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( sf é THE CIVIL WAR THE RECENT EVENTS in the Bas of Tonkin “haye brought the world once again to the brink of disuster. Kt was easily predictable that the ever-increasing mil tary intervention of the United States in the unhappy Vietnaniese civil war would inevitably Iéad to open con- flict between United States forces and those of North vietnam, Amid-t the whirl of charges and countercharges as to which side provoked the crisis, the overriding goal must be inunediate negotiations to de-fuse the explos- ive situation. Perhaps never before has the United States heen in a more untenable political. moral. and military dilemma than the one which now confronts us in the steaming jungles and the rice paddies of South Vietnam There -despite official denials of our combat inyalve._ ment. despite short-lived bursts of exuberance over iiinor ekirmishes. deepite loud assertions that we are supporting responsible government and freedom against Comuuunist subversion— the great and powerful United States is rapidly losing respect and influence, men and money. dignity and smancuverability. Despite Anierican casualities in Uhe hundreds and ex- penditures in hundeeds of millions. the United States milita-y and political position in South Vietnam is becoming increasingly desperate, and our frustrated military feaders are calling for “escalation” of the war. whieh means. essentially. using nurlesr weapons and getting on with World War HI. Such bssteria is eloquent confirmation of the Admin- istration’s most poorly kept secret: that sitteen thou- sand crack United Sites military advisers and two hun- dred and fifty thousand South Vietnam military forces, supported by extensive United States arms and chemical warfare techniques, can achieve no more than a etale- mate. aud possibly net even that. against some twenty- five thousand raged guerrilla tighters. Obviously, these gucrrillis must jr reeciving tremendous aid and sup- port from: South Vietnam's civilian population. Hun- dreds of thousard:. perhaps millions. of South Viemmam- ese are not only refusing to support their government: they are actively opposing it. Unfortunately. they are permitted no other chanel for registering opposition to their government than that of giving support to the guerrillas. Thus the Vietnam war is essentially a civil war. As Senaiar Wayne Morse of the Senate Fore eign Relations Committee says. These are ne Chinese in South Vietnam. There are no Russian soldiers in South Vietnam. The only foreign sollicrs in South Vietnam are United states suldicrs. (March 25, 1964) in 1954 that the United States interest in South as well as in neighboring Laos and Cainbodia, Degan in earnest. After almost eight years of frustra- ting hide-and-cck warfare with Vietnamese gacrrilla forces. the exhausted French gave up the struggle to retain their colunies in Indochina and joined with cight interested nations to negotiate a cease-fire agreement at Geneva. The temporary partitioning of Vietnam into Compmnist and “democratic” portions. pending natioa- wide elections. was the most significant provi the conference agreements. *Hobert 5. Browne resides is Teaneck. N.J.. and teaches econhnics at Fairleigh Dickinson University nomic 41d program in ioroctina initially in Cambodia and after 1987 Im Victnam IN VIE \ His long residence in the ? ' T N ARI by never prowne Feartal of the alleged ; defeat and withdrawal. the Liited States Government handpicked a leader for the newly independent “deme ocratic’ South Vietnam and promptly committed the resources and prestige of the United States to building a “free and independent” South Victnam to serve as a bulwark against the epread of Communism and as a model example of what a new society could achieve by aligning itself with the United States. Unfortunately, the virtual impo-sibility of implement- ing auch a program in that Jocality and at that june ture of history was not realized by our statesinen. due in large measure to our aby-wal ignorance of that part of the world (eg. when the author was preparing for hie assignment to Indochina in 1955, it was impossible to find Americans in Washangton wha had extensive firsthand experience in that area). Chis unreali-tic policy was further hindered by clumsy execution. Our choice of Mr. Diem as the leader for Suuth Vietnam proved to he disastrous ae he and his corrupt and dic- tatorial family quickly came tu syinbolize precicely the sort of tyranny against which our efforts were meant to be directed. Widespread disaffection developed which had its ori- gins in a variety of factors, Popular discontent with th cruel and oppressive tactics of the Diem goy-rnment was reinforced by religious and sectional grivvances, The exerssive economic dependence of the new govern- ment on massive injections of United Statrs aid. aad the resultant attachment of South Vietnam so complete- ly to the United States global political strategy. of- fended the sensitive nationalism of the Virtname: peaple, Diem's negative responses to repeated avers tures from the Nerth for cstablishinent of trade and other relations. and his refusal to hold elections for unification in 1956 as outlined in the cease-Bre agree- ments. further aggravated the dissatisfaction with the government and, hy extension. with the United States, whose hand was widely believed to be directing govern- ment policy. Not surprisingly, Communist North Viet. nam. once ehe had suceveerd in bringing a measure of order to her own shatlered economy. proceeded te add to the agitation anid disorder chich was eaguliing the government of the South. The Diem government responded te eriticien, amd op. position by adopting a poles of rushing th views did not coincide with its own. or jebciing them as Communists—a policy whieh has been substantially followed by its successors. The rationale offered by the State Department for its continuing supposct of the autocratic and unpopular Dem regime and ite sues cessors was that they. like ourselves, are intensely dedi- cated to fighting the Communist --an observation which totally ignores the obvious fact that. if their people re- ject them. their fierce dedication is of Tittle avail. wh By 1960 sizeable portions of South Vietnam: were an der the contro] of anti-government forees. In 1961 the decision was made to introduce a major American mili- tary presence in Vietnam. By 1962 there weer estimated to be upwards of sixtcen thousand American forces stationed there, equipped with enormous supplies of United States military gadgetry for thenseises as well as for the swollen Vietnantese army. From 1955 to 190) he worked ior the Unire-t Staren eer” rea as well ag hin marrage amo # ¥ c.namene fai lly have made hum Keenly aware of the complenicies of the Vietnamese situation and of the danger of exterasily uinposed solutions, whether mitita.>y ut political “oo ao owt OSUBe - acuuin” created by the French ~