SOUTH VIET NAM COPING WITH CAPRICORN IN BUSINESS, COUNT THE COSTS BEFORE 
YOU ACT . THE MOON NOW IN CAPRICORN SUGGESTS KEEPING PRACTICAL 
VALUES IN MIND . TOMORROW IS RATHER TOO ENERGETIC FOR COMFORT, 
BUT THAT MAY BE BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS ON THE MOVE . 
A LATE AUGUST HOROSCOPE SYNDICATED HOROSCOPES, MANY OF THEM FROM ABROAD, 
ARE POPULAR FEATURES IN MANY SOUTH VIETNAMESE NEWSPAPERS, BUT LAST WEEK 
THE GOVERNMENT BANNED THEM, PRESUMABLY ON THE THEORY THAT SOME STAR-MINDED 
DISSIDENT MIGHT BE MOVED TO TRY A COUP ON AN ASTROLOGICALLY 
AUSPICIOUS DAY . IN SOUTH VIET NAM EVERYBODY WAS INDEED ON 
THE MOVE, BUT WHERE THEY WERE MOVING WAS NO CLEARER THAN 
THE ZODIAC . THE U.S . WAS INCREASINGLY UNHAPPY WITH PRESIDENT 
NGO DINH DIEM (CAPRICORN), AND AFTER WHAT THE U.S . OFFICIALLY 
CALLED HIS " BRUTAL " CRACKDOWN ON THE BUDDHISTS, WASHINGTON OBVIOUSLY 
COULD NOT STRING ALONG WITH HIM AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED 
. SO THE U.S . MADE NOISES DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE OPPOSITION 
TO DIEM . BUT SOUTH VIET NAM BEING WHAT IT IS, 
POTENTIAL REBELS DID NOT WANT TO MOVE WITHOUT VIRTUALLY A WRITTEN 
CONTRACT FOR U.S . SUPPORT . MEANWHILE THE U.S . TRIED 
TO PLACE THE ODIUM OF THE CRACKDOWN ON DIEM'S BROTHER, NGO 
DINH NHU (LIBRA), AND NEW AMBASSADOR HENRY CABOT LODGE (CANCER) MANAGED 
TO SUGGEST, WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING PUBLICLY, THAT HE DID NOT LIKE 
WHAT WAS GOING ON . THE SIEGE . A WEEK AFTER 
THE GOVERNMENT'S CRACKDOWN, SAIGON LOOKED LIKE A CITY UNDER SIEGE . 
HEAVILY ARMED SPECIAL FORCES UNITS GUARDED ALL KEY INSTALLATIONS . MOBILE 
" ANTI-SUICIDE ? ' SQUADS PATROLLED THE STREETS, READY TO DOUSE 
ANY FURTHER BUDDHIST ATTEMPTS AT SELF-IMMOLATION . AND ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERY WAS 
ROLLED INTO POSITION OUTSIDE SAIGON'S PRESIDENTIAL PALACE ; SINCE THE COMMUNIST 
VIET CONG HAVE NO PLANES, THE GOVERNMENT EVIDENTLY FEARED AN ATTACK 
FROM ITS OWN FORCE . HAVING JAILED MOST BUDDHIST LEADERS, THE 
REGIME MOVED TO SILENCE OTHER VOCAL OPPOSITION SAIGON'S SEETHING STUDENT POPULATION 
. IN THE CITY'S CROWDED MARKETPLACE AND NEAR SAIGON UNIVERSITY, RIFLE-TOTING 
COMBAT POLICE IN CAMOUFLAGE UNIFORMS ARRESTED ALL YOUTHS OF HIGH SCHOOL 
AND COLLEGE AGE IN SIGHT AND MME . NHU DOES NOT 
REVEAL THE DAY OR MONTH OF HER BIRTH, BUT THERE IS 
SPECULATION THAT SHE MAY BE ARIES ( " VERY IMPORTANT TO 
WIN THE TEST OF WILLS " ) OR LEO ( " 
IF CROSSED, ROARS LIKE A LION, LACKS UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS 
IN THE MINDS OF OTHERS " ) . HAULED THEM OFF 
TO DETENTION CAMPS ON THE OUTSKIRTS . THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BLUE-UNIFORMED 
MEMBERS OF NHU'S REPUBLICAN YOUTH ORGANIZATION MADE DOOR-TO-DOOR CALLS, WARNING AGAINST 
PUBLIC CRITICISM OF THE GOVERNMENT ON PAIN OF ARREST . SCHOOLS 
WERE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, AND SCHEDULED ELECTIONS FOR THE NORMALLY 
RUBBER-STAMP, 123-MEMBER NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WERE POSTPONED . OVER RADIO SAIGON, THICH 
TINH KHIET, 80, HEAD OF THE GENERAL BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION, PLEDGED HIS 
LOYALTY TO THE GOVERNMENT, BUT A NEWSPAPER PICTURE CLEARED BY INATTENTIVE 
CENSORS SHOWED THE AGED MONK WITH A BLACK EYE AND BRUISES 
ALL OVER HIS FACE . THE GOVERNMENT EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD 
FALLEN DOWN . IN OTHER RESPECTS, CENSORSHIP WAS STRINGENT . IN 
OUTGOING CABLES FROM NEWSMEN, THE WORD CATHOLIC WAS BLUE-PENCILED ; AFTER 
PASSING THE CENSORS, ONE STORY REFERRED TO " ROMAN PRESIDENT NGO 
DINH DIEM . " THE GENERALS . AT WEEK'S END MARTIAL 
LAW WAS GRADUALLY EASED, AND SOME BUDDHISTS AND STUDENTS WERE FREED 
. THERE WAS LITTLE DOUBT THAT NHU WAS IN LARGE MEASURE 
RESPONSIBLE FOR RUNNING THINGS, BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT HE 
WAS SUPPLANTING HIS BROTHER ; AS FAR AS COULD BE DETECTED, 
THE TWO WERE WORKING IN HARMONY . DIRECTLY UNDER NHU, TWO 
OFFICERS SEEMED TO BE IN COMMAND : BESPECTACLED, POCKMARKED COLONEL LE 
QUANG TUNG, IN CHARGE OF THE SPECIAL FORCES, AND BRIGADIER GENERAL 
TON THAT DINH, COMMANDER OF THE III ARMY CORPS AND MILITARY 
GOVERNOR OF SAIGON, A DAPPER GRADUATE OF THE U.S . COMMAND 
AND GENERAL STAFF SCHOOL AT FORT LEAVENWORTH, WHO WEARS A RED 
BERET, CARRIES A SWAGGER STICK, AND LIKES TO BE ACCOMPANIED ON 
MILITARY OPERATIONS BY HIS OWN PHOTOGRAPHER . OF SOUTH VIET NAM'S 
17 GENERALS, DINH IS ONE OF TWO WHO ACTUALLY HAVE TROOPS 
AT THEIR DISPOSAL ; THE OTHER, BRIGADIER GENERAL NGUYEN KHANH, IS 
LOCATED IN A FIGHTING AREA HUNDREDS OF MILES NORTH OF SAIGON 
. MOST OF THE OTHER GENERALS HAVE BEEN DEPRIVED OF REAL 
POWER BY DIEM AND NHU, AND HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO SAIGON 
WHERE THEY CAN BE WATCHED . AT A TIME WHEN THE 
ARMY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER IN THE SOUTH VIET NAM 
SITUATION, THESE OFFICERS ARE CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZED IN WASHINGTON . AMONG THEM 
: MAJOR GENERAL TRAN VAN DON, CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF 
AND TECHNICALLY IN CHARGE OF ADMINISTERING THE COUNTRY UNDER MARTIAL LAW 
. ACTUALLY HE COMMANDS ONLY A BODYGUARD OF 50 TROOPS, AND 
AT THE MOMENT IS CONSIDERED A FIGUREHEAD . BRIGADIER GENERAL TRAN 
TU OAI, AN ARTICULATE OFFICER WHOM NHU SIDETRACKED INTO THE POST 
OF DIRECTOR OF THE MALARIA ERADICATION PROGRAM . " I'M THE 
ONLY GENERAL IN THE ARMY, " SAID TRAN, / WHO IS 
ARMED WITH A SPRAY GUN . " HE IS NOW CHIEF 
OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE . MAJOR GENERAL DUONG VAN MINH, A TOUGH, 
HUSKY TYPE WHOSE MOUTH IS FILLED WITH GOLD-CAPPED BROKEN TEETH AND 
WHO IS REGARDED AS ONE OF THE BEST OFFICERS IN SOUTH 
VIET NAM . HE IS KNOWN AS " BIG " MINH, 
TO DISTINGUISH HIM FROM BRIGADIER GENERAL TRAN VAN MINH, OR " 
LITTLE " MINH, NO KIN . HE HAS NO COMMAND AT 
PRESENT, BUT SERVES AS DIEM'S " MILITARY ASSISTANT . " BRIGADIER 
GENERAL PHAM XUAN CHIEN, ONETIME DIRECTOR OF SECURITY SERVICES, WHO WAS 
SACKED BY NHU WHEN HIS AMBITIONS BEGAN TO GET OUT OF 
HAND . HE NOW HAS THE VIRTUALLY MEANINGLESS JOB OF ASSISTANT 
CHIEF OF STAFF . DETERMINED TO DISSOCIATE ITSELF FROM DIEM'S ANTI-BUDDHIST 
POLICIES AND TO KEEP THE ARMY ON ITS SIDE THE U.S 
. FORMALLY ABSOLVED SOUTH VIET NAM'S MILITARY LEADERS OF RESPONSIBILITY IN 
NHU'S SACKING OF THE BUDDHIST TEMPLES . IN AN UNUSUALLY SHARP 
STATEMENT, WASHINGTON SAID THAT THE GENERALS WERE " NOT AWARE OF 
THE PLANS TO ATTACK THE PAGODAS, MUCH LESS THE BRUTAL MANNER 
IN WHICH THEY WERE CARRIED OUT . " SAIGON BITTERLY DENIED 
THE WASHINGTON STATEMENT PRODUCED A DOCUMENT SIGNED BY ARMY LEADERS TO 
THE EFFECT THAT THEY HAD ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE THE 
ACTION IT DID . " TOP U.S . INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS COUNTERED 
THAT ARMY LEADERS HAD BEEN COERCED INTO SIGNING THE DOCUMENT . 
THE ALTERNATIVE . IN A COUNTRY WHERE INTRIGUE AND DOUBLE-DEALING ARE 
ENDEMIC, THE ARMY OFFICERS ARE FAR FROM UNITED . BUT ONE 
TOP VIETNAMESE OFFICIAL SECRETLY IN CONTACT WITH ARMY DISSIDENTS MAINTAINS THAT 
A COUP CAN AND WILL BE STAGED, THAT BOTH THE MARINES 
AND THE AIR FORCE WOULD JOIN IN ANY UPRISING, AND THAT 
THERE ARE ENOUGH DISAFFECTED ARMY UNITS IN SAIGON ITSELF TO NEUTRALIZE 
TUNG'S SPECIAL FORCES . AT WEEK'S END THERE WERE MUFFLED REPORTS 
THAT, MEETING IN TWOS AND THREES, OFFICERS HAD AGREED ON A 
LEADER WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO KEEP DIEM AS TITULAR HEAD 
OF STATE IF NHU, HIS WIFE, AND BROTHER THUC, ARCHBISHOP OF 
HUE, WERE ELIMINATED . NO MATTER HOW REAL THE OPPOSITION TO 
DIEM, THE DISSIDENTS ARE OBVIOUSLY AFRAID THAT THE U.S . MIGHT 
NOT FULLY BACK THEM IN A COUP . AS A FIRST 
SIGN OF U.S . SUPPORT, THEY WANT WASHINGTON TO ANNOUNCE CESSATION 
OF AID TO THE DIEM REGIME . THIS THE U.S . 
IS NOT PREPARED TO DO BECAUSE IT WOULD ONLY SLASH WHATEVER 
INFLUENCE THE U.S . HAS IN SOUTH VIET NAM . BESIDES, 
THE U.S . BELIEVES THAT THE DIEM REGIME CAN KEEP GOING 
FOR PERHAPS A YEAR EVEN WITHOUT U.S . AID . IF 
THE OPPOSITION SEEMS TO BELIEVE THAT THE U.S . CANNOT BE 
COUNTED ON, THE U.S . RECIPROCATES THE FEELING . AS OF 
LAST WEEK, AT LEAST ONE MAJOR POLICYMAKER IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT 
FELT THAT THE SOLUTION WAS NOT TO TRY TO FORCE OUT 
DIEM BUT TO FORCE HIM INTO MORE ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR POSSIBLY CURBING 
BROTHER NHU AND TAKING OTHER MEASURES TO REDEEM HIMSELF WITH THE 
BUDDHISTS . CRITICS OF THIS POLICY POINT OUT THAT " CONTROLLING 
" DIEM HAS BEEN A U.S . AIM FOR YEARS, AND 
THAT NO ONE HAS YET MANAGED TO DO IT SUCCESSFULLY ; 
THEY ALSO BELIEVE THAT DIEM WILL NEVER REALLY BREAK WITH NHU 
OR ANY OTHER MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY . IN THEIR VIEW, 
DIEM IS NOW HOPELESSLY DISCREDITED, AND THEY URGE A DIFFERENT CIVILIAN 
RULER POSSIBLY VICE PRESIDENT NGUYEN NGOE THO, WHO HAS OPENLY DISAGREED 
WITH DIEM BACKED BY SOME EFFICIENT OFFICERS . JUST HOW THIS 
CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IS ANOTHER QUESTION . THE WAR . AS 
IF THE SITUATION IN SAIGON WERE NOT COMPLICATED ENOUGH, FRANCE'S CHARLES 
DE GAULLE CHOSE TO ENTER IT WITH AN ORACULAR STATEMENT THAT 
FRANCE SYMPATHIZED WITH " THE TRIBULATIONS OF THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE, " 
AND PLEDGED " CORDIAL COOPERATION " WITH " ALL VIET NAM 
" IN ROOTING OUT " FOREIGN INFLUENCE . " HE CONVENIENTLY 
OVERLOOKED THE FACT THAT, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR FRANCE'S OWN 
DISASTROUS DEFEAT IN ITS NINE-YEAR VIETNAMESE WAR, THE COUNTRY WOULD NOT 
BE IN ITS PRESENT MESS . APART FROM DELIBERATELY ANTAGONIZING THE 
U.S . AT A MOMENT WHEN IT WAS CAUGHT IN AN 
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT SITUATION, DE GAULLE SOUNDED AS IF HE WERE TRYING 
TO ENCOURAGE A UNITED VIET NAM, WITH NORTH AND SOUTH TOGETHER 
AGAIN BUT NEUTRALIZED . THE IDEA SEEMED TO BE SUPPORTED BY 
NONE OTHER THAN NORTH VIET NAM'S HO CHI MINH, WHO LAST 
WEEK GLOWINGLY PREDICTED DIEM'S FALL, BUT HINTED THAT HE MIGHT BE 
FOLLOWED BY A NEUTRALIZED, LAOS-TYPE GOVERNMENT . BY CONTRAST, CHINA'S MAO 
TSE-TUNG, WHO ALSO COMMENTED ON THE SOUTH VIET NAM SITUATION, SEEMED 
TO OPPOSE NEUTRALIZATION, AND PREDICTED THAT DIEM WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY 
JUST ANOTHER " U.S . LACKEY . " IN SAIGON, AMBASSADOR 
LODGE, THOUGH PLAINLY PLAYING FOR TIME, TOOK HOLD FIRMLY . IN 
TALKS WITH BOTH DIEM AND NHU (THE LATTER DESCRIBED AS " 
HOSTILE " BY INSIDERS), LODGE EXPRESSED THE U.S.'S SHARP DISAPPROVAL OF 
THEIR REPRESSIVE POLICIES . POINTEDLY HE REJECTED THE GOVERNMENT'S DEMAND THAT 
THE U.S . TURN OVER TWO BUDDHIST MONKS WHO WERE GIVEN 
SANCTUARY IN THE U.S . AID MISSION BUILDING . LODGE'S DETERMINATION 
NOT TO BE BUFFALOED IMPRESSED TOP EMBASSY AIDES . / I'M 
RUNNING THINGS HERE, AND I INTEND TO RUN THEM WITH A 
FIRM HAND, " HE TOLD STAFFERS . " IF WASHINGTON WANTS 
A WEASEL FOR THIS JOB, IT CAN FIND SOMEONE ELSE . 
" LODGE'S FIRST TASK IS TO SEE THAT THE POLITICAL MANEUVERING 
DOES NOT AFFECT THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR AGAINST THE COMMUNIST 
VIET CONG . AT LEAST ONE TROOP UNIT HAS BEEN MOVED 
FROM A FIGHTING ZONE INTO THE CAPITAL, AND OFFENSIVE MILITARY MISSIONS 
HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT DIMINISHED . BUT SO FAR, THE WAR AGAINST 
THE REDS HASN'T BEEN RADICALLY HURT BY EVENTS IN SAIGON . 
