SDAY, Jt tNE "25, 1964 THE MICHIGAN DAILY THURSDAY, JUNE '25, 1964 THE MICHIGAN DAILY U.S. Speeds Viet Plans; Asia Stirred World News Roundup Government Views Air, Offensives WASHINGTON (A)-The United States is speeding up planning for strikes by the South Vietnamese air force against Communist sup- ply bases in Laos and North Viet Nam and infiltration routes lead- ing from Laos. The possibility of such a move, it was learned yesterday, figures high in official thinking. Also un, der study is using this country's overwhelming advantage in air power before committing any United States ground combat troops in Southeast Asia. This "escalation" of United States preksures against the Com- munists may come into play if the North iVetnamese and Communist Chinese persist in pushing insurg- ency in South Viet Nam and Laos. Reinforcements United States officials also are' considering sending another 500 to 600 of the Army's anti-guerrilla special forces to South Viet Nam., Any across-the-border opera- tions by the South Vietnamese would be undertaken only if Maj. Gen. Nguyen Khanh, South Viet Nam's strongman, felt he had a secure home base, authorities said. Since last February, the United States has been trying to get across to the North Viet Nam and Chinese Communists that they risk an armed clash with the United States if they don't stop support- ing aggression against weaker Southeast Asian nations.1 No Soviet Support Some officials believe a recent Russian warning to Communist China that the Chinese no longer could be assured of the Soviet Union's support in a fight was the result of -the United States atti- tude. S far the increase in United States involvement has been lim- ited chiefly to photo reconnais- sance flights over Laos, fighter escorts for those flights, and one known United States P-100 fight- er-bomber strike at Communist gun positions on Laos' Plaine des Jarres. If another turn of the screw is needed, it evidently will come in the form of South Vietnamese air force attacks against the Lao- tian panhandle where the Com- munist Viet Cong have supply bases such' as Tchepone, only 20 miles from South Viet Nam. Net of Trails Other strikes might be direct- ed at a network of trails leading from Communist, North Viet Nam through Laos into South Viet Nam. These trails have been a main reinforcement and supply route for the guerrillas who have kept South Viet Nam in turmoil for years. And, if necessary, the South Vi- etnamese air force might strike supply rand communications routes and centers in North Viet Nam. These attacks would be mount- ed by United States-trained pilots flying skyralder dive bombers, South Met Nam now has about 50 of these former United States Navy planes and the United States is in the process of providing an- other 100. Skyraiders have a combat ra- dius of 1500 miles and can carry up to 12,000 pounds of bombs. Taylor in Charge: War Near? SAIGON ()-America appears to be facing its closest approach to a general war in Asia since the close of hostilities in Korea in 1953. President Lyndon B. Johnson has appointed his highest rank- ing soldier to take charge in the hottest of the Asian hot spots- South Viet Nam. Gen. Maxwell D.- Taylor knows his way around in these parts, both in uniform and in dinner clothes. Taylor will be arriving in civilian clothes this time. But there is no doubt he is coming primarily to head a war ef- fort that could lead to a head- on collision with Peking or even Moscow. It seems unlikely that Taylor's appointment will result in major immediate changes in the bal- ance and organization of Ameri- ca's support efforts here. Since 1961, the involvement of American manpower in Viet Nam' has been overwhelmingly military -especially at the working level, in the field. Small Increases With some small anticipated in- creases, United States civilian field workers will number a little over 200 men and women. Of these, roughly 150 are field repre- sentatives of the. United States aid mission, charged not only with distributing aid locally but with pursuing political, social and edu- cational projects at the rice-roots level. Another 50 or so American field workers come from the United States Information Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency. On the military side roughly 10,000 of the 16,000 United States servicemen are in the field. Be- sides advising the Vietnamese in military matters, they work closely with Vietnamese rural officials in civil matters. ' Intelligence, Aid Psychological warfare, military intelligence and even some forms of direct civilian aid are handled by military men. There are no immediate pros- pects for increasing the number of United States servicemen here. A United States military spokes- man explained yesterday: "We have enough people here now to fulfill the mission assigned to us. Of course, if that mission should change, the whole picture would change." He was referring to a possible general escalation of the.United States military involvement.- Coordinator The significance of Taylor's job appears to be in that context. As coordinator of the entire Amer- ican effort here, he could take over instantly as commander of the Vietnamese theater if a major war should develop, Taylor follows Henry Cabot Lodgeinn a pattern established by President John F. Kennedy. Ken- nedy decided during the crisis here last summer that the job of am- bassador should be considered a top job. Bt Taylor will face a different set of problems. , Lodge arrived 10 months ago to find a nation in revolt. Buddhist and political opposition to Ngo Dinh Diem had reached the point at which the war against the Viet Cong guerrillas was virtually for- gotten. Lodge had to deal with a gov- ernment that had become out- spokenly anti-American, more con- cerned with demonstrating its au- . I tonomy than with working on ioint plans. J~lltr llll. was Lodge's immediate problem the political crisis in Saigon. President Diem and his strong- man brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, were overthrown and slain. A - new strongman, Maj. Gen. Nguyen Khanh, emerged from the chaos to seize command. South Viet Nam now has what appears to be an increasingly sta- ble military dictatorship. Khanh has promised to hold tight to the reigns of power. He has shown an all-out willingness to cooper- ate with his American allies. Re- lations between the Saigon gov- ernment and Washington have not been so good in years. American officials have great faith in Khanh. But the Viet Cong has made steady advances. It has opened a dangerous new offensive in Laos, and has scored important diplo- matic points in neighboring Cam- bodia. Washington apparently has decided the time for a showdown may be at hand with what it re- gards as the two biggest trouble makers in Southeast Asia-Com- knunist China and North Viet Nam. No Joint Command Ranking American and Vietna- mese officials have for the time being discounted the idea of a joint Vietnamese - American military command. But Premier Khanh said recently this question would; have to be reexamined if the sit- uation changed. He was talking about a general war. If such a war developed, Khanh and Taylor presumably; w buld become co-commanders. Taylor comes with the knowl- edge that Washington is prob- ably even willing to go to war with Communist China itself. This knowledge is likely to end many of the restrictions on American serv- icemen here. Over All Chief In a general way, Taylor is ex- pected to serve as over-all oom- mander of a coordinated military and civilian establishment, with no clear line of distinction between them. U. Alexis Johnson will be head. of civilian and political functions, while Lt. Gen. William C. West- moreland will head the military establishment. Taylor's relations with his American team and his Vietna- mese counterparts are likely to be the point. In 1961 he came here as a spe-I cial fact-finder for President Ken- nedy. At a point near the Laotian frontier, Taylor was told that a certain number of Communist in- filtrators had crossed the line on a certain night. "Why didn't you shoot them in- stead of counting them?" he ask- Khanh Hails' New Moves; China Scoffs SAIGON (UP)-Maj. Gen. Nguyen Khanh, readily endorsing the shift in United States ambassadors, said yesterday the crucial hour in South Viet Nam's anti-Communist war is at hand. "The free world countries are right at our side," the strongman premier told his people in a speech at Rach Gia, on the Gulf of Thailand, "and if necessary will tackle the problem of Communism right at its roots ..." In Moscow the Soviet govern- ment newspaper Izvestia had this explanation for. the new assign- ment of Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor as ambassador: American plans in Viet Nam are failing. Tokyo newspaper editorials ex- pressed concern. The Daily Yo- miuri said "if the United States is going to intensify military in- tervention and would bomb Ha- noi, there is fully the possibility of Chinese Communist 'volun- teers' going to North Viet Nam." In Hong Kong, various papers predicted the United States will increase its military activities in Southeast Asia. Radio Peking broadcast a charge by Communist China's deputy pre- mier, Chen Yi, that the United States is contributing to an, in- creasingly grave situation through aerial operations against the pro- Communist Pathet Lao in Laos and "preparation for new military adventures in Southern Viet Nam." By The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- The Senatef beat back yesterday a last-min-t ute effort to slash by 10 per centr the $2.67-billion "Apollo Project"r for putting a man on the moon. I * * * WASHINGTON -- The United States and the Soviet Union are discussing desalinization of seas water, President Lyndon B. John-r son announced Tuesday. A meet-I ing of United States and Soviet1 scientists is scheduled for July ) 14 and 15 in Washington to goc over the possibilities of makingi sea water drinkable, including ther use of nuclear power.k WASHINGTON - Atty. Gen. Robert F. Kennedy began a sen- timental mission to Germany last night on the heels of his an- nouncement that he would not