HEAVY ACTION IN INDO-CHINA

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5298, 10 January 1947, Page 5

HEAVY ACTION IN INDO-CHINA

(Press Assn.—

GARRISON RELIEVED VIET NAM PREPARING FRESH OFFENSIVE

-Rec. 9.80 p.m.)

PARIS, Jan. 9. Despatches received by the F'rench Press Agency state that French paratroops, air force, navy, and ground troops, in the biggest action fought in north Indo-IChina, relieved the French garrison of Nam Dinh, which had been resisting Viet Namese attacks since before Christmas. The Viet Namese are believed to be preparing a new attempt to cut the road to Hanoi, wtiich was re-established last week, after heavy fighting. The French Defenee Ministry in view o-f the situation ih Indo-China has ordered all combat troops stationed in France to be prepared for service in Indo-China. Men called1 for such service will have to he at least ■18 years old, and have undergone six months' training. Two companies of experienced French soldiers left a military training camp at Tarbes tonight for Indo-€hina. The British, American and Chinese Consuls at Hanoi to-day crossed the Sfighting lines on foot into Viet Nam outposts to obiain assurances of safe treatment for 200 French civilian hostages. The Consuls' returned safely. A party of 150 Chinese made a dangerous evacuation to a Frenchheld sector through sporadic exchanges of small arms fire from the embafltled Chinese quarter — the first movement of the Chinese population since the failure of the Chinese Consul-General's attempts to secure Viet Nam assurances that Chinese properiy wouljl be treated as on neutral territory. Rcuter's- speci'al correspondent at Saigon says that German deserters from the French Foreign 'Leg-ion are reported to have joir-ecl Viet Namese troops in the flat paddy woods and swamps of the southern Indo-Chinese State of Coc-hin-China, which has so far been peaceful. Viet Namese leaflets asking: "Why are you fighting for France?" are believed to be behind the German desertions. French authorities estimate the Viet Nam military strengih in Cochin-Chinaj at 11,000. Informed quarters, however, estimate that there are 50,'000 under cover.