Rearguard Colonialism

One might have hoped that seven bitter years of war in Indochina would teach the French government the folly of resisting the force of an aroused native nationalism. But the hard lessons of imperialism in Asia seem to have been largely lost on France, unlike the other major European colonial powers. Recent events in South Viet Nam indicate that the French are still fighting a vigorous rear guard action to save the last vestiges of their colonial power in the Far East.

It is difficult to put any other interpretation on their actions during the sudden governmental crisis in Saigon. French colonials in the city openly aided the Binh Xuyen rebels against Premier Diem's nationalistic government. Almost as soon as the rebellion broke out, French officials in Paris happily, although somewhat prematurely, consigned Diem to the dustbin and attempted to persuade the United States to do likewise. Even Chief of State Bao Dai, France's obedient servant, took time out from his duties on the Riviera to help preside over Diem's downfall. After the embarrassing failure of the attempt to unseat the Premier, the French government has assured the United States that it intends to support Diem, for the moment at least. But it did so with an evident absence of enthusiasm which may increase, rather than lessen the probability of another crisis in South Viet Nam. Apparently the "French presence" in Indochina is to be preserved even at the cost of heightened chaos in a country that has known nothing but turmoil in the past few years.

The French have claimed that Diem's government does not adequately represent the sentiment of the people of South Viet Nam. Yet Bao Dai surely does not hold a very high place in popular affections, as one can judge from the open hostility with which large segments of the Viet Namesse people greeted his entrance into the recent conflict. And none of the boisterous contending religious sects has shown any great concern for the welfare of the country as a whole. Obviously it is dangerous to place too much reliance upon a single man, as American foreign policy has had a tendency to do. But despite his failings, no other responsible leader aside from Diem has so far emerged in South Viet Nam. Unless the Western powers are willing to let the country disintegrate politically and fall to the Communists in the north by default, they seem to have little choice but to support the present nationalist government. After all, can France really believe that Ho Chi Minh will be any more pro-French than Premier Diem?