Evening star. [volume], April 06, 1947, Page C-5, Image 42

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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Tuberculosis Ravishing
Undernourished Europe
White Plague Again Becomes Continent's
Worst Killer Among Ill-Fed Millions
Despite Efforts of Relief Groups
By Tom Williams
LONDON —The white plague of tuberculosis, flourishing among mil
lions .of ill-fed people In Europe, has reversed the downward trend of a
century and again is the continent's No. 1 killer.
Combined efforts of UNRRA, the American Red Cross and other
relief agencies so far have failed to halt its creeping spread.
Modern medicine has saved the continent from the ravages of poet
war etiiueiutus, uuu uuvwuia dvui mv
few and hospitals still scarce. Hous
ing Is Inadequate and fuel almost
nonexistent. These are Ideal con
ditions for the scourge now taking a
heavy toll of Europe's youth and
threatening fier recovery for years to
come.
An Associated Press survey of 18
countries which disclosed this situ
ation found venereal disease to be
the No. 2 health problem in 1947.
Far Under 193* Standards.
Without exception, on-the-spot re
ports from AP correspondents
showed, Europe's health is far be
low the standards of 1938. In some
countries 'the disease rate is declin
ing, but it still exceeds that of pre
war years.
But in striking contrast to the
close of World War I, and in spite of
a historically severe winter, influ
enza has been held in check and no
other serious epidemic has developed.
Fearing such outbreaks, health au
thorities in some countries have
hoarded supplies of penicillin, vac
cine and sulfonamides—science's
latest contributions to the war
against disease.
DDT*, a World War II discovery, Is
being used effectively against typhus,
but the disease still rages in the
Balkans, particularly in Moldavia^
the "Death Triangle" of Northeast
ern Romania where millions died in
World War I.
, Not All Black.
Some plain-spoken Government
authorities say the war set back Eu
rope'· fight for health 15 or 20
years. But not all the picture is
black.
Britain^ Italy and Spain appar-j
•ntly already are on the way to re
plete but the 1946 death rate prob·^
ably wax the lowest In Spanish
history.
Britain's diet is dull and restricted,
but prewar nutritional standards
have been maintained—even in
creased in the case of children.
Tuberculosis made a brief spurt
early in the war, but again is on
the decline. A government cam
paign against syphilis and gonor
rhea halted an increase in those
diseases after an alarming rise in
1941.
Of the nations covered by the
survey, only Sweden escaped a war
time increase in tuberculosis. But,
Swedish health authorities said,
venereal disease still exceeds prewar
levels.
Romanian Province Suffers.
Germany, Poland. Romania, Yugo
slavia, Austria and Greece are the
continent's blackest plague spots
with Moldavia, perhaps, the blackest
of all.
Scorched by two successive years
of drought, the Romanian province
is on a starvation diet and resistance
to disease has waned.
Typhus, averaging about 2,400
cases annually in Romania, Jumped
to 15,632 cases in 1946—most of them
in Moldavia—and doctors forecast
another 14,000 in 1947.
More than a million of the 16,500,
000 Romanians are suffering from
syphilis, health authorities reported.
They estimated another 3,000,000
were victims of gonorrhea.
Tuberculosis affects approximately
«nn Don Romanians and another
700,000 suffer from malaria.
High TB Rate in Germany.
Germany, which before Hitler had
one of the world's lowest tubercu
losis rates, now has one of the high
est. Other diseases, except venereal
infections, are on the decline.
Voicing the American Military
Government's concern at the rapid
spread of tuberculosis among Ger
many's undernourished population,
Lt. Col. Adam J. Rapalski, chief of
the AMG's public health branch,
declared:
"It will be a problem for years to
come, especially in Berlin where
the incidence will be higher than
elsewhere because of the aggravat
ing conditions which exist in the
battered and crowded metropolis."
Each week since January 1, Berlin
a city of three and one-quarter mil
lion population, has reported an
average of more than 400 new cases
of TB and about 150 deaths.
In a February 15 announcement
the AMG reported 48,113 new TB
cases, making a total of 117,983 in
the American occupation zone.
In the American zone gonorrhea
is the most prevalent communicable
disease and the military govern
ment's knottiest problem. The aver
age rate in Berlin for six months
has been 100 cases per 10,000 popu
lation. Incidence is somewhat lower
in the provinces, where syphilis Is
increasing.
Poland Handicapped.
Poland's stiffest battle is against
tuberculosis. Unofficial but authori
tative sources estimated the disease
claims more than 18,000 lives per
month, mostly among young people.
Accurate figures on venereal dis
ease are not available, but best esti
mates indicate at least 2,000,000
cases among Poland's 24,000,000 in
habitants. Data from University of
Warsaw clinics show a 12-fold in
crease in syphilis.
"The present incidence," said Dr.
Norman Begg, UNRRA health di
rector, "constitutes a potential and
serious handicap to Poland for many
years."
In Athens, UNRRA health offi
cers estimated 150,000 tuberculosis
sufferers were in need of the rest
cure and that only 5,000 beds were
available.
Despite cold, hunger and shortages
of doctors and hospital facilities,
Italy's birth rate Is up and the
death rate down.
Spain, Almost isolated from the
rest of Europe, is recovering steadily
from the effects of its civil war.
Statistics for last year »re not com
Horner
(Continued From Page C-l.)
especially fitted for difficult top as
signments.
The new Foreign Service Act,
which went into effect last Novem
ber 13, makes it possible for the
first time for a foreign service
officer to retain his standing in
the career service after being ap
pointed an ambassador or minister.
Previously, such appointees had
to resign from the career service to
accept chief of mission appoint
ments.
lAst week's series of ambassador
rial nominations set another prec-1
edent, in addition to the Cannon1
case, by including two former Com
merce Department employes.
Walter J. Donnelly was named
Ambassador to Costa Rica and Al
bert F. Nufer to El Salvador. Both
now foreign service officers of
class 1, they were among the group
of Commerce Department commer
cial attaches who were merged into
the foreign service in 1939. Many
old-line career diplomats resented,
at the time, seeing the Commerce
men come into foreign service at
relatively high rank. None of the
group ever before had been named
chief of a diplomatic mission.
Mr. Cannon will replace in Yugo
slavia Richard C. Patterson, Jr., a
political appointee who resigned. Mr.
Donnelly succeeds in Costa Rica
Hallet Johnson, a career man ex
pected to retire. Mr. Nufer replaces
Mr. Simmons in El Salvador.
With the new appointments, the
list of American ambassadors and
ministers now Includes 37 men from
the career service and 24 political
appointees..
Fox
(Continued Prom Page C-l.>
Hannegan's "hat-in-the-ring" speech
in New York a few weeks ago, the;
President anticipated questions |
about 1948, and headed them off
by reading to reporters extracts
from his "no politics" postelection
statement. He still sticks to that,
he said.
By accident or design, the Presi
dent sees less of his old congres
sional cronies than formerly was the
case, and he has his first "lame
duck" appointment to make.
Usually his daily calling list is a !
long one.
Enjoys Good Health.
With the exception of a few days
last November, when a cold sent him
to Florida for a brief rest, Mr. Tru
man. who will be 63 May 8, has been
in good physical shape throughout
his two years in the White House.
His diet is plain, and swimming and
walking furnish needed exercise.
Every so often, Brig. Gen. Wallace
Graham, his physician, feels it ad
visable to get the President away
from his desk for a few days, and
while always there is some work to
be done, these "breaks" serve as a
good tonic.
The President also gets an oppor
tunity to see some new faces on
these trips, and reporters traveling
with him have noticed an increasing
warmth in the welcome he receives.
On the recent trip to Key West,
the town turned out in a body for
an after-dark reception, and when
the President left at midday, schools
got a half holiday, and even the
"hot spots" along Duval street sus
pended activities while operators
and customers flocked out to join
* the sidewalk cheering section. <
ι '
Willie UICCCC ft luucituiai piviuic
is grim, malaria, the next health
problem, appears to have been
solved by an 18-month DDT cam
paign against mosquitoes.
UNRRA officials, coping with poor
communications, Scattered villages
and rough terrain, said it was im
possible to estimate the Incidence
of tuberculosis in Yugoslavia.
Fewer Deaths in France.
Dr. Kenneth Sinclair-Loutit, Brit
ish physician, said the best estimate
for 1939 was 30,000 TB deaths in
the country and 90,000 infectious
cases. In 1943 the number of
cases soared to 157.000 and took an
unknown toll of dead.
Best government estimates indi
cate that in the relatively well-fed
city of Zagreb the disease increased
58 per cent during the war.
Among the nations of Western
Europe, France reported a signifi
cant decline in tuberculosis deaths
in 1945, but all sanatoria were filled
to capacity.
France's venereal disease total in
1945 was 45,582 cases, compared with
51,768 in 1946. During the year
gonorrhea cases declined nearly
4,000 and syphilis increased more
than 6,300.
French infant mortality rose to
a high of ΙΟβ per thousand births
in 1945 but dropped to between an
estimated 66 to 68 in 1946.
Dr. O. Banning, chief medical
officer of the Dutch Public Health
Service said, "general health con
ditions in the Netherlands are satis
factory." but added that "the death
rate from tuberculosis is rising
alarmingly." He estimated syphilis
had increased 100-fold and that
gonorrhea was 30 times more
prevalent than (luring the prewar
years.
(Distributed by tht AMoeUtcd Fnil.t
Big Task for
U.N. Group
Seeks Antidote for
War, Depression,
Unemployment
By Adelaide Kerr
LAKE 'SUCCESS.—Seeking the
answers to puzzles mankind has
never solved, the United Nations
Economic and Social Council has
Just completed plans for a mid
summer session to come to grips
with the causes of depression, un
employment and war.
Up to now, whenever man was
caught in one of those economic
brambles, he made sporadic, isolated,
discouraged attempts to extricate
himself and generally emerged more
scratched and bleeding than before.
Now he Is trying to work with equip
ment which will take the brambles
apart and let him live in comfort
and peace. That equipment is the
world-wide organization—the United
Nations Economic and Social Coun
cil which meets three times a year
and has a numb» of commissions
working between times to supply It
with information.
The Economic and Social Coun
cil's long name has been shortened
in U. N. secretariat parlance to
ECOSOC—pronounced Eckoeock. It
has Just completed its fourth work
packed session in which it covered
wide territory, madç plans for inter
national conferences and Initiated
bodies and studies to seek ways and
means of keeping the world's busi
ness on an even keel, producing Jobs
as well as insuring the realization
of human rights. When the Council
reconvenes July 19 it will take up
reports on the following activities
on which commissions and secre
tariat are now at work:
Set Up Economie Group.
1. One of ECOSOC's most im
portant acts in tne last session was
to establish an economic commis
sion for Europe. At least one of the
commission's formulator's calls it
"a tremendous step toward a United
States of Europe."
(ECOSOC also established an
economic commission for Asia
and the Far East with the same
general mandate for the areas
within its scope.
2. The Council asked its Econom
ic and Employment Commission to
report on what international action
should be taken for better utiliza
tion of world resources of labor, ma
terials and capital and what inter
national action should be taken to
maintain world full employment
and economic stability.
3. The subject of "guarantees for
the exercise and development of
trade union rights" submitted by
the World Federation of Trade
Unions for discussion was referred
to the ILO and the Commission on
Human Rights for study and report.
Free Press Issue.
4. The Council instructed its new
ly constituted subcommission on
freedom of information and of the
press to prepare and submit a draft
agenda for the projected interna
tional conference on freedom of
information, whose date and place
ECOSOC will decide next session.
5. The secretary general was
asked to submit a draft conven
tion on genocide (efforts to exter
minate an entire race) in response
to the General Assembly's resolu
tion labeling this a crime and ask
ing member states to enact legisla
tion for its prevention and
punishment.
6. ECOSOC approved in principle
a world-wide appeal for funds to
meet emergency relief needs of chil
dren, adolescents and expectant
and nursing mothers and favored
to meet this the collection of one
day's pay or some alternative bet
ter adapted to each country. It
asked the secretary general to study
and report on the best way of doing
this work.
In addition to these steps for con
sideration at its next session, the
Council authorized a number of
activities which did not require im
mediate report.
It called a world shipping confer
ence later this year and gave it
latitude—but not a mandate—to
consider the desirability of creating
an international maritime organiza
tion.
(Distributed by the Associated Press Λ
LOOKING AHEAD —By the World Staff of the Associated Press
The Senate shortly will hear
another proposal that the United
States ask the United Nations to
revise its rules.
Senator Vandenberg, Republican,
of Michigan already has suggested
one change In rules—or at least
a suspension—in suggesting that
proposed United States aid to
Turkey and Greece be halted if
a majority of any seven of the 11
member U. N. Security Council re
quest it. At present the seven
would have to include all of the
"Big Five." The Senate Foreign Re
lations Committee has adopted this
plan.
The new proposal, not by Senator
Vandenberg, will seek to shift the
entire center of U. N. responsibility.
It will ask that an issue vetoed
in the Security Council be passed on
to the U. N. Assembly, where a
two-thirds or three-fourths vote
(to be decided by U. N.) could
override the veto.
It looks now as though it will
be early May before Congress makes
up its mind about the Greek
Turkish loan.
The date when the British said
they would have to stop helping
Greece, March 31, has passed and
they have agreed to give stop-gap
aid. It may cost them another
$26,000,000.
PALESTINE
LONDON. — A foreign office
spokesman says Britain hopes for
preliminary United Nations action
on the Palestine problem as early
as next month. Conclusive action
would have to wait for the regular
Assembly session In September. *
Only Soviet acceptance is needed
to call a proposed meeting of
deputy foreign minister· tgr* to
consider the future of Italian
colonies.
DOUBLE-HEADER
LAKE SUCCESS, Ν. Y.—Whether
Soviet Delegate Gromyko will pitch
in both of two big United Nations
games tomorrow is not certain, but
he is sure to go to the mound in
the nightcap to toss some curves
at United States Delegate Austin
on the American-Greek-Turkish
problem.
This will be in the Security
Council. The morning will see dis
cussion in the commission on con
ventional (non-atomic) armaments.
FLYING BOAT INQUIRY
The forthcoming Senate investi-;
gation of the $20,000,000 (and then
some) flying boat built-by Howaro
Hughes is expected to bring out some
helpful information on problems in
volved in building very large air
craft.
Per instance, it has usually been
held that the weight-saving advan
tage of a flying boat's hull over the
wheels of a land plane would in
crease indefinitely with the size of
the plane.
Mr. Hughes has concluded that
eventually the weight of the wings
will offset this advantage.
Another interesting problem: The
outboard engines In the Hughes boat
(there are four of 3,000 horsepower
in each wing) are so far from the
cockpit that new controls must be
developed to assure co-ordination of
all engines.
PHONY MONEY
Secret Service Chief Maloney told
Senators the Treasury Department
may withdraw an entire issue of $50
bills because Chinese counterfeiters
have produced such excellent imita
tions.
Producing a sample of the Orien
tal craftsmanship, Mr. Mal&ey said
agents have been sent to China to
track down the source. No luck so
far.
IT'S 'TEW" BILL
The long-range housing bill intro
duced last year by Senators Wag
ner, Ellender and Taft was known
as the "wet" bill, from the initial* of
the sponsors.
With Republicans in power this
session, a similar bill was intro
duced, but with Senator Taft as
leading sponsor. One witness at a
hearing on the bill said he was hav
ing difficulty learning to call it the
"EWT" bill.
He was still wrong.
INDIAN HARMONY
NEW DELHI.—Viscount Mount
batten, in keeping with his policy of
aiding all he can in unifying India
while serving as Britain's last vice
roy, has invited governors of all
provinces to a conference the mid
dle of this month. He also has in
vited Moslem and Hindu leaders to
meet with him.
GRAIN MARGINS
Recent sharp ups and downs in
grain markets have started reports
that Secretary of Agriculture An
derson may ask Congress for author
ity to control margins at which
speculators buy grain futures.
The Federal Reserve Board has
the power to control margins on pur
chases of stocks, but grain markets
set their own. Buyers in stock mar
kets now have to put up 75 per cent
of the purchase price, but the mar
gin In most grain markets is only 25
per cent.
IN BALANCE
The fate of the XF-12, fastest
transport type plane yet flown, ap
pears to lie with congressional ap
propriations for the Army Air
Forces.
Economy-minded American Air
line· canceled Its order toe Ao Rain
bows, transport version of the XF
12, designed as a photo reconnais
sance plane.
This left too few planes on order
to justify production. Abandoning
the Rainbow would mean leaving
the British with the best prospects
in the 400-mile-an-hour transport
field.
ECONOMY
The Post Office Department saved
labor on the new small-sized 5-cent
airmail stamp. The design is the
same as the larger 5-cent stamp,
trimmed on each !slde.
PRESIDENTIAL TERM
Unless several State Legislatures
hold special sessions, no final action
is possible this year on the proposed
constitutional amendment to limit
future Présidents to a maximum of
10 years. Thirty-six must ratify it.
Eighteen have already adjourned,
taking no action.
LATIN AMERICAN BRIEFS
SANTIAGO.—"Possibility of new
private investments" was mentioned
in the announcement that a three
man Chilean economic commission
had left for the United States.
MEXICO CITY.—The Foreign
Office denies any official informa
tion on a British commission re
ported leaving soon for Mexico to
discuss settlement of claims arising
from 1938 expropriation of foreign
owned oil lands. (Similar denials
have come from London.)
FRANKFURT.—Maj. Gen. John
F. Wood, deputy chief of German
field operations for the Inter-Gov
ernmental Committee on Refugees,
says further emigration of displaced
persons to Brazil will depend on
how-the first shipment of 5,000,
sailing In May. get aloof. I
JM1)lJ1|J1| WJUl|i)J JL ^ ^
SEAT OF IN DO-CHIN A'S COMMERCE—Aerial view of the port
of commerce of Saigon, capital of the Colony of Cochin-China in
French Indo-China. Saigon hat been modernized rince the
French first moved into the city and the colony in 1861. The
commercial port provided with new quays carries on a large
rice trade. * —Wide World Photo.
Colonialism vs. Nationalism in Indo-China
»
By Lief Erickaon
SAIGON, Indo - China.—Histori
cally, the French In Indo-China are
a Junior and laggard colonial power
and Viet Nam Is an unruly but
muscular brat of a nationalist
movement.
These are basic reasons why the
conflict of colonialism vs. nation
alism is sharper in Indo-China
and why an ultimate peaceful solu
tion may be more difficult to achieve
than elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
Compared with the Indonesians,
Burmese and Indians, the Viet Nam
Nationalist movement is like a child
giant, a pituitary circus freak which
mushroomed into mature physical
size and obstreperous ambition
without time or opportunity to at
tain mature responsibility.
French Rule Short.
Compared with the Dutch in
Indonesia and the British in Burma,
India and Malaya, the French are
"Johnnies-come-lately." The French
moved into Saigon and Cochin China
in 1861 and took over control of
Cambodia In 1862. Not until 1884
—only 62 years ago—did they estab
lish their influence in Tonkin
northernmost of the Annamite
countries and the cradle of Viet
Nam nationalism.
Even during France's relatively
short rule, Indo-China has been
plagued by a startling inconsistency
in policy. In the 40 years between
1886 and 1926 there were 56 changes
of governors general in Indo-China'
paralleling almost as frequent
changes in colonial ministers at
Paris.
On the other side of the fence
the Viet Namese, unlike the Na
tionalists of Indonesia and Burma,
failed to profit in experience from
four years of Japanese occupation.
When the Japanese overran the
Netherlands East Indies in 1942,
they immediately enlisted the col
laboration of Dr. Soekarno, the In
donesia Nationalist leader.
Jape Tossed Out French.
In Burma they employed the co
operation of native Nationalists like
U Aung San. Through nearly four
war years, therefore, Indonesian
and Burmese nationalism was en
couraged while their former rulers
were imprisoned.
In Indo-China the Japanese, In
stead of expelling the French, found
it simpler and more convenient to
let the Vichy-subservient admin
istrators carry on for them. Japa
nese occupation did not give four
years' building time to the Anna
mite Nationalists who had attempt
ed a few feeble and futile uprisings
from 1906 to 1932.
Growing nervous over the accel
erating American drive across the
Pacific, the Japanese on March 9,
1945, threw out the French function
arles and installed puppet Annamite
regimes.
Before March 9 Ho Chi-minh, .the
sage, benign-appearing, Moacow
tralned leader of Viet Nam rerolu
tlon, had organised small guerrilla
operations against the Japanese In
Northern Tonkin's rugged moun
tains, near the Chinese frontier.
Helped Cheonanlt.
After March 9 Ho Chi-minh went
to work for the pilot rescue and tar
get Intelligence organization of Oen.
Claire Chennault's American 14th
Air Force. He became chief of this
operation inside Indo-China because
the Japanese coup had wrecked the
French resistance underground
which previously had supplied in
formation and a new organization
was needed quickly.
The Americans gave Ho Chi-minh
small supplies of arms for his guer
rillas and radio communications
equipment. More Importantly, Ho
gained a tremendous propaganda
asset which he and his followers In
the Viet Minh party, quietly organ
ized in China in 1941, employed to
the fullest advantage.
Filtering through the country,
Viet Minh organizers spread the
word that with the war's end Viet
Nam would be free, that Ho Chi
minh would be its leader, and that
the Americans were backing Ho Chi
mlnh. Ho had only about four
months for this clandestine propa
ganda, but It achieved more success
than even he expected.
When Emperor Hlrohlto surren
dered on August 15 Ho Still was In the
Tonkin hills. On August 17 he en
tered Hanoi. Two days later, on
August 19, he took over governing
powers from Emperor Bao Dai, Jap
anese-sponsored puppet, and pro
claimed the Independent republic of
Viet Nam. Jean Sainteny, first
French official to enter Indo-Chlna,
did not reach Hanoi from Nanking
until August 23. By that time Viet
Nam's freedom flame was sweeping
south through Annam and Cochin
China. Vo Nyguyen Olap, Viet
Minh's military chief, started seiz
ing Japanese arms, with the Jap
aneee giving more co-operation than
argument.
Conquest of Tonkin.
The allied chiefs of staff gave
Viet Nam an important break in
assigning Chinese forces to occupy
the area of Indo-China north of the
16th parallel. During five months of
Chinese occupation, the Viet Nam
ese administered the local govern
ment before the first French troops
were allowed to enter Tonkin in
March, 1946. The Chinese did not
discourage Viet Nam's aspirations.
France originally moved Into
Indo-China in 1861 because the old
Annam Emperors had been persecut
ing Jesuit missionaries. The first
penetration was at Saigon and In
the southern province of Cochin
• Chin*, m tne nue » years mm*
paid Mttl· attention to tta new
colony.
About 1880 Franc· feand the
British would open from Burma a
transport and trade route into South
China. This Inspired the French
conquest of Tonkin, finally achieved
in 1886 after battle both with An
namites and Chinese bandit forces.
France imposed protectorate status
on both Tonkin and Annam by 1886.
Achieving this cost money. Paul
Bert, first resident general for
Annam-Tonkln, was told that he
must administer the territory with
its own resources and not to expect
funds from France. (
In 1887 an Indo-Chinese union
was created embracing Tonkin, An
nam, Cambodia and Laos. Not until
several years later did Paul Doumer,
the first governor general, succeed
in building an effective union ad
ministration.
Leadership Uncertain.
Ho's first Viet Nam government
has been efficient in the revolution
ary techniques of organizing guer
rilla forces, spreading ambition
instilling propaganda, and persuad
ing their reluctant countrymen with
terror tactics. Working with Ho
from the start was a cadre of An
namite revolutionaries personally
trained by him In the Soviet-spon
sored Whampoa school at Canton,
which the Russian, Michael Borodin,
directed until Chiang Kai-shek
ousted him from China in 1927.
But the Viet Namese leadership
resources still are extremely limited
In administrators and executives ex
perienced in ideas of stable govern
ment and productive economy.
French functionaries, jealous of
their liberal salary and leave allow
ances for Asiatic service, stubbornly
opposed recruiting Annamites into
the Indo-China civil service and
particularly resisted the assignment
of any Annamite into any govern
ment poeition of rank or respon
sibility.
As early as 1906, with the first
Nationalist violence, the French con
cluded that western education was
bad for Annamites and closed down
for a time the recently opened Uni
versity of Hanoi.
The French record has been one
of discouraging Annamites from
ieaming French and refusing them
selves, until quite recently, to master
the Annamite language. This per
formance did not promote under
standing and no Viet Namese gov
ernment today can muster anything
like the trained personnel needed to
administer and control the country.
Second-Rxte Producer.
Economically, In do-China has been
a second-rate country compared
with her Southeast Asia neighbors,
even though Indo-China Is South
east Asia's greatest producer of ex
port rice and even though France
nptrui Uiou-l/llliu M nn IIUIKI
overseas territory.
Aa a producer of rie»—normally
accounting for three-quarters of the
country's export income — Indo
china markets a poorer quality at
a lover price than Slam and Burma.
The yields per acre have been un·
profitably low.
As a producer of rubber and tin
Indo-Chlna ranks far behind British
Malaya and Indonesia.
Under French administration, In
do-China's colonial value thus far
has been mainly that of unrealized
potential. ,
A free Viet Nam republic embrac
ing the coastal provinces of Tonkin,
Annam and Cochin China would
have a much tougher road economi
cally than the new Indonesian re
public emerging In the Netherlands
East Indies.
Without French economical col
laboration, the revolutionary Viet
Nam state probably would sink into
a chaotic inflation which would
lower an already pitiful living stand
ard. Without a peaceful Viet Nam
political co-operation in a French
sponsored Indo-Chinese union in
cluding the inland countries of Cam
bodia and Laos, France cannot hope
for any profits on the Investments
she has sunk into the country.
French Show Enterprise.
French enterprise and develop
ment was responsible for Indo
china's exportable rice surplus.
Without the immense drainage and
canal projects by which the French
rice-producing land in the Meliong
delta area of Cochin China, Indo
china would have no rice to export.
In such physical projects as the
diking and draining of Indo-China's
rice-growing deltas, the French rec
3rd is outstanding. In the social and
human sphere of improving the lot
Df the peasant producer, the French
have made slow progress against the
Inertia of Asiatic tradition and psy
chology.
French rubber growers lag be
hind the Dutch and British plant
srs In scientific development, of
high-yielding trees and in deliver
ing standard grades of crude rub
ber.
Rich in Tin and Coal.
Indo-China's tin resources lie
mainly in Northern Laos. Thus far
Indo-China's tin mining develop
ment has been small scale because
transport costs are too great.
In the Hongay region on the Ton
kin coast Indo-Chlna has large de
posits of the best coal in Asia—a
high-grade anthracite. When Chi
nese and Japanese markets were
open, Indo-Chlna exported two
thirds of its coal production. In
the Viet Nam rebellion the Viet
Namese inflicted considerable dam
age to the Hongay mines, seriously
curtailing their output capacity.
The greatest French investment
contribution toward Indo-China's
economic development was in con
struction of railroads and highways.
There are more than 2,500 kilo
meters of rail lines, including a Une
from Saigon to Hanoi and from Sai
gon to Pnom Penh, Cambodia's
capital.
The French have been even more
prodigal in road building with
nearly 30,000 kilometers of highways
completed.
France's greatest sin in Indo-Chlna
was creation and continuance of
state-sponsored monopolies in
opium, alcohol and salt. Once es
tablished as treasury supporters,
'»>■ Vinnoiica
no alternative revenue sources
could be advanced. Not until the
French return after the Japanese
surrender was opium traffic abol
ished by decree.
Negotiation Obstacles.
Peaceful solution of the Indo
Chinese conflict will be difficult,
because both France and Viet Nam
must concede much even to achieve
a basis for negotiation. The dis
trust, suspicion and hatreds roused
to passionate heights in the De
cember rebellion must be cleared
away.
The French, militarily strength
ened by reinforcements from
France, have gained sole control of
such key cities as Hanoi and
Haiphong — In which the Viet
Namese enjoyed equal governing
authority and free propaganda
opportunity before December 19.
Plainly, the French will not give
up exclusive control of Haiphong
and Hanoi and welcome back a
Viet Namese government without
satisfactory assurance that their
essential Interests are secure.
In announced political positions
the two side· now are about m far
apart m it to possibly to b·.
attributed to *· Aiioct*tatf Rim.)
Britain No.l
Shipbuilder!
Outdistances U. S.,
By Making Nine
to Our One
By George Tucker
NXW YORK.—British shipyards
outbuilt United States yards two to
one last year and currently are out
stripping the Americans at the rate
of nine to one.
They are cashing in on the post
war demand lor bottoms by a sus
tained building program which saw
them turn out more than half of a
world total of 747 ocean-going ships
launched in 1946, more than twice
the number produced by the United
States.
Statistics released by Lloyd's Kefc
ister in London a few days ago said
that British and Irish yards pro
duced ships last year totaling 1,183,
345 gross tons while American yards
built only 501,294 gross tons. Swe
den, Canada, Italy, Spain and Den
mark followed the United States in
that order.
U. S. Pelicy Criticised.
That Britain's long-range build
ing program, financed by private
uuu«wrvi *a luuuui^ nn*/ * * v»»»
United States competition is em
phasised by disclosure that British
builders currently have 439 ocean
going ships on the ways, whereas
United States yards fcave 49.
Appointment recently by the
White House of a high-level advisory
committee to study merchant ma
rine needs and make recommenda
tions is expected to result in a co
ordinated long-range shipbuilding
program, something the United
States never h se had in peacetime.
Heretofore, almost all United
States shipbuilding has been spo
radic, or geared to national emer
gencies.
War Records Recalled.
In the year that World War I
began, the United States built only
24 ships, but turned out <580 in 1919.
In 1939 this country built 38 ships.
Under the urgency of war, produc
tion by 1944 had climbed to 1,463.
The United States emerged from
the war with the biggest fleet of
ocean-going vessels in history.
Under United States registry on V-J
day were 5,800 ships, 61 per cent of
nil the sea-going ships in the world.
The great bulk of these, however,
were cargo ships and tankers, and
there was a dangerous deficit in
passenger ships.
This deficit was highlighted by
recent disclosure that only 91 pas
senger ships of all types are now
under United States registry, and
many of these are undergoing re
conversion and are unavailable for
duty.
Actually, as this is written, only
21 passenger ships are in opera
tion under the American flag. They
have a total capacity of 4,359 pas
sengers. In 1939 the United States
naa passenger snipe in opera
tion, with a capacity of 5β,51β pas
sengers.
, One United State· Liner.
Today only one United States pas
senger liner—the America—1s com
peting with British and Scandinavi
an luxury liners in the vital North
Atlantic run.
Shipping executives say foreign
nations are taking full advantage
of this merchant marine crisis which
was brought to a head last sum
mer by cancellation of plans for
construction of nine superlinera
and a replacement program of 60
cargo vessels annually.
Reason given for the cancella
tion were lack of materials and an
economy drive which came as a
prelude to the 1946 elections.
Only 150,000 workers are currently
employed In private United States
shipyards, 40 per cent of whom are
engaged In repair work.
Meanwhile, British and Irish
yards "have taken the competitive
advantage," one United States ship
builder said. "They have 429 ship·
on the way, aggregating 1,930,700
gross tons, and are turning out
passenger ships right and left."
Of the 49 ocean-going vessels the
United States is building today,
seven are passenger ships. In addi
tion this country is at work on 228
tugs, barges, and miscellaneous aux
iliary craft with an aggregate of
427,000 gross tons.
Sees Bleak Future.
"The shipping Industry Jn this
country Is virtually on the rocks,"
J. M. Willis, general manager of
Bethlehem Steel's shipbuilding di
vision, declared. "Unless there Is
clarification in the Government's
program, it is almost certain that
when 1948 begins there will be no
merchant shipbuilding · · · in any
shipyard in the United States."
The "tragedy" of sporadic fleet
Dunaing, according το s siuay οι uw
merchant marine problem by the
Harvard Business School, la that
fleets which are built as a unit de
cay the same way.
"Fleets must reproduce them*
selves * * *. If no ships are built be
cause the country has more than it
can use, the art of shipbuilding and
ship designing * * · can soon be lost."
The Harvard report declared that
continued operations of shipyard*
"located with a view to regional bal
ance," was an essential to national
security since it would assure a
nucleus of skilled personnel and
management in time of war.
After the First World War th·
policy of selling ships to foreign
countries was discouraged but under
the provisions of the Merchant Ship
Sales Act of 1945 the United State·
has been selling hundreds of ships
to all comers—foreign flags as well
as private United States buyers.
As of January 1, this year, 31 had
been sold to France, 19 to Greece,
23 to the Netherlands, 39 to Nor
way, 26 to Panama, 9 to Italy, 10 to
Honduras, 2 to Egypt, 3 to Chile, S
to Great Britain, 8 to Argentina, 3
to Belgium, 3 to Canada and 1 to
Denmark.
In the reserve fleet, which num
bered 1,738 ship· of all type· at th·
first of the year, there were >61 Lib*
erties and 328 tankers.
(DMrfecM hι th· MmU
«