid particular attention to U.S. methods of training South Koreans. Last week General Mark Clark, U.N. Supreme Commander in the Far East, boarded his Constellation at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, and took off for Indo-China.

In Saigon, Clark had a three-hour briefing by French Commander Raoul Salan and the Vietnamese chief of staff, Nguyen Van Hinh. Salan told him that all signs point to "a very violent Viet Minh push in Laos soon," the Communists apparently having given up for now their hope of driving the French out of the Hanoi delta. Clark also had a 25-minute chat and a few sips of dry champagne with Emperor Bao Dai. The general made a hit by remarking: "The French here are making really efficient use of arms we deliver to them, and surely don't need to be stuffed with advice on how to use them."

A ten-man team from Indo-China has just wound up a close study of U.S. training areas in Korea, and plans are afoot to increase the number of Viet Nam troops from 150,000 to 200,000 by the end of the year. Last week Washington called home its able ambassador in Saigon, Donald R. Heath, to take part in the conferences with France's Premier Rene Mayer. Said Ambassador Heath: "I should like to underline once more my unshakable conviction that the Associated States [of Indo-China] will be successful in protecting their freedom," and that a military solution is possible "within the reasonably near future."

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