Friday. April 9, I965

Dicken Expliculesv
Viet Nam Situation

To the Editor:

It is instructive to note how
the roots of American policy
in Viet Nam lie deep in the
pathological period of Ameri—
can antircommunist hysteria
and of Jvhn Foster Dulles’
"brinksmanship" loreign pol-
icy. Several of the characterise
tie approaches of the Johnson
administration to the war in
Viet Nam may be found in the
United States' response to the
lndo-China crisis in 1954 and
immediately following the con-
clusion of the armistice nego»
tiatiorls in Geneva in July. 1954.

The domino theory of mar
munist expansion was current
at the time in its familiar role
as a justification for preupi-
tste action undertaken with mi-
nor regard for the principles of
international law and of the
United Nations charter. What
amounted to “aggression" was
detected, too, in forms exceed»
ingly resistant to documentae
tion: the French officially de-
nied that assistance from Chi-
na played a signiﬁcant part in
the victories of the Viet Minh.
The impending fall of Dienbien-
phu evoked a number of deSr
perate proposals from impor-
tant members of Eisenhower’s
administration, one of the most
reprehensible of which was the
proposal that Dienbienphu be
ringed with “baby Arbombs."

Optimism about the future of
French colonialism in the area
was not lacking, Two months
before the fall of Dienbienphu.
Admiral Radiotd, Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was
declaring "The French are g0-
mg to win this war," in addi-
tion, predictably, to character-
izing the war as a fight against
“Communist aggression."

The Geneva Armistice. con-
cluded in July, 1954, soon alter
the disastrous defeat at Dien-
bienphu split Viet Nam rough-
ly along the 17th parallel, rec—
ognized the Viet Minh as the
government of North Viet Nam,
and called [or elections in 1956
in determine the government
of a united Viei Nam.

The G e n av a Agreement
marked a change in American
tactics. if not ln aims. Anti-
(ommunism could no longer
assume the form of support for
French colonialism; in fact, the
new French government of
Pierre Mendes , France felt
American intranSigence to be,
a threat L0 the stabi zation of‘

Memorial Giff
For Miss Freeman

A donation to the Southern Chris-
tian Leadership Conference in the
memory or former Grilmell student
Jackie Freeman was made last?
week by her parents. according mi
Roger Eldridge, college chaplain.‘
Miss Freeman was killed last No-
vember 13th in a carrbicycle ac-
eident.

Miss Freeman's parents made:
the contribution saying “she would‘
have wanted to contribute. She was
so passionately interested and ac.
hve in human rights and would

 

have been with the other kids in‘
Des Molnes demonstrating.”

the Viet Nam situation. Ameri»
can policy engineered the se-
lection of a certain Ngo Dinh
Diem as Premier. Diem left
the seclusion of a Belgian Cath-
olic monastery to assume his
post. Diem recommended him-
self highly as a man who could
be relied upon to resist the
commitment to hold elections
in 1956. He did not prove a dis-
appointment on that score.
in refusing to sign the Ge-
neva Agreement, the United
States opened for itself the pos-
sibility of taking up the situa-
tion Where the French left Off.
The position could only be at
tractive to those who had not
learned the lessons of the
French defeat: that as a pre—
requisite for a continuing influ-
ence on Southeast Asian affairs,
the United States must recog-
nize the force and appeal of the
revolutionary n a t i o n alistic
trend which is sweeping the
area.
Nicholas Dicker!

 

SCARLET AND BLACK

Tennis Team Awaits Season Opening;
Five Returning Slarlers Lead Squad

By Ken Clymer

Despite the late spring, the
Grinnell varsity tennis team

Page Seven ‘

other teams in the Midwest
Conference were in the same
unfavorable situation,

Doubles teams have not yet
been announced. Possible dou-
, hle teams, however, may be
‘22; 5311, me“ “we“ 51mm Larry Shannon and Ken Clymer
p to the team. . .

The team has been working at hrs! doubles with-Bob Korn-

_ feld and Mike Greenheld at seer
should he in fair condition form“ ‘“ Darby 35”“ ’0’ the Pascl 0nd doublesv Last season.

. several weeks, and this week-Shannon teamed with Kornfeld
themSL'MtPh“ mm.“ "35°“ has been able to get outside and Clymer with Greenfield,
Ltd by 59“” ”PW“ 17“” for the first time. Gn'nnell can but neither team did well in the
Sham“ ”‘5 name“ “’1“ be take comfort in the fact that all conterence tournament.

TASTY PASTRY SHOP

ener next Tuesday in Gales»
a variety

 

burgi Meets scheduled for this
weekend in Northiield were can-
celled due to snow _

Although the netmen finished
a poor fifth last season, coach
irv Simone can expect an im—
proved team this year since
none 0! the players graduated,
Shannon will be backed by Ken
Clymer, Bob Komfeld, and
Mike Greenfield, all returning
lettermen. In addition, up and
coming sophomores Chip Kin-

of doughnuts
and cookies

 

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will (Mimi
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