Article about communist subversion

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363-06241 to 363-06246.pdf
Digital Object Identifier
363-06241 to 363-06246
Title
Article about communist subversion
Description
Original title: "subversion", Article draft about communist subversion in South Vietnamese villages, for the Christian Science Monitor
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Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.
Transcript
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beverly deepe
101 cong ly
saigon
page 1-subversion
Saigon--In a small hamlet not far from the 17th parallel
bordering North Viet Nam, a Catholic village priest complained to Western
year ago
visitor, "We used to denous denounce every Communist tax collector that came
near our village. Now we have to talk to their secret agents in our hamlet."
The frustrated priest recalled a recent argument he had had with
the civilian secret agent about a government directive
ordering village-owned land to be distributed among tenant farmers. The
Somumkungan priest accused the Communist agent of sabatoging the
plan to make the government are ineffective.
In another example in the quiet northern province of Quang Tri,
peasants were told to elect hamlet councils in the 400 strategio hamlets
the government established. American policymakers presumed this would provide
"democracy" at the grass roots level and entice the villagers to support the
baxx government. But in 100 of the 400 hamlets, Vietcong agents were elected
to hamlet chiefs, according to provincial authorities.
Throughout Vietnam'a-2000-plus villeges (which are alusters of hamlets),
Communist party-liners have up to 15 agents in each of Vietnam's
2000-plus villages (which are clusters of hamlets); have up to 40 in each of
the country's 250 districts and up to 400 in the
(More)
-43 provincial capitals.
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dcope
subversion-± 2
mostly operating in their native areas
These party- Commummist party agents ero distinct * from
other left-wing sympathisere making up the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam,
and from the armed a pro-Communist guerrillas which terrorize, propagandise
and attack government positions, (Source of figures is a prisoner's report told
to CIA man).
"Political subversion is a key element in any Commuis
Communist
insurgency apparatus," a high-ranking American officer explained. (Informatively
chief of staff General Stilwell). "The directing star is gaining control of
the people that on our side-or a replacing them.
"In Communist Party tactics, if they have no cell in a hamlet
today, they'll get one their tomorrow or else try to."
More than 200 secret cells operate in the small, Drop prosperous
Gia Dinh province, containing the suburbs of Saigon, according to provincial
officials. An unknown number presumably operate in the city of Saigon, where
almost every businessmen-from small shopkeepers to factory owners-regularly
No commercial group
pay taxes to "go-betweens" working for the Viet Cong.
is left untouched--including Vietnamese generals who pay taxes for their
rico-land or rubbor plantations held in the provinces, French pla French-owned
planation owners are regular contributors; and indirectly every American
installation built in the provinces has been constructed by indirecting paying
taxes to the Viet Cong. Vietnamese construction firms doing American contract work
pay the taxes-to make sure the building is not blown up before its completed--
or to get wood from Communist-held mountain areas and the taxes become en
additional cost to be paid by the U. Se government.
(More)
Jak.
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deepe
subversion-3
The Vietnamese workers for American-owned firms regularly pay taxon to the Viet Cong,
(notably Esso trucks which drive through Communist-hold areas to supply fuel
for American jeeps and holicopterain the provinces).
Other businessmen, who are not Viet Cong sympathisere, happily
sassist the Viet Cong in black-marketeering or smuggling, such as drug store
clurks who sell them unlimited quantitites of drugs and medicines, Meny of the
Viet Cong supplies are brought to Viet Nam by Chinese businessmen living in
in Cambodia
Cambodia. Inx962,xxx In the past three years, for example, the
tomage of chloride potassium (please check this spelling) used in manufacturing
matches increased 100 per cent, but Cambodian match production increased only
one percent.
The remainder was shipped via Chinose businessmen into Viet Nam
xxx where the Viet Cong zone used it to produce gunpowder and munitions and
In another important area is the black-marketerring of South Vietnamese
piastross in 1963, Hanoi agents in Hong Kong bought up 20,000,000 piastros
($300,000) a month and then smuggled them into South Vietnam again to pay their
mines.
local bills.
"In a guerrilla situation, it is only normal that everyone pays
taxes to the Viet Cong," a high-ranking Vietnamese officer explained. "Those that
don't got their shops blown up."
(More)
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doope
subversion-4
It has long been assumed that the Viet Cong hold portions of the
countryside, while the government held the urban centers. But now Vietnamese
officers concede, "the Viet Cong are in the tome too, but we just don't see them
They're invisible there."
The pro-Communist agents have succeeded-tho kno no one knows
to what extent in their usual tactios of infiltrating into the on entire
fabric of the non-Communist society-in the population, the government and the
Sometimes they recruit sympathisers aft of those already in a koy
ermy.
position.
Within the ranks of the population, pro-Communist sympathizers are
known to operate in the schools and universities, the trade unions, newspapers,
commercial enterprises, cultural groups, writers associations. Only two months
ago Communist propaganda leaflets were found soattered around the campus of
the University of Hue, four 400 miles north of Saigon, and a Communist Patriotio
organization was found in the immmm Huo high school. Sutdon Students at the
University of Saigon explain that they know some of their classmates are Viet Cong
sympathizers; a few university students will spend their summer vacation in the
Communist strongholds, such as D-Zono north of Saigon.
of the 14,000 taxi ders in Saigon alone, half are known
to be Viet Cong agents; half ero government agentes some maybe double agents;
some might be triple agents, also working for a foreign government, m
Several weeks ago, the Viet Cong agents diligently spread anti-American
lies shortly after an American private shot a terrorist who throw a
renade under his truck, the Viet Cong agents omitted the fact a grenade hot been
rad accused the american of killing the Vietnamese bicyclist in cold 1
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@deepe
subverions
During the turrent religious tensions, both the Catholics and
Buddhists acouse at each other of being infiltrated by Viet Cong agents Catholics
even admit that their demonstrations have been suggested by persons working for
the Vict Conc. Somity scents indicate one Buidhist priests smuggle Viet Cong
pa plasticue in is muggled into Saigon by one know Buddhist priest,
and by government
sergeants and privates whose joops are not searched
at specified checkpoints.
In the government ministries, ministeries, low-ranking jobs
such as secretaries and section chiefs are known to be working with Viet Congs
in the military, omptains and le lieutenants and sergeants, oven those working
in corps headquarters, ere kao pro- ommunist agents. In 195 1962,
Ile was arrested
a Vietnamone lieutenant studying in the United States sent to Viet Cong agents
in Paris the complote code for secret military transmision.
upon his return to Viet Nam.
Obviously, the American military have not been ignored by the
odoret arents. The barber used by American GI's in one district town was
discovered to be a Viot Cong agent. A pork little secretary working in the
Amorioan military command in Saigon was arrested for carrying a ma poisonous
hyperdo p hypodermio noodle concealed in a pack of ciago cigereotes with
instructions to kill an American offices; a scale framing of bed by bod and
radio including each radio and bed-in an American installation in the
provie provincial capital only 60 miles south of Saigon was found on
e Viet Song prisoner.
)More)
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deepe
subversions-6
A favorite subversive weapon of the Communists is womens- many
of the bargirls, taxi dancers and prostitues prostitutes in Saigon and the
provincial capitals have been picked up by the government police. Some
work for both the coe government and the Viet Congs fumthamika veniam
one of the best restaurants in Saigon night clubs (with a brothel upstairs)
is considered part of the French espionage network. The Viet Cong also
operate a training school in D-Zone, north of Saigon, teaching peasant girls
to speak English and to be the best of maids and cooks. They are then placed
to work in American homes.
Many of the fore fortunetellers, palmists, horoscope-readers
are known to work for both the government and the Viet Cong. This is an
important source of information-gathering, plus a means to influence government
officials end military officers. Many a Vietnamese officer refuses to
go on operations or patrols on the "bad dayo" mentioned by his fortuneteller.
Almost every gamexx Vietnamese general sends his wife or captains to
have his horoscope read, which dictates his actions. Two weeks ago, a
province chief refused to amigashia
allow his newly-appointed
deputy to begin work on Tuesday which was a "horrendously bad day," he explained.
The deputy began work on Wednesday, "a lucky day."
-30-
Date
1962-1968, approximate
Subject
Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Mặt trận dân tộc giải phóng miền nam Việt Nam; Villages--Vietnam; Vietnam (Republic)--Politics and government
Location
Saigon, South Vietnam
Coordinates
10.8231; 106.6311
Size
20 x 26 cm
Container
B11, F10
Format
dispatches
Collection Number
MS 363
Collection Title
Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
Creator
Keever, Beverly Deepe
Collector
Keever, Beverly Deepe
Copyright Information
These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
Publisher
Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
Language
English