Concluding a War
The refusal of the Vietnamese National Congress to nominate delegates to negotiate on the French offer of independence, following on their opposition to participation in the French Union "in its present form," has put both M. Laniel and the Emperor Bao Dai in a difficult position. The French Assembly is to discuss Indo-China (against the Prime Minister's advice) on Friday, and it seems probable that the Government will be faced with demands for the withdrawal of French troops. Bao Dai himself has declared that, while he is in agreement with the National Congress, there is no question of severing the link with France. In fact, it is now becoming increasingly clear that no immediate French interest is served by the war in Indo-China. Whichever side wins, France will be the loser, and this latest outburst of Vietnamese nationalism only con- firms what has been apparent for some time. In view of this it is difficult to see what the Foreign Ministers mean by talking about " a successful conclusion of this war." A military victory seems hardly possible even with massive American support and General Navarre's new offensive, and would in any case increase the danger of a Chinese reaction. The best hope would be a political settlement negotiated locally or at the highest level. Perhaps that was what the Foreign Ministers meant. If so, they chose an odd way of saying it.
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