question of relief does not of course arise; and it
seems unlikeli that the rains, which are expected shortly, will impose materit greater handicaps on the besiegers than on the besiege,t General Giap must, of course, be having his difficulties, and. ir he gets Dien Bien Phu he will have paid an extortionate prcO for it; but these considerations cannot minimise the gravity cr the situation. The French cannot punish their attackers mor° severely than they have been punishing them; their losses hay° not stopped the Viet Minh from attacking; and sheer weigh' ct numbers has always in the end, enabled their attacks to gal° ground. Although a shorter perimeter makes it possible for the defenders to achieve a greater concentration of fire power it progressively increase the problems of supply by air, which will be further complicated by the onset of the rains. Under these conditions it will be almost impossible for the French to hold out indefinitely.
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