South Viet Nam: The Endless Circles

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SOUTH VIET NAM

As its authority in the countryside slips inexorably away, the government of South Viet Nam is running in tighter and tighter circles. Last August, when Premier Nguyen Khanh tried to assume full command of the government, the Buddhists rioted and sent him swerving madly to Dalat. Then, in September, when Khanh met Buddhist demands and relieved a number of Catholic generals of their commands, the Catholics staged a "coupette," which ended only when a group of young officers, led by Air Commodore Nguyen Cao Ky, came to Khanh's aid. Last week Ky's guys put their hands on the Vietnamese steering wheel, and Khanh was skidding more dizzily than ever.

They demanded the removal from Saigon's ruling triumvirate of Lieut. General Tran Thien Khiem, long a friend of Khanh and the man who planned and executed both the coup against Ngo Dinh Diem last November and Khanh's coup against General Duong Van ("Big") Minh in January. With a shrug, Khanh accepted the demands and promptly announced that Khiem would depart immediately for Paris and a protracted tour of countries aiding South Viet Nam in its war against the Viet Cong. Khanh hoped this further accommodation might still the noisy protests of his critics.

But Khiem had his own ideas. His departure was first delayed until Satur day, then until midweek. The ostensible reason: Khiem's astrologer says Wednesday is the best day for a journey. No body in Saigon knew what other events might be deemed propitious by Khiem's stargazer in the days ahead. But if he recommended another attempt at changing the course of government, nobody would be surprised.