VIII

MDa-602gazine PERI
READI ODICAL
NG
Published by The Vietnam Council on Foreignu Relations
Vol . I , Nº 2 1968
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 FROM OUR READERS

BEST YET !

Congratulations on your maiden issue ! VI - LILI

Its editorial content and pictorial presentation
are yet the best I have seen in its field in Vietnam .
Wagazine
Well chosen articles giving a picture of Vietnam to
day were enhanced by equally good photos printed Published by
with clarity that is rather uncommon here these THE VIETNAM COUNCIL
days. ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
I shall look forward to more excellent reading
Editorial Address :
and graphic fare from your magazine. I was indeed
fortunate to have been introduced to Vietnam Maga P. O. Box 932
zine through a visit to the Philippine Embassy . SAIGON , VIETNAM
More power to you!
RUBEN L. VILLA
Qui Nhon ASIA'S YOUTH

WELL -ROUNDED If your first issue is any indication, your magazine

I am impressed and grateful after reading « Dark
will find good acceptance in Indonesia. I have read
Tet to Remember in the first issue of Vietnam it from cover to cover and found it to be highly in
formative, entertaining, in short, gratifying.
Magazine. The article is well-rounded , provides a
vivid and clear picture of events from that day in I found your article on Vietnam's youth highly
January when the communists launched their attacks interesting. It gladdens the heart to know that like
and desecrated the sacred Vietnamese Lunar New the great majority of Asia's younger generation , they
Year holidays . are more preoccupied with serious than frivolous,
sometimes malicious and pernicious acts such as
I have scanned through heaps of newspapers , seems to be the case of the youth in many other parts
but never got as clear and comprehensive a picture of the world.
of the Tet and after - Tet occurence as I did from your It would be very welcome if you were to feature
article .
in a forthcoming issue more on Vietnam's youth,
Your other articles were also good. And your pho illustrated as effectively as you did your article on
tographs excellent! the Communist attacks during the Tet holidays.
TRAN LONG
D. SOEBARDJO
Saigon Djarkarta, Indonesia
FILLS THE GAP
PEOPLE FIRST
It was a great thrill for me to read the first
edition of the Vietnam Magazine, and what a pleasant You are to be congratulated for most rewarding
change after all the propaganda from Hanoi. Here reading matter in your maiden issue. In the absence
in England we have very little knowledge of the suf of similar publications regarding South Vietnam , I
ferings and the real concepts of the war in Vietnam . must confess to embarassing ignorance about goings
This is not laziness or ignorance but just a lack of on in your country. I do not mean news about the
any kind of literature, and now your magazine has strife against the Communists, however. We do get
filled the gap . the usual lines about the war in our newspapers.

Apart from the aspects of the war I think it The people, as far as I am concerned, of any
would be a good thing to try to show the world some country are bigger than any war imaginable. War
is material, or materiel, but people with their suc
of the Vietnamese culture, as we can only think of
Vietnam as a war-torn and suffering country. But, cesses, their failures, their occupations, their daily
routine, their hopes, their frustrations, and the day
obviously life has to go on even in the midst of war to -day activities that mark this as a world of human
and we would like to have a glimpse of what this beings can never be supplanted by the interests that
life is like. How about some articles on women's fash
ions, hairstyles, and the like? go with the blood and ogre that is fratricidal conflict.
conflict.
ANGELA COBB J. H. SIMMONS
Patcham , England Chicago, U.S.A.
1

1
Where do they stand ?

THE CHINESE IN VIETNAM

In a typical scene in Cholon,
Saigon's sister city, populated
mostly by Chinese, or to be more
accurate « Vietnamese of Chinese
descent» , the Cherry Orchard Res
taurant was decked out festively.
A big banner proclaimed in Chi
nese characters and in Vietnamese :
« Give generously to the Charity
Campaign . A large, locked woo
den box with a slot in the lid was
prominently displayed . When each
patron received his bill at the end
of his meal , he put the money into
the box instead of paying it to the
management. All takings for the
day were pledged to the relief
fund . The restaurant staff also
contributed their entire wages for th
the day.

The net take for the entire cam 贈最

paign amounted to the equivalent
of well over one million U.S. dol
lars. Forty - five million piasters
were handed over to the President
of the Republic of Vietnam. Forty
three million were donated to the

In traditional manner, Vietnamese of Chinese origin (left) in Cholon draw

attention to Dragon Dance about to begin to mark Lunar New Year .

Social Welfare Ministry. Thirty Social Welfare Ministry and to

nine million piasters were presen student organizations who collec
ted to the Mayor of Saigon. In ted supplies for the war victims.
addition , the Chinese relief com
Soft Under-Belly
mittee took care of nearly fifty
thousand refugees, both Chinese Cholon has taken the brunt of
and Vietnamese, who were shel the Viet Cong attacks which began
tered in Chinese schools and hos with the Tet offensive early this
pitals. The Chinese community year. One news correspondent call
donated rice, fish sauce , milk in ed Cholon the « soft under -belly
sect repellants and drugs to the of Saigon .» Many Vietnamese sus

2
pected that perhaps «the Chinese »
were really collaborating with the
Viet Cong since many of them still
have family ties with Communist
China. Some based their suspicions
on the fact the Viet Cong had
managed to establish supply depots
and operating bases in Cholon and
this, they reasoned, could not be
done without the complicity of the
Chinese. Suspicion spread with
articles in the Vietnamese press
which demanded that strong mea
sures be taken against the Chinese.
Wild rumours circulated all over
town that « numerous Chinese
communist cadres were helping the
Viet Cong in their onslaught on

2
Saigon . »

Slow to Assimilate

The Chinese in Vietnam are not

much different from the overseas
Chinese all over Southeast Asia.
Hardworking, thrifty, good busi
nessmen and merchants, many Upon arrival of 5,000 tons of rice from Taipei, a gift from the Republic
have prospered and in the process of China to victims of red aggression , Mrs. Ouyan Chung Yien , wife of
contributed to the economic well the special envoy of President Chiang Kai-shek , presents symbolic token
to Mrs. Doan Ba Cang, wife of the them Minister at the Premier's office.
being of their adopted country.
They have also been slow to assi
milate. They prefer to congregate
in their own communities where
they continue to practice their own tage of the deeply ingrained ten papers and magazines gave the
customs and traditions. Adroitly dency to remain aloof from politics. relief campaign big publicity and
they have managed to remain on But the Viet Cong overplayed their the effort was supported by bus
the fringes of the turmoil in Viet hand. There was too much terror, iness firms, trade unions and other
nam during the past thirty years. too much arson and too many kill groups. Some people contributed
Apolitical and bending like bamboo ings. There is a limit to how far five or even six times. The Cherry
with the prevailing political winds a bamboo can bend. Orchard Restaurant, for instance,
they have largely maintained their raised forty -thousand piasters in
low posture of splendid isolation . Nearly a Million its first drive and even one hundred
thousand the next. The Chinese
The massive Viet Cong Tet offen contribution to the relief fund com
sive against Cholon forced the There are nearly a million Chi pared favourably with the total
Chinese to make a decision about nese in South Vietnam , scattered amount raised by the entire coun
the war and their adopted country all over the country. Most of them , try. The Viet Cong succeeded in
- as distinct from their traditional more than half a million, live in turning the Chinese against them .
interests : their family and their Cholon . Aroused, they hit back the Large sections of Cholon today lie
business. The enemy took advan best way they could. Chinese news in ruins with many thousands
homeless, their belongings in ashes.
If the Viet Cong really believed
the Chinese of Cholon would pro

VC erred in hoping they vide the spark for the popular

uprising of Saigon , they could
not have been more mistaken.
Vietnamese of Chinese extraction
have proved themselves loyal citi
zens of the Republic of Vietnam .
could spark city revolt (MF).

3
 Special Reasons Propel
Sino- Vietnamese Amity
Events in commerce and industry seldom make Day , in Saigon and a similar «Vietnam Day, in
« big news » in the dailies, but occasionally progress Manila. Last November, a Nationalist Chinese trade
in the relatively unglamorous business world gets delegation , headed by Mr. Hawk Yee Fan, President
front-page attention. One such instance was in May of the Asian Industrial Corporation in Taipei, arrived
1966, when a business milestone was established with in Saigon to attend «Nationalist China Day. »
the organization of the Confederation of Asian Cham
bers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI). This Asian One result of the meetings between members
institution is headed by a Filipino, President, two of the Saigon Chamber of Commerce and the Nation
Deputy Presidents, one from Nationalist China, the alist Chinese delegation was the decision to open a
other from Japan, and a Korean Treasurer. « Vietnam House » in Taipei in the near future. This
was the idea of Mr. Pham Van Phi of the Saigon
The Public Relations Commission of CACCI is
Chamber who suggested the establishment of special
headed by a Vietnamese, Mr. Nguyen Huu Pha, who trade centers to publicize products of member coun
is also first Vice President of the Saigon Chamber tries. In Taipei's Vietnam House there will be a per
of Commerce. In June of 1967, during a three-day manent exhibit of Vietnamese products. Already the
meeting of CACCI in Tokyo, he proposed an action Saigon Chamber has requested Vietnamese indus
program , introducing special «national» days. This trialists to contribute samples of their specialities.
idea came from a highly successful « Philippine Another important result of « Nationalist China Day »
in the Taipei proposal to establish a workshop in
Vietnam to produce a wide variety of plastic articles.
Mr. Pha , as head of CACCI's Public Relations
Commission , is understandably pleased with the ex
cellent results of both «Philippine» and « Nation
alist China » days. Already envisaged are a « Japan
Day,» a «Korea Day,» and an « Australia Day. »
The devastating effects of war are clearly shown
in Vietnam's balance of trade. For instance , before
1961 , Vietnam's principal export to Taiwan was rice.
In 1967, however, Vietnam imported some twenty
formes thousand tons of rice from Taiwan. How rapidly and
drastically trade figures can be affected by war is
illustrated in these startling statistics of Vietnam
export figures to Taiwan in 1961 and 1962. From a
high of 2.1 million U.S. dollars in 1961 , exports drop
ped just about a year later to 0.25 million.
Foremost Dairies Viet-Nam S.A.R.L:
30 , THONG-NHULSAIGON.TEL:93.157 But, as Mr. Pha pointed out, it isn't all a matter
of dollars and cents only . Said he: «Nationalist
China and Vietnam are bound to further improve
friendly relations between the people of our two
... VITAL PRODUCTS countries. We pledge ourselves to advance mutual
assistance in every field and to foster closer cooper
FOR GREWING ation, particularly in trade and industry .»
Nationalist China's Minister of Economic Affairs,
NEEDS ... Mr. Kwoh Ting Li, also stressed that the security of
Southeast Asia is closely tied to that of the entire
Free World. Vietnam and Nationalist China have
therefore special reasons to cooperate as closely as
possible in their common aims for peace, freedom
and prosperity. — (MF )

4
 " LIKE A

BUNCH

OF BROKEN

DOLLS "

« It was eerie ; the quietness, no

S
Sergeant David P. Bullock , a military policeman with U.S. Army Head
one around, and Vietnamese bodies quarters Area Command's 716th Military Police Battalion, a U.S. Agency
scattered about the ground looking for International Development official, and a South Vietnamese carry a
seriously wounded South Vietnamese civilian to an ambulance after a
like a bunch of broken dolls. » terrorist grenade exploded in front of USAID headquarters in Saigon.
Two other victims -
a policeman and a woman lie on the ground .
Sound similar to an ambush
sight in the boonies or a Vietnam
ese village after the VC hit it ?
After the young MP's jeep had The official report listed four
No, neither one of those, just a screeched to a halt in front of the killed and seven wounded . All
spur of the moment description by
the first MP on the scene of the
USAID building, he began moving were Vietnamese.
the wounded to a Vietnamese Na
terrorist bombing at the U.S. tionalist Police vehicle which had « As soon as the bodies were
Agency for International Develop cleared away, the Explosive Ord
ment (USAID) in early Septem pulled up seconds after he stop nance Disposal team, which had
ber. ped.
been checking over the place look
« It began as any other day of «The first person I went to was ing for any other explosive devi
a Canh Sat (National Policeman) ces, told us that a grenade had
routine patrol. I was area super
visor for the 3rd Precinct in Car lying on the sidewalk . I felt for caused the casualties. We found a
30, » said Sergeant David P. Bul his pulse and listened for his USAID guard who saw the gre
heartbeat . There was none. The
lock, 21 , a military policeman with nade being thrown. He said that
Bravo Company, U.S. Army Head next person , a lady, also had none. it was tossed by a man on the back
quarters Area Command's 716th « The third was a man on his of a passing Honda.
Military Police Battalion. « Around back with his eyes open . He look
4 p.m., we were near the presi «Whoever did it has a lot on
ed at me and I said «no sweat ,»
dent's palace, only six blocks from his conscience. I know one thing,
USAID, when we heard the blast trying to get through to him that
I was going to help. He didn't I'll never forget the bloody sight
from the grenade. Immediately make a sound. I picked him up of all these people on the ground.
my driver and I headed for the It made an impression , a lasting
sound .
and carried him to the jeep.
one. »
« After that I don't remember
«As we were heading in , con Sergeant Bullock, who someday
how many wounded we picked up
tinued Bullock, a native of Sacre wants to return home and become
or how long it took us. It was like
mento, Calif. , « a signal 200 (ex I was in a daze. a California Highway Patrolman,
plosion near by) was radioed into then left to go back to his « rou
WACO, our operations center, by « As soon as we loaded one into tine » patrol. He's still on Car 30.
the Security Guard on duty at the the ambulance, which had since May be today will remain «rou
Splendid Bachelor Officer Quar arrived , we would run back to get tine. He hopes so, and so does
ters. We notified WACO where another. The only thing I could the rest of this teeming capital
we were and what we were doing. » think about was speed. » city of South Vietnam .

5
 FRIENDS OF VIETNAM
Three prominent South Vietna FOV Secretary Kenneth G. Gee , year. Members of the Liberal , Aus
mese have been invited by The barrister at Law, visited Vietnam , tralian Labor and Democratic
Friends of Vietnam to tour Austra July 5 to 15 and discussed with the Labor and Democratic Labor Par
lia in September and relate the South Vietnamese officials the best ties have joined the group. Among
story of South Vietnam's fight for form of civilian aid which Austra its members are Lieutenant-Gene
freedom . lians could extend . ral Sir Frank Berryman ; Jack
An organization to promote Cassidy, a Sydney barrister; Sir
friendship between the people of
Form of Aid Arthur Lee, the national president
Australia and South Vietnam, the of the RSL ; Sir Charles McDonald ,
Mr. Gee said : chancellor of Sydney University ;
FOV is headed by Dr. David M. -
Aid for South Vietnam would Zelman Cowen, Vice Chancellor of
Armstrong, professor of philoso
phy at Sydney University, who relate to resettlement of refugees. Sydney University ; James Mc
-
FOV would seek to arrange Auley, professor of Tasmania Uni
has been described by a former
colleague as a man who thinks permanent contacts between versity ; G. McCallum, professor,
head of political sciences, Univer
that « Communism is the greatest groups of Australians and South
threat to civilization in the whole Vietnamese . sity of South Wales ; S. N. Ray,
professor of Indian Studies, Mel
world. » FOV would make representa bourne University; Doris Fitton,
Invitations tions with the Australian govern O. B. E.; Richard Krygier, publish
ment to ensure that any peace in er of Quadrant ; Peter Samuel,
Invitations have been sent to the
Venerable Thich Minh Châu , a Vietnam was «a peace with free Head of The Bulletin , Canberra;
dom. » J. Riordan, labor union official:
Buddhist leader ; Tran Ngoc Buu ,
The FOV which includes four J. B. Broadbent , John O'Neil , and
head of the Confederation of
Labor ; and to a South Vietnamese knights and five professors was Elwyn Lynn .
politician. launched in Sydney on June 18 this
Blow to Freedom

At a press conference in Sydney,

Armstrong said that it is clear that
the great majority of the Austra
lian people support their govern
ment in its policy of « helping the
South Vietnamese, with both
military and civilian aid, in their
struggle against Communist take
over and for peace with freedom . »
« Most of us realize that if South
Vietnam fell under Communist
dictatorship it would be a crushing
blow to freedom , ” he declared.
« Communist movements in the
area might then be able to put the
whole of South -East Asia « through
the mincing machine. »
In the course of his Vietnam
visit, Gee said : «We plan to pro
pagate our Vietnam commitment
through the use of television , radio
newspapers, magazines and other
forms of mass media . »
He added that the FOV welcomes
Renowned Australian jurist Kenneth Gee converses with Senator Tran membership all over South -East
Van Lam ( left ), Chairman of the Vietnam Council on Foreign Relations, Asia and expressed the hope that
during his recent 10-day visit of South Vietnam . He is a staunch champion membership will surpass the two
of the cause of the Republic of Vietnam in the anti-Communist struggle thousand mark .
and is secretary - general of the Friends of Vietnam Association in Sydney .

6
 Passion for enlightenment

When upon assuming office last April he unex

pectedly lifted press censorship in the Republic of
Vietnam, Minister of Information Ton That Thien
surprised few colleagues in newspaper and university
circles. «Conformity and timidity ,» said one news
man, «appear to come in little doses in the man's
life . »
Indeed , it would seem that courage and out
spoken frankness have played dominant roles in
Minister Thien's life judging by his experiences in
recent years : his resignation as press secretary to
the late President Ngo Dinh Diem over differences
with the « authoritarian conservatism » of the latter's
regime, suppression by the government in 1956 of
The Vietnam Guardian of which he was managing
editor, and the closing of the Vietnamese mass
circulation daily Song by his office.
To talk that he abolished censorship because he
was a victim of it, Thien explains that there is more
to it than that. «My job is to educate the public as
well as government officials. For too long a privi
leged minority has held a monopoly on enlighten
ment in this country. I want to change that.»
In this connection Thien pledges that he will
never restore press censorship because that would

For Dr. Thien

With Republic of Vietnam national
colors as backdrop, Dr. Ton That
a distinguished award
Thien is shown with RM Award pre
sented him at the Phil - Am Life au
ditorium in Manila last Aug. 31 for
significant achievement in Journalism ,
Literature , and Creative Communica
tion Arts. Recipients of this year's
RM Award pose with Mrs. Luz B.
Magsaysay (third from left), widow of
late Philippine President, after whom
1 the award is named . From left : John
Thatcher of CARE , cited for Interna
tional Understanding; Dr. Thien , Mrs.
Rosario Encarnacion and Mr. Silvino
Encarnacion, Community Leadership :
and Li Kwoh-ting, Minister of Econo
mic Affairs of the Republic of China ,
Government Service . Awardee Prof.
Seiichi Tobata of Japan , Public Ser
vice, was unable to go to Manila due
to illness, will accept his award next
year. Bust of President Magsaysay in
background is by famed Filipino sculp
tor Guillermo E. Tolentino , a gift of
RVN Ambassador to the Philippines
Cao Tại Bao, Vietnam - Philippine As
sociation of Saigon , and Philippine
Vietnamese Society of Manila.

7
 « Minister Thien , by contrast Economist, The Far Eastern Eco
constitute « a backward step on
the road to democracy. But, he relentlessly has sought to digest nomic Review, and Forum World
adds, the lifting of press censor the essence of Western scientific Features among others. He also
ship must be reconciled to the method and wed it to Vietnamese taught and became in 1967 Vice
primacy of national survival. As cultural values . Freedom of Dean of the Faculty of Social
such the operations of newspapers Sciences of Van Hanh University
thought and expression he found
must be restricted within the where he helped organize the
were essential to this pursuit . His
« boundary of the Constitution . » study group that is probing Viet
convictions led him to act with
Absolute press freedom in Viet
nam whose existence has been perceptive courage and staunch nam's past for guides to the
constantly threatened in its 2,000 individualism as writer and editor, present.
years must await the proper re professor , and government offi Thien's passion for enlighten
modification of the cial . »
course ment goes beyond form . His aim
Constitution and existing laws, About Thien is to introduce the scientific atti
according to Minister Thien.
Thien was born in Hue , former tude not only to Vietnam's edu
On Aug. 31 this year, Thien cated elite but to the peasantry as
imperial city, on Sept. 22 , 1924 of
was presented in Manila with the a Confucianist father and a Ca a means of modernizing life and
Ramon Magsaysay Award, the tholic mother. He attended the making society more equal and
Asian equivalent of the Nobel Thuong Tu Primary and Khai just. But science, he insists, must
Prize. The Award established 11 only be the means the values
Dinh Secondary schools and ob
years ago is given to persons in it serves must remain supreme.
tained a Baccalaureat in Philoso
Asia, regardless of race, creed , sex phy. Following World War II,
or nationality in recognition of In Manila, while replying to a
greatness of spirit in service to the Thien obtained the degree of Ba columnist's tirades, Thien said :
people. chelor of Economics at the Lon « Freedom is a fine thing, but it
don School of International Studies should be exercised in the respect
Citation in Geneva and heeded a call to of truth, and for the people's right
join the Vietnamese delegation at to be told the true facts. »
Of his choice to receive the
the 1954 Conference there that led
Magsaysay Award for Journalism , About the Award
Literature and Creative Commu to independence for his country.
nication Arts, the Board of Trus Thien saw service in the new Since its establishment eleven
tees of the Ramon Magsaysay government in Saigon as presiden years ago, the Magsaysay award
Foundation said of Thien : tial press secretary but resigned has been granted to fifty - one
over differences with the regime individuals and four organiza
« By this election the Board of tions from fifteen countries and
Trustees recognizes Minister of Ngo Dinh Diem. He retruned
to Geneva to complete his Ph. D. one colony in Asia and three non
Thien's enduring commitment to Asian countries. They have been
in Politics . In 1963 he was back
free inquiry and debate that gain singled out for signal achieve
ed added substance through his in Saigon where he served as
Director General of Vietnam Press
ments in community leadership,
lifting of press censorship in government service, international
Vietnam . under the Nguyen Ngoc Tho and understanding, public service and
Nguyen Khanh governments. He journalism and literature. In 1965,
« Events engulfing Vietnam over was also Director of Cabinet of
the past three decades have com the journalism and literature ca
People's Claims in the latter
pounded the dilemma of concer tegory was expanded to include
government. other mass communication media
ned intellectuals seeking sources
for their national aspiration . Tra Leaving the government service used effectively as a power for the
ditionally schooled in Nho hoc , or in Aug. 15, 1965, Thien became public good.
Confucian learning, they were cut political columnist of the Saigon
adrift from their origins by the The awards carry a cash stip
Daily News and went on to es
system of education that accom tablish with colleagues of equal end of $ 10,000 each and are for
panied French colonial rule. As persuasion , the Vietnam Guardian mally presented in a ceremony in
this elite was oriented toward of which he became managing edit Manila every August 31. This
France it lost touch with the pea or. When the government closed year's presentation marked the
santry and left them vulnerable to the Guardian in Decmber 1966 , he 61st anniversary of the late Pre
Communist persuasion. continued to write for the London sident Ramon Magsaysay.

8
Poem from a VC to his mother
Mother, sweet and dear, not look the same,
You remember that morning bright and clear. Yet it is our country ,
When 1 bade you farewell, without sorrow , For here also the roads smell sweetly
Outside the gate of our little house ? Oj ripe golden paddy,
I was moved , but so proud. Here, blue smoke also drifts with the breeze
With my comrades I walked through Laos, Over the fences and through the trees,
And then, day after day, ever deeper into the South , Mere 100, at dusk, the sniffing buffalo slowly leads his
Through jungles green and deep , dusly way home,
Up and down mountains blue and steep, While his liule master plays a plaintive tune
Scorched by the sun on the sand along the sea, On his bamboo flute,
Drenched by the rains pouring down the forests through The way our boys at home also do.
the trees , What then is liberation ?
It was hard, but what did it matter ? I searched my mind for reasons, fiercely and with despe
ration ,
We were young ; our life was like a blooming flower,
For Peace we were fighting, But round me, what do I hear and see ?
Markets crowded and merry , rice fields vast and green
For Peace we accepted suffering. like the sea ,
Day after day, month after month, we marched , The sounds of bells from the nearby pagoda carrying the
Our stomachs were empty, our throats parched, worshipper's message,
Our feet were wel, our shoulders cold : Singing children filling the schools with their voices loud
Against rocks and thorns neither shoes nor shirts could ld . and happy,
Beloved and respected mother, And , in the cabbage field, atop the golden flowers,
When dusk falls, and I have nothing other, Little butterflies murmuring in each other's ear : drink,
Than the complete silence on the Truong -Son for company. dear, drink of the sweet neclar,
Then before my eyes floats the image of our village ani! Fromone end to the other of the village life is flowing rich
family : and full.
The blue smoke drifting lazily in the breeze, Why then burn and destroy ? Why was I ordered to pull
The lovely pumpkin plants spreading Their luxuriant green The trigger that would make of a happy child an orphan,
leares, and his mother a widow ?
The small butterfly fluttering happily about, There were times when my hands shook like a willow
The curved roof of the village temple , so old and proud. On laying the mine that would spill
Oh! how much I wish to be there, to smell, and touch, and The blood of people like you and me, our kin .
see There were nights when my face was wet with streaming
tears ,
The thousand litle things thal mean so much to me!
And now , here I am . in the South , land of our dream and Then I ticisted and turned on my couch, haunted by a
our aim ,
thousand nightmares ...
Annamese ranges
Where to me people's faces are unfamiliar, and things do

This poem was written by a Viet Cong who died at Duc

Co It was addressed to his mother . Mrs. Tran Thi Phan Hat
Duong , North Vietnam . Minister oi Inforination Ton That Thien
says the name of the author was not given , and he does not
know if the authorities have it. In any case , adds Mr. Thien ,
jarely have. I come across a poem of such beauty . It has a rich
ness, and a depth of feeling, together with a beautiful form , whten
strangely remind one of Rupert Brooke I am convinced that
will rank as one of the nost beauliful poenis written in recent
years. I have attempted to give as near a translation of it as posa
sible . Alas, tradutore ; traditore !
Mr. Thien feels the poem can be considered as marking a turn
ing point in the war, and raises also the question ; are the people
un the other side all communists ?
HEAVY DAMAGE INFLICTED
ON V.N. BUDDHIST TEMPLES
Vietnam's Buddhist temples suffered heavy The leader of the Therevada Sect said that in
damage during both the Viet Cong's Tet and the Vinh Binh province, the Viet Cong forced nearly 200
recent «peace talk» offensives. Twenty-six Buddhist monks to go with them when they attacked the Go
monks were killed. Fifty-one temples were destroyed vernment forces, and used the monks as shields. At
or heavily damaged. The Therevada Sect of Bud Soc Trang, in the Mekong Delta, monks were used
dhism , which has most of its followers among Viet in the same way. A spokesman for the United Bud
namese of Cambodian descent, suffered the heaviest dhist Church said that at Can Tho and Soc Trang ,
damage. This sect has some 500 temples and 20,000 monks were forced to sit in front of their temples
monks in 16 of Vietnam's western provinces. while the Viet Cong took up sniper positions inside.
In Vinh Binh province two monks were forced to
The Venerable Kim Sang, head of the Therevada carry a message to an outpost, held by government
Sect in the Republic of Vietnam, said five pagodas troops, to demand their surrender. Both monks were
were completely destroyed. Twenty - four others were arrested .
heavily damaged. The An Quang faction, known for
its militant opposition to the government had one
temple completely destroyed and 19 others heavily
damaged. Most of the damage was in the old
imperial capital of Hue. There was also heavy
fighting around the An Quang pagoda in Sai
gon's sister city of Cholon . It is this temple, head
quarters of the Venerable Tri Quang, leader of the
militant faction , which gives the faction its name.
Some buildings and the temple compound , used as
printing facilities were burned down but the pagoda
itself was not badly damaged .
Certain sources believe some temples suffered
damage because Buddhist leaders allowed their pago
das to be turned into strongholds by the Viet Cong.
Since the overthrow in late 1963 of the late President
Diem, who was considered anti-Buddhist, successive
governments have respected the temples as virtually
inviolable.

It is believed some Viet Cong took advantage of

this and disguised as Buddhists, used pagodas for
meetings and even to store their weapons. In fact,
only very few temples were misused in this manner.
During the Tet offensive, for example, Viet Cong
units occupied most pagodas over the strong protests
of the monks in charge.

Temple Podhislareaj of the Theravada sect in Vinh Binh

province, 140 kms south of Saigon, was almost levelled .
Mekong Features photos

10
i 3

This is what is left of pagoda Linh Quang in Hue after

three weeks of Viet Cong occupation early this year. It
belongs to militant Buddhist faction An Quang.

Government forces in Saigon captured two monks

wearing the characteristic saffron robes and found
the inside of the robes were embroidered with the
words « National Liberation Front of South Vietnam . »
The government asked the Therevada sect leader to
identify the suspects. They were impostors.
The Viet Cong used these tactics because many
Vietnamese government soldiers are of Cambodian
descent and pious Buddhists who would hesitate to
attack temples or search monks.
Many people, however, realized the losses the
Buddhists suffered during the Viet Cong attacks this
year were caused by the communists. The United
Buddhist Church spokesman said : « Nearly half a
million Buddhists became victims of the Viet Cong
attacks.
Some Buddhists are critical of the government's
role. A monk of the An Quang group complained
that government troops «should be more careful in
their pursuit of the Viet Cong. Another monk said
he thought the Buddhist organization was too loose.
«It is difficult for the Government and even the sect
leaders to expose every Viet Cong impostor, he said .
But almost without exception, Buddhists from what
ever group are opposed to the Viet Cong for their
atheistic beliefs and their total disregard of Buddhist
institutions. — (MF )

11
 officers, three others for non
commissioned officers. One more
serves as reading room and the
rest are used to accommodate cap
tured troops. Each section includes
a refectory, a kitchen , a comfort
room and water well.
Major Dao Ngọc Thanh, the
camp commander, disclosed that
since its establishment on April
30, 1967, the camp has received
3,090 Communist prisoners, 2,146
were moved to other places, 127
were released and 20 others died .
He said that among the remaining
809 prisoners, there were one offi
cer, 10 non -commissioned officers
and 779 troops, including 16 wo
men . He added the camp had once
housed four deserters who had
joined the Communists. They were
investigated by the military police
and were not covered by the rules
applying to the POWs.

Mostly Minors

Before being concentrated at the

camp, the prisoners were detained
in various jailhouses. According to
officers supervising the camp ,
most of the prisoners are minors.
The youngest one is an 11 -year -old
boy who was forced to join the
communists. There are as many as
95 prisoners under 16 and as many
as 120 prisoners 17 years old. There
Prisoners of war captured during Communist offensive in May are inter are only eight North Vietnamese
prisoners between 20 and 24. The
rogated by ARVN officer following defeat in Saigon suburb of Cholon.
camp has opened a beginner's
course illiterate prisoners.
Camp officiers said the minors pri
soners were more « docile. »

At POW camps: The newsmen interviewed 20

prisoners mostly minors. A 13
year -old boy told a B.B.C. corres
pondent how he joined the Com
majority minors munists. He was persuaded to
carry ammunition for the Viet
Cong by Communist propaganda
cadres while he was loitering
The rising number or Commu Vietnamese and foreign newsmen
nists captured in the face of in during their tour of the Area. around the Ba Xuyen market
tensified infiltration by the enemy place. He added he was not told
has resulted in the promulgation Located approximately two kilo anything until he was captured
by the Armed Forces of a code on meters north of Can Tho, the camp and brought to the camp during
the Tet offensive.
the treatment of these prisoners of occupies 120,000 square meters and
war and the establishment of pri consists of three sections : the
Through barbed wire one could
son camps in each of the country's commanding staff's special divi see prisoners playing football on
four tactical zones. sion and divisions 1 and 2 with 24 a large field . Some others sat
The IV Corps Area prisoner of houses for prisoners. One house is around chatting animatedly. Else
war camp was visited recently by reserved for women, another for where other prisoners were doing

12
carpentry and masonry work . The Camp visitors Since the Tet holidays, the camp
officers said prisoners who render Before the Tet events, the pri
has been shelled thrice by the Viet
ed useful service were paid eight Cong. In the first attack last Feb.
soners' kin were allowed visits on
piasters each per day. This is one 2, mortar rounds landed near the
of the humane privileges granted Fridays and these were extended
when the Tet holidays drew near. Commanding Staff division and hit
to war prisoners by the govern Lately for security reasons, visits the house of officer prisoners,
ment and noticed by visitors. to the POWs have been restricted . wounding 18 of them . The second
Entertainment consists of sports, Last year, there were 6,764 visitors shelling occurred exactly a month
music and information broadcasts to the camp and last January there later but caused no casualty. In
were 4,862 visitors. the third mortaring on March 29,
from a loud -speaker. The art
troupe of the Political Warfare Prisoners who die in the camp the camp was seriously damaged
General Office, entertains the pri are buried according to traditional with two prisoners killed and 22
soners once a month. All male pri rites at a nearby cemetery. The of others injured. Major Thanh told
soners wear yellow khaki uniforms ficers told us leniency was accord newsmen that night after the
while female prisoners wear brown ed obedient or disabled prisoners. attack he picked up shell frag
ones. They said they believed that pri ments and showed them to the pri
soners under 16 years of age will soners who acknowledged the
Prisoners are allowed to corres
soon be isolated and given special origin of the munition .
pond with their families and to treatment. Minors do not have to
be visited by their relatives. Pri do any hard work and are well The prisoners have never under
soners may also fill out letter cards treated . Major Thanh mentioned gone political indoctrination and
to be sent to the North . Last year, some of the female prisoners' dif the camp is able to nip in the bud
1,332 letters were sent to their ficulties such as the problem of conspiracies of mutiny. The autho
kinsfolk in the South and they water supply. A well 90 meters
received 134 letters in turn . Last deep has just been dug but there rities have always paid much at
January alone, the camp sent 578 is still no water and water has to tention to defensive measures at
letters and received 76 answers. be supplied from Can Tho. The the camp especially during the Tet
In February , 599 letters were sent daily ration for each prisoner is offensive, Major Thanh said .
but only 57 answers were received. fixed at 20 piasters. (VP ) .

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13
Typical of new Asian woman:

VN student at USC
Vo Hoang Yen , a delicate , de produce medicine and medical pro
mure young foreign student from ducts .
Saigon , is an examp'e of the new She feels she is on her way, hav
flowering of womanhood in South ing received an A in mathematics
east Asia .
Soft spoken yet spirited, poised last semester. «I was so happy, »
she beams .
yet purposeful, she clearly illus
trates the changes that have taken She chose USC over numerous
place among women in her country, other colleges and universities MISS VO HOANG YEN
South Vietnam, during the war and arrived in the United States
years.
Nov. 1 , several months before
With a severe shortage of man new semester began, with trepi her handsome native dress -
the
power and necessary funds, women dation in her heart.
ao dai – to class, notices many
have entered the work force to «I was so much scared . I couldn't changes between Vietnamese and
help support families, to fill vital imagine how brave I was. I made American women.
jobs. myself not cry , » she says of that
« Girls here are much more ex
« And many have achieved a fateful day when she arrived in
great deal ,» says Yen . « They now Los Angeles knowing no one. cited in everything. In my coun
have equality with men and are try, girls are more quiet. They are
She checked into a hotel called more involved in family life and
running their lives more, like my the foreign student office at USC themselves. They don't care much
mother. She runs a kindergarten and wrote to her relatives, a dis for social life.
and day nursery school. tant uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs.
Running a Hotel Do Ba Khe, who live in Temple More Dependent
City and with whom she later
«At the same time , she is run «Even though traditions and
ning a hotel and restaurant that stayed, all the while knowing very
little English and having no one customs are changing there, girls
my family has just built . » in Vietnam are still more depen
Long committed exclusively to to call in case of an emergency.
dent on their parents and the peo
family life, women of South Viet ple around them .
Eastern Frugality
nam are now branching out and «We dare not do many things
becoming doctors, lawyers, phar « Though I was scared, I know we might get blamed for. Girls
macists, teachers, politicians. I could work things out, says there are more shy, not like here
« But not many women are
Yen , whose inner strengths, grace where they do everything and have
chemical engineers,» she adds, fully coated by Eastern fragility, more freedom . »
with a note of pride. That is her are manifested in a far different She was sent here by her parents
major at USC, where she will com manner than those of the American in part to study and learn English
plete the second semester of her woman . better, and in part to be away
freshman year next fall. «My parents trained me to be from the war.
She chose the subject because out in social life and in front of In truth , a child of war , Yen ,
her father, an esteemed Viet people. Plus I've learned how to who has three brothers and three
namese pharmacist of the tradi organize from my mother , she sisters , has been exposed to it dur
tional school and a'so president says softly. ing the entirety of her lifetime,
of the Vietnamese Football Assn . -

plans to build a pharmaceutical Although surviving quite nicely which has been 20 years.
laboratory for her brother . in a new and different culture, Reprinted from the Los Angeles
Yen, who nevertheless still wears Times .
There Yen plans one day to help

14
 «It is high time we paid atten
tion to a program for national Minister of State Thuc:
reconstruction, Minister of State
Vu Quoc Thục told Vietnam Press
in a recent interview . Reconstruction program
Minister Thuc, head of the Post
War Economic Study Group since
February 7 , 1967 and a professor
of economics at the Dalat and Sai
vital need of Vietnam
gon universities, said the end of
the present war will see develop countries under easy terms or from A vital prerequisite of the re
ment of the nation as a «life -or international financial and econo construction program , he said , is
death problem» and national mic organizations.» a thorough investigation and as
reconstruction will create favora
sessment of war damage on the
ble conditions for such develop countryside in order to obtain a
ment of the nation . detailed breakdown of destruction
The economic study group is con to property, civilian casualties, and
allowances received from the go
tinuously gathering data and for vernment.
mulating recommendations for a
draft of the national reconstruc Thuc disclosed that allowances
for reconstruction and settlement
tion program which is envisaged
after documents on war damages of war damage claims are now
being expedited through the « Ar
are received, he said . my -People Campaign » which has
He outlined the program as aim tackled 50,861 cases with a fund
ed at four fields : public infrastruc estimated at VN$ 1.5 billion and
tures, production facilities, hous which has spent VN $ 800 million
ing, and manpower. He said man for relief service out of the total
power is the most essential and VN $ 1.6 billion provided by the
indispensable element since it will Central Relief Committee.
provide the prime requirement of The Minister of State is confident
any development project. that a law on the national recons
The financing of the reconstruc MINISTER VU QUOC THUC truction program will immediately
tion program will be huge, said be promulgated at war's end.
Minister Thuc, and will rely on
national and foreign resources.
He said that when peace comes ,
domestic resources will depend on
revenue from additional taxes or
the floating of national bonds.
With Compliments and Best Wishes
Thuc expressed optimism over
the prospects of foreign aid , stress from
ing the strong bonds between
Allied countries and the Republic
of Vietnam. He said the United
States in particular would support
the progress of Vietnam consistent
with her position as an anti-com
SOVICOTRA
munist power. Such support is
most probable before the U.S. with
draws her troops, otherwise such a || NGUYỄN HUỆ, SAIGON
withdrawal would be meaningless,
he added .

He emphasized that «we would

receive foreign aid from Allied

15
MIRACLE RICE COMES TO

3
 Tet is the lunar New Year. Since the dawn of

) VIETNAM Vietnam's 4,000-year history, Tet has been the year's

biggest festival, the time to celebrate the annual rice
harvest.

This year, while communist guerrillas were poi

sed in the jungles for their big offensive, farmers all
over South Vietnam were putting away their last
bundles of paddy and rejoicing over their well- earn
ed holiday with fireworks, music and colorful cos
tumes.

But in one village, Vo Dat in Binh Tuy province

northeast of Saigon , a group of farmers ignored the
traditional merrymaking. Instead they were out in
their fields, laboring over a new rice crop .
Everyone else planned to relax for three months
until the beginning of the next planting season . They
had fun mocking the fools who missed the celebra
tions to work in the fields.
A month later the fools had the last laugh. Each
of them harvested 2.6 tons of rice per hectare and
was getting ready for yet another planting. Those
who had mocked were not even ready to start plant
ing their first post- Tet crop.
Hope for Millions
Thus did the « miracle rice » come to most of
Southeast Asia, bringing with it an agricultural re
volution and new hope for Asia's hungry millions.
For more than 5,000 years, Asia has been grow
ing and eating rice. The earliest known records show
Chinese wading through the water of their rice pad
dies around 3,000 B.C. , tossing in handfuls of seeds ,
invoking the spirits' help for a good crop, and wait
ing for the harvest, seven to nine months later.
One rice crop, grown once a year, feeds one
family until the next harvest. The small amount left
over is traded for other family needs and goes to
feed city dwellers.
From West Pakistan to Japan, more than one
billion Asians, with widely different forms of govern
ment and different religions, languages and tradi
tions, all grow the same crop and eat the same food
rice .

Not long ago, most of these countries had some

of their rice crop left over for export at the end
of each year's harvest. In less than a decade, rice
production increased by 25 percent. Yet Asia no
longer exports rice. City dwellers in rice -growing
countries are going hungry.
Why ? Because one million rice eaters are born

President Nguyen Van Thieu plants IR-8 seedlings in course

of recent visit to provinces where « Miracle Rice» grows.
e4
 Settlers in Phuoc Dien hamlet plant « Miracle Rice» together with PHILCAGV troops, Filipinos intro.
duced IR-8 strain in Tay Ninh province last year after clearing 600 hectares in Thanh Dien forest.

each week. The supply of rice is specialists have joined the search rice. But the war has left its mark ,
no longer equal to the demand. for hardier, more productive rice and South Vietnam now imports
Asia is steadily losing the race plants at such laboratory centers nearly 80 percent of its rice. These
between food and population . as the Central Rice Research Ins statistics of shortage are reflected
Alternatives Unpopular titute in Los Banos, near Manila. in nearly every country of Asia .
In attempts to head off starva Several Western nations, includ In all countries the rice crop
tion for millions, many solutions ing the United States, have turn depends on the weather. In fields
have been tried, with varying suc ed from importing rice to produc lacking irrigation, too little rain in
cess. Modern birth control methods ing and exporting it. The grain that the rainy season can deprive the
are not widely understood or flourished for centuries in the East rice of the flooded conditions best
accepted by the Eastern mind. now comes in shiploads from the suited to its growth . Too much
Suggestions for substituting wheat West, often as gifts, to feed the rain in the dry season , when the
from a world surplus have failed hungry people of Asia. crop is threshed and harvested ,
to change the diet of most Asians. can rot the rice before it can be
Efforts to persuade farmers to grow Many rice -growing countries
stored or taken to market . With
other crops, such as soybeans, have have set up private and govern a growing season of seven to nine
been resisted . ment-sponsored programs to im
prove and modernize the methods months, only one crop ca cann be
But the race is not yet lost. The grown each year -
there is no
answer may lie in rice itself. of growing rice — methods which
had remained unchanged through chance to make up the loss of a
Throughout the world, govern bad crop by quickly planting a
the centuries. Probably no other
ments, private organizations, agro country has launched its campaign new one.
nomists and scientists have set
themselves the task of improving in the face of as many obstacles Hazards to Rice
rice . The United Nations named as those confronting the embattled
1966 the International Rice Year, Republic of Vietnam . Weather is only one of the dan
and its Food and Agriculture Or gers facing rice farmers. Other in
At one time South Vietnam pro
ganization initiated a worldwide clude :
duced enough rice to export a mil
program dedicated to increasing lion tons a year after feeding its • Diseases, such as tungro virus,
rice production. own people. As recently as 1963, it grassy stunt and bacterial leaf
Hundreds of scientists and was able to export 323,000 tons of blight , often ruin a promising crop.

18
 • Poor weed control, insuffi
cient use of fertilizer, and
efficient farming methods produce
in Hybrid rice holds promise
low-yield crops.
• Rice stem borers, leaf hop in struggle against famine
pers and other insects (more than
100 different species, 15 of major
significance) infest and feed upon the market. This rich source of in sometimes irreparably damaged by
plants from seedlings to maturity. come helps to provide arms, drugs, sea water seeping in through bro
medicine and clothing for the com ken or unattended dikes.
Rats feast upon the rice in munists. In some areas where the Despite all these towering pro
the paddies and in warehouses. tax is too high, farmers have sim blems, the future prospects of rice
• In tropical Asian countries, ply planted less rice, growing only production in South Vietnam have
insufficient sunlight caused by
-
what their families can eat. suddenly brightened. Similar con
low cloud cover -
deprives the Wartime conditions make farm fidence is spreading through many
plants of solar energy needed for ing difficult and dangerous in the Asian countries. An important
high-yield crops. Delta and elsewhere in South reason for the new optimism is the
In addition to these hazards of Vietnam. Transporting the rice to recent development of what has
market is equally hazardous. As a become known as «miracle rice . >>
nature, South Vietnam suffers the
greater tragedy of two decades of result, many rice farmers have Hybrid Seed
war. Three -fourths of the country's abandoned their paddi es and
paddies
rice paddies are in the Mekong moved to the cities, where wartime The efforts of hundreds of spe
Delta, an area under constant jobs on construction projects are cialists working long hours in rice
threat from the Viet Cong. In plentiful and well paid. These new research institutes have finally
guerrilla warfare the economy is a city dwellers become rice eaters produced a hybrid rice seed which
major military target, and in the instead of rice producers. And as may go a long way toward win
Mekong Delta, the economic target other food becomes more difficult ning the race against famine. The
of the Viet Cong is rice. and more expensive to buy, they first successful seed is known as
eat more and more rice. IR-8. Its equally promising brother
Wherever they can, the Viet is IR-5 .
Cong seize a part of the rice crop Still other rice farmers are ser
to feed their own men, then tax ving in the armed forces. Their IR - 8 was developed in 1962 at
whatever is left over for sale in paddies lie abandoned and are the International Rice Research

19
 "Than Nong' - rice of Agriculture God
Institute in Los Banos, 60 kilome the number of daylight hours it The very purpose of «miracle
ters south of Manila. After count receives, so it can be grown in rice»> — to increase production in
less unsuccessful experiments, a any season. Seeds of IR-8 can be order to feed the hungry masses
team headed by a 35 -year -old planted closer together and yet, is hard for an Asian farmer to un
American, Dr. Peter Jennings, because of the stiff, lodge -resistant derstand . Throughout his lifetime
found the right combination. Dr. stem, sunlight can penetrate to the and that of his ancestors , one crop
T.T. Chang, a geneticist from Tai bottom leaves. It grows in a wide a year, barring disaster, produced
wan, chose the two parent plants temperature range, is more resis enough rice to feed his family with
after careful study of their gene tant to some diseases, and is easier enough left over to barter for other
tical traits . An American plant to protect with insecticides. essentials . The needs of his family
breeder. Henry M. Beachell, actu Even more important is its thus satisfied , he has always found
ally performed the cross-breeding remarkably short growing season his one rice crop sufficient. The
suggested by Dr. Chang. 120 days - which enables far concept of selling rice for cash
Both parent plants are of the the concept of profit derived from
mers to plant two or three crops
Indica variety and both are excep a year instead of one. And one crop more time spent in the fields doing
tionally fast growing. Yet each has of IR-8 yields about three times harder work – is foreign to him .
inherent drawbacks that make its more rice per hectare than the tra In South Vietnam , the farmers
performance in the rice paddies ditional varieties, so the maximum turned out to be less tradition
disappointing drawbacks not yield per year can be multiplied bound than was feared. The major
present in IR-8. Peta , a tall tro nine times. problem here was to prove to the
pical plant from Indonesia, wastes farmer that he could get better
too much effort on growing its long Resistance to Change crops with the new seed and to
stem, leaving little energy to pro guarantee that he could sell the
duce the kernels of rice. As the When the crop is properly plan higher yields at a fair price.
ted and cared for, the results of The resistance was on monetary
plant becomes heavy with grain ,
the slender, light-green leaves IR-8 can be truly miraculous. But grounds , not spiritual .
bend over, or « lodge,» screening miracles are not easily believed
or trusted. The strangeness of IR Offering proof of the «miracle >>
the sunlight from its own kernels on a wide scale would have been
and those of neighboring plants. 8 , its different taste and consis
tency, its peculiar growing habits almost impossible, however, if IR-8
Weeding and fertilization some
they were not accepted at first seeds had not been planted for the
times only accelerate the lodging first time almost by chance. In the
process, and much of the grain is in many Asian countries to which
the International Rice Research region of Vo Dat, a village 110
lost in the mud .
Institute (IRRI ) sent the experi kilometers northeast of Saigon ,
To produce IR-8, Peta was wed mental seeds. Change is regarded farmers at one time produced more
ded to a dwarf plant from Tai suspiciously in countries where than six percent of all South Viet
wan's temperate zone, an ancient water buffalo have pulled wooden namese rice. Although the war has
Chinese variety with the exotic plows for centuries over the same caused many residents to flee ,
name Dee - geo -woo - gen, meaning about 10,000 courageous farmers
rice paddies. Insecticides and fer
brown-tipped, short-legged thing. tilizers, indispensable in the West , have remained to plant the annual
rice crop .
Dee -geo -woo - gen's short, stiff are only slowly catching on in
stem needs less energy to grow , most of Asia. Planting three crops Trouble Hits
allowing the sunlight absorbed by a year disrupts the traditional
its dark-green leaves to be used rhythm of planting and harvesting In September, tragedy struck Vo
for producing more grain. Its stur and the corresponding festivals, Dat. Song La Nga, the life-giving
dy stem is less prone to lodging, often deeply rooted in custom or river which nourishes the area ,
and it matures in three months religion . flooded 12,150 hectares of rice pad
instead of Peta's four. Unfortuna dies, ruining half the year's crop.
tely, it is too sensitive to the To get the most benefit from IR
8, the seeds must be planted care Threatened by famine, the Vo Dat
amount of daylight it receives and villagers asked the government
can only be planted in certain
fully, weeded and sprayed fre of South Vietnam for enough food
quently, and fertilized with nitro
seasons .
gen compounds. All this means to last until the next harvest.
Hybrid IR -8 , the «miracle rice,» more work for the farmer. And it This provided the opportunity
has inherited the best features of risks angering the spirits who play that government experts had been
both its parents. It is insensitive to such a large part in his life. waiting for. Refusing to provide
20
 Farmers examine « Miracle Rice » which will be planted in 34 provinces under the government's Acce.
lerated Rice Program , a project involving 16,000 farmers and 2,000 metric tons of seeds, 80 tons of which
will come from Vo Dat and the rest from the Philippines. Specialists are being trained for the program .

direct relief, they suggested ins The bargaining over, 17 tons of What the religious leaders actually
tead that the farmers plant IR-8 seed and plenty of fertilizer were feared was not so much the anger
seeds. While traditional rice could ordered, and the first fields of IR-8 of the spirits as the anger of the
not be planted before April or were scheduled to be planted on villagers if the crop should fail
May, IR-8 could be planted imme October 1. But other problems lay and the long hours in the paddies
diately. Instead of a harvest in ahead . With the rainy season over, should be wasted . Yet the leaders
December, the farmer could har the farmers would have to irrigate were willing to be shown .
vest IR-8 in late February, only the fields. Pumps would have to
two months after the ruined crop be found , installed and kept in The religious leaders, the princi
would have been ripe. pal farmers and the hamlet chiefs
working order.
The villagers of Vo Dat were not agreed to fly on an inspection trip
Again help came from the go to the island of Hiep Hoa, near
convinced. Planting rice in Sep vernment, whose stake in the Vo Saigon, where government, experts
tember was unheard of. They had
no reason to believe their extra Dat project was as great as that were growing test crops of IR -8 .
work would be rewarded . But the of the villagers themselves. After The visible advantages of the new
government experts were con a hurried search , 31 suitable pumps rice convinced the leaders, and
were found enough to pump planting resumed .
fident. The village elders agreed --
provided the seed and fertilizer 11,000 gallons of water per minute. Minor problems arose but were
were donated by the government. Greatest Problem
more easily solved . Broken pumps
Again the government refused had to be repaired and villagers
charity in favor of self-help. Since The greatest problem , one which had to be persuaded to continue
IR - 8 would give higher yields, the IR - 8 would face time and time working during the holiday season
seed would be loaned to the far again in Vietnam and throughout that followed the traditional har
mers . At harvest time they could Asia, was fear of the unknown . The vest time. Some farmers were
repay the loaned rice, kilo for religious leaders of Vo Dat preach fooled by the abundance of grain
kilo , and still have enough to make ed the same sermon : It is sinful to and wanted to harvest it long be
up for the flooded crop . abandon the ways of the ancestors. fore it was ready. To discourage

21
this, the government warned it their centuries-old agricultural everything from the size of the
would refuse to buy any grain cut outlook and methods. Following field to plant (one-tenth of a hec
before the proper time. the successful tests at Hiep Hoa tare, or 1,000 square meters) to
By February 1968, the fields were and Vo Dat, the government of drying and storage methods. The
South Vietnam has launched a manual is divided into 140 days,
ready for harvesting. Eagerly the
villagers measured the yields — an large- scale program to encourage with instructions for certain days :
average of 2.6 tons per hectare . Vo this revolution . five days after transplanting , far
Dat's best paddies had previously In addition to distributing seeds mers should irrigate the paddy to
yielded only 1.9 tons per hectare, of IR-8 and IR-5, they have import a depth of two to five centimeters .
and the yield for the flooded pad ed fertilizer and insecticides , set Forty days after transplanting, 10
dies was only 69 tons. up training courses and begun percent BHC insecticide should be
Eventually the IR - 8 fields would constructing drying floors and broadcast evenly over the entire
warehouses needed for harvests paddy. No step is overlooked , and
produce up to five tons per hectare. each step is essential if the highest
But for the moment , all that count during the rainy season.
yield is to be obtained.
ed was saving the village from Under the government's Accele
starvation , and IR-8 had succeeded ted Rice Program, 34 provinces Of the 10,000 kits assembled,
have been selected for top -priority 5,000 have been distributed to the
even under makeshift conditions.
planting. In these provinces, the provinces. The other 5,000 will be
As a reward, the government sold to wholesale fertilizer and
agreed to give the villagers six government hopes to plant 37,000
tons of conventional rice in return hectares with the new seed a farm equipment dealers, to the
for every five tons of IR-8 seed. project involving about 16,000 Ministry of Social Welfare for use
The seed was used to start other farmers. The project will require in refugee camps, and for other
villages on the road to IR-8 pro 2,000 metric tons of seed , of which special education and research pro
80 tons have come from Vo Dat's jects. In this way a large number
duction .
February harvest, and the rest is of farmers will have access to the
The Vo Dat farmers were so seed through many outlets .
being imported from the Philip
pleased with the results that they
gave the seed to relatives or sold pines. Following the principle intro
From 800 to 1,000 specialists are duced at Vo Dat , none of the rice
it to farmers many kilometers
expected to be trained this year in planting equipment is given free
away. And this spring they plant of charge. Ihe Than Nong rice kits
ed 1,000 hectares of IR-8 . the growing techniques of the new
rice. Four South Vietnamese are cost 750 piasters (US$ 6,30) , but
among the 40 Asians attending an they contain enough seed , fertilizer
God's Grain intensive six-month course at IRRI . and insecticide to cultivate 1,000
They left for Manila on May 31. square meters. In today's market ,
Appropriately , the Vietnamese
have named the new IR-8 Than Other trainees are chosen by the its yield should bring about 4,800
Nong – « the Rice of the Agricul Director of Agricultural Affairs to piasters (US$ 40.00). Since produc
participate in two -week training tion costs for the new rice are
ture God . » A later development ,
IR-5, has the same name in Viet courses in Saigon . These trainees, substantially higher than costs for
namese , but it is a different rice. in classes of 30 to 35 students, at conventional rice, the kits offer an
IR-5, produced from a cross bet tend lectures in a Saigon school inexpensive way for a farmer to
and then apply what they have discover that the benefits are worth
ween Peta and a Malaysian variety
called Tangkai Rotan , is taller learned in demonstration rice pad the extra expense and work.
and matures later than IR- 8 . It can dies at the National Rice Produc
also be planted during any month , tion Training Center in Hiep Hoa. Bank Loans
Graduates of the course then
but growth varies by as much as
return to their provinces to teach Farmers who do not have a
20 days, depending on the latitude.
their neighbors by planting demon chance to buy a kit, or who need
Its medium -sized grains cook well, stration paddies and by holding
as do IR-8 grains, but Asians seem irrigation and other farm equip
farmers' meetings in the hamlets. ment , are offered a low-interest
to prefer the taste of IR-5. The
maximum yield of IR-5 is consider loan by the Agricultural Develop
Rice Kits ment Bank (ADB ). The loans ,
ed to be lower than that of IR -8 .
Although IR-5 is more resistant to In addition to the classes and which have a 20,000 piaster (US$
disease, it is also more susceptible 169.00) limit, have greatly increas
meetings, farmers are being taught
to lodging how to cultivate the improved rice ed since IR-8 was introduced . In
Both IR-8 and IR-5 are now through the distribution of Than 1966, 28,000 loans were granted
Nong rice kits. Each kit contains totaling 350,000,000 piasters (US$
being planted throughout South 2,966,000) . In 1967, the number of
Vietnam . In fact, South Vietnam four kilos of seed , 11 kilos of insec loans increased almost threefold to
is experiencing a rice revolution. In ticides, 32 kilos of fertilizer and an 83,000 with а total value of
less than a year and a half, thous instruction manual . The manual 1,750,000,000$ (US$ 14,847,490).
ands of farmers have changed contains explicit directions for And in the first five months

22
of 1968 alone, the total amount more of a threat to farmers trans irrigated, two or three crops of IR
loaned was 72 percent of the total porting rice and other products to 8 are possible. Most farmers cannot
1967 figure, or 1,305,000,000 piasters market. Under the present system , afford to level their land, install
(US$ 11,059,000) . a farmer usually pays someone to pipes or dig ditches, and buy
NO ADB loans are made in cash . take the rice to market. When the pumps. In the new spirit of revo
Instead, farmers are given cards danger of Viet Cong harassment lution, however, innovations are
which entitle them to certain increases, the farmer's expense being accepted as never before.
amounts of equipment. A farmer for transportation rises. Since the Hamlet farmers pool their money
receives rice seeds with a green Tet offensive early this year, the to buy small underwater machi
card, insecticide with a yellow card market price for rice has risen but nery from Japan, and each con
and fertilizer with a pink card. the farmer's price has fallen . The tributing farmer is allowed to use
This system guarantees that the middleman makes the profit, in the machine to prepare his land.
loan will be applied to rice produc return for the increased danger he
faces. Machines are also being intro
tion only . duced to thresh and mill the rice
The rate of repayment is rapid Dangers of War more efficiently. The milling ma
ly increasing from 90 percent
-

Still, the dangers of war and the chines are particularly useful for
to 98 percent of loans are now Viet Cong rank second to those IR - 8 rice, which breaks more easily
repaid on time – in spite of the than the traditional varieties.
nature provides. The «miracle
Viet Cong, who seem to be alarmed rice» has created new problems Drying and storing rice present
at the success of the new program . which must be solved on a large other problems, both for traditional
In areas where they have some scale if IR-8 would a real revolu varieties and for IR - 8 . In South
measure of control, they allow far tion. The greatest of these pro Vietnam , drying is made more
mers to accept loans but punish blems in South Vietnam , as well
them for repayment. as in most nonindustrialized Asian difficult by the high humidity. Last
This tactic has been slightly countries, is irrigation . Some land year , 12 percent of all the rice pro
duced was unusable because it had
more successful than previous ones. is too difficult to irrigate, and the
Last year, the Viet Cong told he government advises owners of been improperly dried .
sitant farmers that the government such land to grow only one IR - 8 For long -term drying, humidity
crop, in the rainy season . During must be below 70 percent at its
was trying to ruin their crops.
When they saw the astonishing the rest of the year, the farmer peak. Nowhere in South Vietnam
results, they tried to spread the is encouraged to grow such secon is the humidity level ever as low
rumor that eating IR - 8 rice caused dary crops as corn , melons, soy as 70 percent. Traditional rice con
leprosy. beans and sorghum . tains 22 to 24 percent moisture -
But the Viet Cong are much For farmers whose land can be IR - 8 contains 26 to 27 percent. Al

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23
though rice can be sun-dried until ces chosen for the Accelerated Rice blem is price control. Although
it contains only 17 percent, for Program , is a relatively prosper the government recently raised
long -term storage the moisture ous and peaceful region, ranking the price of rice in the market ,
content must be no higher than 12 third highest in expected 1968 IR enough profit does not reach the
to 14 percent. Until recently, such 8 production in all of South Viet farmer to encourage production
a goal was impossible. nam. In view of the increased rice increases .
Again, machines are coming to production expected this year, the The price of rice doubled from
the rescue. The cheapest, simplest , government is building eight huge 1965 to 1967 from nine to 11
most adaptable mechanical dryer storage warehouses, 200 concrete piasters a kilo in 1965 to 19 to 22
is called a rice sack dryer. This drying floors measuring 10 meters piasters a kilo in 1967. But the mid
basic machine consists of a heat square, and two mills . 1968 price has remained at about
source, usually a kerosene burner, Some of the earliest pioneers in 22 to 23 piasters a kilo, while trans
connected to two long pipes with the new program came from An portation costs have skyrocketed .
holes along the top at regular in Giang province. In 1966, 203 far Farmers are in danger of being
tervals. A sack of rice is simply mers accepted loans, planted ex unable to repay their loans if the
laid on the pipe for several days perimental crops of melons, soy price is not raised at the farm level.
until it is dry. The process is neces beans and vegetables. Today, more In raising this point with far
sarily slow, for rice cracks if it than 4,000 An Giang farmers are mers in the South Vietnamese pro
is dried too fast. Done properly, it participating, most of them grow vinces, Secretary Freeman's simple
is a never ending process. In as ing IR - 8. axiom summed up the problem :
little time as 41 days, the rice has These villagers are being trans « You cannot get anyone, any
again absorbed 17 percent moisture formed from subsistence farmers where, to produce if he does not
and must be re -dried. feeding only their own families to get paid for it .»
Drying machines, however, are commercial farmers helping to The Vietnamese government ,
not expensive and can also be used feed the urban population and while encouraging rice production,
jointly by all the farmers in a creating products for export. For hesitates to raise the price in the
hamlet. They are vital to IR-8 far the farmer , the benefits can be cities because of the inflationary
mers who plant two or even three counted in piasters. Most of them effect on the markets. Prices for
crops a year, because at least one are experiencing for the first time imported food products are already
crop must be harvested and dried the joys of profit, of extra cash for inflated tow or three times higher
during the rainy season, when such luxuries as better homes than rice prices. People in the
normal drying methods are impos and higher education for their cities who would otherwise go
sible. children . hungry are saved by the relati
Storage facilities, especially for vely low cost of rice .
harvests during the rainy season, Results Staggering
are also inadequate. Most ware No Turning Back
In terms of human lives, the
houses are huge, barn - like struc agricultural revolution is heart In spite of the problems, Secre
tures with only one door. The floor warning. In terms of national eco tary Freeman's prediction may yet
is covered with rice straw and bur
nomies, the results could be stag come true. Due to IR-8, the Philip
lap bags - described by farmers gering. Already the statistics are pines is self -sufficient in rice pro
as « a perfect home for rats. » The pouring in. In 1968 , South Vietnam duction for the first time since
single door encourages farmers to 1903. Yields of IRRI varieties in
take rice sacks from the front first,
is expected to reduce rice imports
to 600,000 tons, 16 percent less than both East and West Pakistan are
and the rice in the back stays there
in 1967. After a trip through South the highest ever achieved in any
for months, soaking up moisture Vietnam's rice paddies in early season of any year. In India, the
and feeding rats. In some provinces July, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture yield of dry season crops increased
the government is building better Orville Freeman predicted that if from 1.5 tons to 10 tons per hec
warehouses in preparation for the the revoution continues at its tare in 1967. Farmers in Malaysia
1968 harvest. present pace, South Vietnam will and Ceylon have doubled their
be self- sufficient in rice production yields to six tons per hectare.
Prosperous Province
by 1970 and will even be able to Even if the South Vietnames do
In the province of An Giang, for export rice by 1971 . not achieve self -sufficiency by
example, 1,500 hectares of new rice But the present momentum , as 1970, they will have pioneered the
will be planted in 1968, most with Secretary Freeman admits, may be agricultural industrialization of
IR-8 and some with IR-5. Some difficult to maintain . It depends on Southeast Asia , pushing forward
farmers will plant two IR-8 crops. many factors. the most successful agricultural
Others will plant one IR-8 crop War, of course, is unpredictable. reform program ever carried out
plus secondary crops such as me Further escalation , such as another in time of war. The rice revolution
lons and soybeans. Tet offensive, could upset the pre has begun and cannot be turned
An Giang, one of the 34 provin diction. An equally difficult pro back .

24
 e egance
The el of the ‘Ao -Dai’
The traditional Vietnamese woman's dress, the ao-dai, is considered by Westerners to be
one of the most elegant and feminine national costumes in the world. Over the last thirty years or so the ao-dai
has undergone many changes. French influence had contributed to its present uncluttered flowing charm .
Unlike the tight-fitting Chinese cheongsam , which tends to restrict movement, the Vietnamese ao -dai with
its close fitting bodice, free flowing front and bock panels and long black or white silk trousers underneath,
is a delicate and airy garment. Though these long flowing panels are something of a hazard when riding a
bicycle or sitting side -saddle on a « Honda » motor scooter, Vietnamese women consider its advantages far
outweigh its drawbacks – especially when it comes to hidding unshapely legs, thick ankles or nobbly knees !

The ao -dai is made up of two

separate pieces reaching down to
the heels. Though the left side is
sewn down as far as the waist, the
right side is lined with press studs,
and depending on the out of the
neckline, which is generally man
darin - style, continues up along the
right breast to meet the collar in
the centre . Long close - fitting
sleeves are also characteristic.
Though the ao-dai may be any
colour, pastel, dark, or floral, the
long silk trousers are either black
or white. Almost all over the world
people are familiar with the ao-dai.
Many Vietnamese girls who travel
overseas to study wear their gra
ceful dress while waves of VIP's,
such as Mrs. Nguyen Van Thieu
and Mrs. Nguyen Cao Ky always
draw admiring glances on official
visits. Though many European
women have tried to wear the ao
dai it rarely does them justice.
The frail pieces of streaming ma
terial seem unbecoming to them
because in general they are taller
and larger boned than the tiny,
slender Vietnamese women .

Fashions have changed too . Some

thirty odd years ago the dress,
though still basically resembling

Graceful, flowing lines are the mark

of the « ao -dai» which has under
gone many transformations through
the years. Girls in front of Le Van
Duyet temple gate sport traditional
collar and fast becoming popular col.
larless attire .

25
today's fashion , was loose fitting
and reached only to below the
knees. The back fell straight away
from the neck while the front for
med two separate pieces which
tied at the waist, the left tie always
being larger than the right. This
left a gaping « V » across the chest
which was covered by a bid-like
piece of cloth which tied behind
the neck. Some 15 years later the
dress received several improve
ments. The gaping « V » was redu
ced to a more demure size, and
instead of tying the two ends to
gether these were allowed to fall
freely while a long sash, usually
two metres in length, was tied
around the waist and knotted on
the right side.
And so the evolution continued .
The French eliminated the knots
and belts and the bodice changed
to the traditional Chinese style of
press studs across the chest to the
armpit and down one side as far as
the waist. This tended to represent
a fusion of Oriental and Western
fashion. There was a stage when
the shoulders were padded , but
this soon passed. At least, as far as
the collar is concerned , practicality
has replaced fashion. For a time
women raised their mandarin col
lars from two centimeters to eight ,
but they found that it was difficult
to eat. Also their necks were held
so stiffly that it was difficult even
to talk. So for the sake of comfort
collars were reduced to three cen Prints have made their way into the favor of Vietnamese girls although
timeters. However today necklines plain one-color gowns dominate. Schoolgirls are distinguished by their
vary according to individual all -white ao - dai. Long, close-fitting sleeves stress uncluttered elegance.
tastes : round, square , or heart
shaped , though the collarless line
is favoured at the moment. The
First Lady of the First Republic of and dresses, but the ao-dai pleases and representative of the days
South Vietnam, Madam Ngo Dinh me. » One female civil servant said when girls and boys were not
Nhu , set a trend in necklines. She confidentially : « I wear both wes allowed to be too near each other.
wore a plunging rounded neckline tern and Vietnamese. The Vietna The older folk vary. Some say that
which was widely imitated. mese dress is best in cool weather , western dress is « not serious
but when it is hot western dress enough -
European clothes look
Some modern Vietnamese wo is more comfortable. Whenever I provocative. » Others feel that the
men find a happy medium be am invited to dinner I prefer to young women should dress as they
tween traditional Vietnamese dress wear western dress so that I can please. « We cannot force them to
and Western dress though many eat my fill. If I eat too much I find adopt our ideas. The character of
prefer the ao -dai. One student that the ao -dai becomes too tight girls shows in their behaviour
pointed out : « I don't have any at the waist . » The young men be. and upbringing, not in the way
prejudice against western skirts lieve the ao -dai is old fashioned they dress.» (MF)

26
 WHY
THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE IN
VIETNAM AND
ABROAD READ
THE VIETNAM
GUARDIAN
DAILY ?
BECAUSE, BESIDES
ENTERTAINING
YOU WITH ITS COLUMNS
AND FEATURES,
THE VIETNAM GUARDIAN
INFORMS YOU BETTER
WITH LOCAL AND
INTERNATIONAL
LATEST NEWS

REMEMBER TO SUBSCRIBE TO
THE VIETNAM GUARDIAN
26 , TU DO STREET
SAIGON , REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
Now !
 Pr
EL
201

Multiple ills beset press UP

zat
ME
The

**
* in Vietnam ma

ind

eat
giv
Lie Telling. In spite of their mo

traditional claims of defending the

poor and the humble and serving го
the lofty principles of human pl:
dignity and social justice, Viet ni
namese journalists more often U
than not are held in contempt by in
their compatriots, in whose eyes it m
is theirs the habit of « telling in b
vented stories in return for good fi
money. » ( lam bao noi lao an tien) ir
Indeed, possibly nowhere else in
the world are representatives of
this most noble profession given 30
little consideration by the general
public and government circles.
There was a time, not very long
ago, when newspapering was con
sidered as one of the meanest nc
cupations that could only enlist the
service of those good at nothing
except at telling lies.

Newsboys prepare newspapers for day's sale in Saigon ( above ), only Vietnamese city with enough dai.
lies. Budding newsmen attend English class conducted by Vietnam Press' Angela Cobb, at left.
28
 Present-day journalists , of cour Vietnamese newspaper came into (Ray of Light ), the Trang Den
se , have become more respectable being, the press expanded rapidly (Black and White ), the Saigon Moi
figures. The Vietnamese press has but its development was a most (News Saigon), and the Tieng
grown into something the adminis tumultuous one. There were quite Chuong (Bell Sounds) nurture no
tration has to reckon with . But the a few attempts at publishing other ambitions than selling as
time still seems quite far away genuine newspapers Diep Van many copies as possible.
when newspapermen and women Ky's Than Chung ( The Morning Among these are some of the
may rid themselves of their often Bel) in Saigon and Hoang Tich most affluent journals, the staffs of
undeserved notoriety of «money Chu's Dong Tay (East-West) in which are so very well paid that
eaters , and when they may be Hanoi -
but they were rather good writers and educated youths
given their proper due by the con short-lived undertakings. with a promising future ahead
mon people. On the whole, until the Second of them have begun to shed their
Difficult Beginnings. This ser World War broke out, Vietnamese amour propre and tried to seek a
rowful state of affairs has its ex newspapers were either colorless career in journalism. If the trend
planation in the humble begin sheets with little news and even should be maintained an editor
nings of this imported profession . less comment or mouthpieces for with Chinh Luan earns VN$ 40,000
Until the arrival of the French political groupings with definitely a month the time may soon
in Cochinchina in the early sixties set ideas on anything that may come when talented persons will
mass communications media had happen . There were also too many not shun the prospects of working
been pratically non-existent. The of them and the limited readership in an editorial office.
first newspaper was only published they had to share among them Basic Shortcomings. But the
in Vietnam in 1865. It was the selves forced such «mass circu basic shortcomings of the Viet
Gia Dinh Bao or Gia Dinh Jour lation > dailies as the Dong Phap namese press are still too many
nal, edited by Truong Vinh Ky. (French Indochina) to live on a and, thus, have the compounded
Ky's spiritual child was rather mere five or six thousand copies effect of preventing its expansion
modest in its designs. Unlike its daily. on the lines recorded in more
successors, which often proclaimed This situation can be said to be advanced countries. Heading this
social justice, national indepen true throughout the two decades list of deficiencies is the apparent
dence, economic well -being and following the end of World War II. inability of capital owners to invest
human dignity and other such Even the authoritarian regime of enough money in newspapering
lofty notions as their guiding prin Ngo Dinh Diem ( 1954-1963 ) and the ventures to put them on a sound
ciples, Gia Dinh Bao only wanted continuous upheavals that marked financial and economic basis .
to record some of the most impor the immediate post- Diem era did As things are now , anybody with
tant events that marked the first not result in any betterment of the a publishing licence and a couple
years of French domination in press. Vietnamese papers, on
of millions of piasters (US$ 20,000)
Vietnam , the whole, remain unprofessional to spare, can launch a daily news
But even this small ambition sheets with an average sale of paper. Of course , with so little
was not to be fully satisfied . In the 5,000 per day. capital, the venture cannot be very
particular political conditions of ENCOURAGING SIGNS different from Ky’s Gia Dinh Bao.
Indochina, the paper soon found More often than not, with an edi
itself submerged by literary crea Exceptions. Of course, there are torial staff limited to five or six
tions of all kinds. Unable to inform more than one exception to the rule persons and printing facilities con
its readers on current develop but they rather confirm than deny fined to two or four hand-fed Yoda
ments and providing them with it. As things are now, the vernacu presses, the product it puts out
comments on the news, journalists lar press can point to such dailies cannot even claim to be a news
on the staff of Gia Dinh Bao turned as the Chinh Luan (Right Opinion), paper worth its name.
their paper into a literary gazette. the Quyet Tien (Determination To Of the three score dailies distri
Although until the final years of Go Forward ), the Cong Luan buted in Saigon, too, none rolls
the twentieth century, Gia Dinh (Public Opinion ), and the Tien out of the more modern Rotary
Bao still served as some kind of Tuyen (Frontline) as serious un presses. Types are set by hand , and
official gazette for the colonial dertakings to improve the stand monotypes or lynotypes continue
administration , the style and con ards of the local press. to be unheard of in most editorial
tent of the press in Vietnam was Besides these newspapers, which offices. For dailies with circulation
thus definitely set. The characte can claim a circulation of 25,000 to reaching over 10,000 copies per
ristics of Ky's paper little news 50,000 copies per day, such dailies day, the case is not rare of the
and much fiction · were to remain as the Chanh Dao (Right Way) and paper being printed in four differ
the essential features of the local ent printing houses. Some of the
the Xay Dung (To Construct) are
press for nearly a century . definitely identified with Buddhist more prosperous papers have been
Confused Development. For the and Catholic interests, and such working on that arrangement for
next hundred years after the first other journals as the Tia Sang years.

29
 The single exception in this res hind a discriminating public one finds that more and more im
pect is or rather was Mr. Nguyen opinion . portance is being given the lead
Ky Nam's Than Chung. Closed This can be said to be long to paragraph . News writing is no
down by Government decree last come as it will involve a complete longer the domain of whoever may
year, Than Chung was the only mental metamorphosis of those di read and write passably well. It
publishing venture that had the rectly concerned with it and a has become something would be
mechanical facilities to help put change of approach by informa journalists must learn before en
out a decent journal . Nam still tion workers. So long as journalists tering the profession.
awaits the day when he can put School of Journalism . The new
of Vietnam think of themselves as
his money and talent at the ser artists and / or politicians, they are concept is also being helped by the
vice of the Fourth Estate . perforce prejudiced and their wri organization of training courses
Prospects. What has been ter tings even on the merest to for would -be journalists at such
institutions as the semi- official
med by the late Tu-chung Vu Nhat pics are tainted by their sub
Huy -- one of the best journalists jective views of the world around Vietnam Press Agency, the radio
ever produced by Vietnam , who them . system , the Psywar Department .
And a least one institution of high
was murdered by the Viet Cong Of course, such a deficiency can
in 1906 – as « the handicraft state er learning, the University of
anly be remedied by the emer Dalat, has a full- fledged Depart
of the Vietnamese press » has not gence of a new generation of press ment of Journalism with a teach
gone unlamented by many of the workers trained for the profession ing faculty grouping the best
more enlightened publishers and but it will take time for cub re names in the Vietnamese press.
editors of this land. And they are porters to be entrusted with
If the time can he said to be still
trying to do something to exploit higher responsibilities. And the far away when journalists may no
the limits in which they have to shortcoming is too deeprooted to longer be called « lie -tellers and
work . be done away with speedily. the like, it has dawned on the
Dr. Dang Van Sung, the publish Sounder Concept A sounder general public and the journalistic
er of Chinh - Luan, and Chu-tu Chu concept, however, has begun to world that newspapering is not a
Van Binh , the owner of the erst emerge from the conflicting un temporary occupation for whoever
while Song (Life) , for example, dercurrents of the Vietnamese may be out of work. The many jobs
have been reported to have gone press. Serious publications now presently held by graduates from
abroad more than once to look for only have one or two serialized journalism courses organized in
semi-automatic rotary presses that novels instead of the five or six the past few years, constitute the
may be operated by unskilled Viet such circulation boosters of yore. most eloquent proofs indicating
namese workers. And at least two Chinh-luan for example, markes it that amateurism is no longer a
printing houses in Saigon have at a rule to publish only one such characteristic of Vietnamese jour
present all the facilities needed to story, and Cong- luan and Tien nalism .
put out good-looking dailies. tuyên have inside pages whose The many trips made abroad by
material may constitute food for working journalists also have
If competition should grow fier thought for any serious reader. resulted in bringing some fresh air
cer in the days to come , publish
ers may sometime find out that Of course, the great majority of into local editorial offices. Nguyen
their best chance to remain in the the vernacular papers still devote Nam Phong, after seeling the facil
field is to modernize their printing too much space for fiction and too ities put at the disposal of corres
equipment, re-organize their staff, little for news and comments. And pondents covering the Manila sum
most of the time, their features are mit in 1966, accepted to lecture for
hire trained journalists, improve
their coverage of world and local articles translated from English or a Vietnam Press -sponsored jour
French newspapers. But a genuine nalism course . And Inquirerman
events. As all these steps involve Tran Nha vowed to work to death
more money, the trend must point effort is being made by the more
to an « industrialization serious publications to limit their « if necessary » to improve his two
of the
fictional components and to encou publications after a visit to the
trade if it should some day de Asahi Shimbun and the Mainichi
serve the name of Fourth Estate. rage original writings among their
staff members. In this undertaking , Shimbun of Tokyo.
SOUNDER CONCEPT they are being helped by the emer STILL A LONG WAY
gence of more than a feature syn
Editorial Deficiencies. But even dicate and ever growing number Other Difficulties. Besides diffi
should the profession be put some of outside contributors. culties mentioned earlier, many
day on a sounder financial and For the student of the local other obstacles remain in the way
organizatior.al basis, deficiencies press, another encouraging sign is to a better Fourth Estate . Of these,
of a different kind will bar the to be found in the treatment of the most important is the problem
press in Vietnam from growing news by reporters. Instead of the of distribution of an estimated
speedily into what it has always erstwhile dominant habit of writ 500,000 copies of Saigon-based
desired to be : a healthy force be ing stories in a chronological order, newspapers.

30
 Inquirer readers are more or

less familiar with problems con

fronting us , which also are those The fundamental law
faced by our colleagues. In the two
critical first months of our life, we
were victims of a
racket which forced us to seek
distribution of Communist legality
survival in stopping street sales.
And sixteen weeks after our mai In a broadcast to the Cuban peo against liberal economic reforms
den issue reached your hands, dis ple on August 23 Fidel Castro pro that were taking place in other
tribution of the Inquirer in the Socialist Camp countries. »
vided what was perhaps the most
provinces remains insignificant. cynical, and most revealing ana
Continued publication of this lysis of the Russian invasion and Thus Castro made it clear, no
newsmagazine, even to us, appears occupation of Czechoslovakia yet. doubt to the embarrassment of
something tantamount to a mi Castro came out squarely in sup Russian, East German, Polish ,
racle. port of the flimsy pretexts given by Hungarian and Bulgarian leaders,
the Russians to justify the move. that the Communist movement
In the present distributing arran does not permit the development
gement, Saigon is the only city In fact, he stated emphatically of Communist countries other than
with enough papers for the read that the invasion was illegal and along lines to be decided by a hand
and a violation of Czechoslovakia's ful of Russian Communist leaders.
ing public. In all other cities, even
those linked with the Capital by sovereignty – but he curtly dis This fundamental law of Commu
missed this fact as an irrelevancy . nist legality is nothing more than
daily air connections, newspapers
more often than not are on sale
For anyone having any doubts con political expediency determined in
cerning the real motivations for the Moscow.
one or two days late. In Danang , Russian invasion , here are a few
Hue, Cantho, Nhatrang, the case excerpts from the Castro speech : While Czechoslovakia is far
is not rare of news blackouts last away, and Vietnamese know little
ing for days. And in smaller pro « ... the essential thing whether
about her, we are all too familiar
vincial and district towns and in we accept it or not, is whether the with this fundamental law of Com
the countryside, newspapers are Socialist Bloc could permit the
practically nonexistent with the development of a political situation munist legality. The Hanoi regime
which would lead to the break was the first Communist state to
evident effect of depriving them of support the Russian aggression in
a great many potential customers. down of a Socialist country and
its fall into the arms of Imperial Czechoslovakia . This is not sur
ism . From our viewpoint it is not prising since we have all too often
One needs not go very far to be permissible and the Socialist Bloc seen ths fundamental Communist
convinced of the seriousness of the has the right to prevent it, one way law of political expediency used
situation . For whoever has been to by the Communist leaders in
or another... what is not appro
villages and hamlets just outside priate here is to say that the sover Hanoi when they turned over
Saigon and wants to buy a news eignty of the Czechoslovak state Vietnamese nationalist leaders to
paper, may have much more to was not violated . That would be the French colonialists, when they
do than going to the village shop. fiction and a lie. assassinated thousands of nation
This state of affairs is so very pre alists following World War II
valent throughout the country that « The violation was flagrant... when they invaded South Viet
a disgusted journalist said not From the legal standpoint it can nam, when they conduct terror
long ago that « newspapers simply not be justified , this is quite clear. against civilians, just to mention
do not get out of Saigon. » In our judgment the decision on a few instances.
Czechoslovakia can be explained
So long as such difficulties only from the political viewpoint, When politicians and others
remain unsolved . Vietnamese and not from the legal viewpoint. speak about nationalist elements
newspapers may find it impossible Frankly it has absolutely no lega in the National Liberation Front
lity... it is necessary to admit it
to break away from their present even though it violates rights such and the Viet Cong, they should
economic deadlock and it can be remind themselves of this basic
as the right of sovereignty -- our
safely assumed that they are still judgment considers as more im law of Communism which is com
a long way from what they want mon to all Communist states , in
portant the struggle against Impe
to be: a source of enlightenment rialism ... We must learn to analyze cluding Czechoslovakia, which is
in the present stage of nation these realities in order to avoid at this moment being forced to
building that should make them taking romantic and idealistic posi adhere to that law by thousands
equal to their self-appointed role tions that do not fit in with these of foreign troops.
as the nation's Fourth Estate. realities. We are against all those
Reprinted from The Viêtnam bourgeois liberal reforms within PHI-LAN in the
Inquirer. Czechoslovakia, but we also are Saigon Post

31
 THE VIETNAM COUNCIL
ON FOREIGN RELATIONS CONTENTS
Officers VOL. I, No. 2 1968
Trần Văn Lắm , President
Nguyễn Duy Tài , Vice President
FROM OUR READERS 1
Clyde W. Bauer, Secrelary General 1

THE CHINESE IN VIETNAM 2

Mrs. Nguyễn Phương Thiệp, Secretary
SPECIAL REASONS PROPEL SINO - VIET
Mrs. Tăng Thị Thành Trai, Treasurer NAMESE UNITY 4

Directors « LIKE A BUNCH OF BROKEN DOLLS > .. 5

FRIENDS OF VIETNAM 6
Lý Quí Chung
Vương Văn Bắc FOR DR. THIEN A DISTINGUISHED
AWARD 7
Phạm Quy
POEM FROM A VIET CONG TO HIS
Nguyễn Văn Thơ MOTHER 9
Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Hai
HEAVY DAMAGE INFLICTED ON VN
Ngô Khắc Tỉnh BUDDHIST TEMPLES 10
Wang Tsio Yong AT POW CAMPS : MAJORITY MINORS 12
VN STUDENT AT USC .... 14

MIRACLE RICE COMES TO VIETNAM 17

THE ELEGANCE OF THE «AO-DAI» 25

THE FUNDAMENTAL LAW OF COM

MUNIST LEGALITY 27

MULTIPLE ILLS BESET PRESS IN VIET

NAM 29
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