WOMEN'S ISSUES
David Halberstam 20:09
Well the French want to know, because by the time they left the South in the country they are the nationalism is so fragmented after that war in 1954, it would be very hard to get popular government diners for even one of the great problems there. No, I mean, all this is fine. All this talk of neutralization de Gaulle. de Gaulle talks about a neutralization and people say, Why doesn't he spell that? Well, there's nothing to spell out. Neutralization means the United States goes, it means we move out of them, does it? Of course. Of course.
Neil Sheehan 20:37
I disagree. I'd like to say something before we get in the big fight here. First of all, Dr. Fall. I disagree with you about Laos. I think that we indeed have lost Laos. I don't think the Viet Minh and the Prophet Lao are terribly interested right now in moving up to the Makong river because they're interested in the corridor, which leads into South Vietnam Seragam Ha Tao provinces.
Neil Sheehan 21:02
Well this happened the south happens to be to strike the stronghold of first put me no salon,They can't conrol anything Na Tao Pro province anymore outside of To pe . And they don't control anything Seragam anymore. Outside Seragam a few posts, and the communists, the prophet Lao and Vietminh control Laos, they own it. And when they when when they want to own the hinterland, they that's the only important area in any one of these countries, they can cut the city off later on at your at your leisure. And this is what they hope to do in South Vietnam, a neutralization will mean the same thing it meant and
Bernard Fall 21:37
in that case, you'll have to buy the war effort
David Halberstam 21:39
The chance to have the chance to to neutralize Indochina was lost about 17 years ago.
Ed Bayley 21:45
What is your solution that Neil?
Neil Sheehan 21:48
Well, I don't like to come up with solutions. I'm just, I just, I just like to point out my solution. If there is a solution to what's happening in in Vietnam, or Indo China, as you want to call it right now is, I think the Americans got out of Laos because they were unwilling to fight in Laos, they were unwilling to make a major American commitment in Laos, they were unwilling to fight the Chinese and in Southeast Asia, Chinese or the North Vietnamese. And I think this is something that that has always happened to us in that part of the world. It's either put up or shut up, and the other side's willing to take the risks and we're not. And each time they ease us out a little bit more, leads us out of another country. And now they're trying to eat us out of South Vietnam.
Stanley Millet 22:37
Well, I no one in his right mind could agree that the present disposition of forces in South Vietnam neutralization will meet internal domination by the by the communist because they want in the field, they hold the loyalty of the population. And just as at the end of the war, the French they're in a political position to, to do it. But this, and these are the facts. On the other hand, when you say when you say the other side is willing to ease us out, the real question is the ease us out of what, and who was easing us out? We weren't eased out.We lost the war
Neil Sheehan 23:11
the minute wait, we move out of South Vietnam, they will take the whole area. The Viet men, and they will take Cambodia too
Stanley Millet 23:19
the Vietcong. The Vietcong,
Neil Sheehan 23:21
and then the ties will go neutralist.
David Halberstam 23:24
the domino I don't want to title the domino theory, but there's a great deal to it, because the pressure I mean, I mean, all I mean, sooner has been behaving all this way for a long time, status and preferred prisoner. He sees China as the winner out there
Neil Sheehan 23:39
It's very edifying to remember that the Japanese planes with sunk the battleship, the Prince of Whales and the repulse off the Malayan Coast took off from Saigon airport.
Stanley Millet 23:48
Yes. And it's very interesting to remember the Japanese held Indochina. For the bulk of World War Two, we were busy marching all the way up to Tokyo and Indochina in the courses in the course of the Second World War played scarcely any role in a place where you were you housed or what Thailand for that matter. The domino theory is a very pretty theory when you look at it with an American point of view, but it's interesting that none of the Asian countries see it this way.
David Halberstam 24:20
You don't think China, you do you don't think China sees a reverse domino theory
Neil Sheehan 24:27
I think they will lose South East they will lose their chance to dominate Southeast Asia, which is what they've been aiming at since the Han. And then thereafter again, and they persuaded people like Norodom Sihanouk that they're going to do it. The ruler of Cambodia