and in the villages of the Mekong Delta.
Ster, Clement Attlee.
French imperialism was determiined to re-establish its hold over its pre war empire. In 1944 the so-called Free French Government in exile had declared "The attainment of "self government" in the colonies, even in the distant future, must be excluded" But France on its own, emerging from the years of Nazi occupation, did not possess the military power to crush the Vietnamese nationalists, the Vietminh.
SUSPICIOUS
The Americans, however, were not too keen on restoring French colonial fish to Iry in Asia. As Roosevelt said in August 1944: "The destinies of the peoples of the whole Pacific will for destiny'. The far-sighted Roosevelt did not fight a war for American capiand Britain back in the saddle. He wanted to make the area an exclusive US sphere of interest So when an invasion of Indochina was being projected in May 1945 to area even though it was supposed to be still under US command. The American Commander, General Wedemeyer, protested vigorously at first, but the British were not to be deterred. Eventually military requirements and the need to maintain the political alliances between the imper alists made the Americans shift their ground.
WAR OVER In August 1945 the Americans atom bombed Hiroshima and Nagasak Japan surrendered and the war was On 13 September the Commander of the British forces, General Gracey, flew into Saigon. Sandhurst educated, he had served much of his time with the hated Indian Army, which throughout the colonial world was correctly seen as the vicious instrument of Batish oppression.
At the nirfield, Gracey's plane was Japanese troops, and later he AT THE END OF 1945 it was British troops under a Labour Government who bombed, shot and mortared the Vietnamese nationalist forces in Saigon On 22 July of that year, the throe big powers-the USA. USSR and Britain-had agreed at the Potsdam Conference to place southern Indochina under british command. This had been done at the suggestion of the British Chiefs of Staff, with the agreement of the new Labour Prime MiniErode into the city with Gurkhas and Japanese soldiers acting as arined guards. Gracey summoned Terauchi, commander of the Japanese forces, and told him that the Japanese Army had to help in restoring order. The French were desperute. On their own they simply did not have the power to remove the Vietminh nationalists.
Gracey never hesitated, His mandate from the Labour Government was simple and to the point. If he discussed with the Vietminh he would grant them de jacto recognition. His job was to get back to the pre-war statur qua.
The Vietminh were administering rule in Indechina-they had their own Saigon and trying vainly and wrongly to cooperate with the British Gracey simply ignored them and proceeded on the assumption that Vietnam belmany years be entwined with our own onged to the French. Protesting against British connivance with the French the Vietminh staged a series tallem in the Pacific just to put France of strikes and closed down Saigon market. Gracey replied by shutting down the Vietmunh press and demanded the disarming of all Vietnamese with weapons.
Two days later the British posted a out the Japanese army of occupation, proclamation which was really a dec tbe Britsh began flying sorties over thelaration of martial law. Demonstratio and processions were banned as were street mestings. The British were putting the boot in against the nation alist forces.
ARMED COLONS At the same time the British startend to arn the French settlers-the colons- with 303 rifles. On Saturday, 22 September, the British took over Saipon jail, disarmed the Vietnamese stalf and released the French prisoners With British permission the French then launched a coup d'erar. Tom Driberg, who was then writing for Reynolds /yews, described the French attack as being one of 'maximum ineptitude and considerable cruelty.
For two more days benienly presided over by the British occupation troops the French weat on the rumpage and war crupted apain in Saigon As full-scale war broke out between the nationalists and the British, the *************************** Japanese troops were brought into action The Daily Mirror of 25 British declaration of martial law being. posted by Japanese trooper September 1945 reported: Jap troops they stood Previous Labour Governments have committed the most vile crimes against French had been able to ship in reInforcements. The History of the Indian Armed Farces was able to record: All the dirty work to fight and disarm the Annamites was assigned to Japanese troops.' When it came to the colonial revolution the imperialistsbe they from the Axis powers or the Allies- were absolutely clear where PREPARED The ground had now been prepared for the returo of the High Commissio ner from Paris, Vice-Admiral Thierry d'Argenlico-a fanatical imperialist, described by one of his aides as having the most brilliant mind of the 12th Century. Under his regime the French troops ran wild. The war in Indochina entered its 30-year-long tortuous and bloody course a course that was prepared by British imperjalism. Forthere is no doubt that the French could have never returned to Vietnam without the aid of the British.
The newly clected Labour Govemment was responsible for this naked unperialist adventure. Protests rained down on the Government inchuding une from Harold Laski, then Chairsame time Reynoids News was report ing: Disgraceful scenes of vengeance against helpless Annamites continued all Sunday French municipal police roan the streets all night to small bands, occasionally shooting or pro voking shots.
IGNORED The Prime Minister stood loyally by the British Army and the French imperialists, and warned people aboul not accepting at their face value reports of this kind'. He ignored the fact that the report in Reynoldy News had been written by Tom Driberg-a fellow Labour MP!
The disgraceful, pro-imperialist behaviour of that Labour Government in 1945 was to be repeated again when Labour came to office in the 1960s, when the people of Vietnam were once again to be sub jected to the full barbarist and crucity of the imperialists.
FOURTH INTERNATIONAL RALLY INDOCHINA-on to final victory! Speakers: Pierre Rousset, Robin Blackburn Thurs 17 April, 7pm, Conway Hall