by James Clad

Lately we have been hearing quite a bit about real or imagined fears of some sort of American 'sell-out' in the Paris talks.

It might be better to focus our attention rather on who the Americans may betray, and to whose mercy those betrayed are going to be left.

The Saigon authorities, of course, are understandably anxious and concerned over their future status.

If President Johnson's desire for disengagement is combined (as I now believe) with a wish for some alacrity to be attached to this move, then it is possible, or even likely, that we shall soon see the familiar Saigon faces cavorting on the Riviera in a manner equally as familiar the only difference being that they shall no longer be the nominal rulers of southern Vietnam.

Their increasingly hysterical assertions that they would never countenance a coalition governent with the Viet Cong may mean rather more than a sudden scarcity of airline tickets to Europe.

This repetitive and belligerent position is a telling sign in several ways.

First, it indicates that as far as genuine diplomatic consultation and co-ordinaton of policy goes, they have been nearly ignored by the Americans.

It further indicates they expect that their counsel is probably to go on being ignored.