SOUTH VIET NAM BIRTH AT GENEVA AT 10 : 42 A.M., PEKING 
TIME, WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1954, THE WAR IN INDO-CHINA CAME TO 
AN END . THE RESULT HAD BEEN A FOREGONE CONCLUSION SINCE 
THE IGNOMINIOUS FRENCH DEFEAT BY THE COMMUNIST VIET MINH AT DIENBIENPHU 
TWO MONTHS EARLIER . EVEN BEFORE THAT, DIPLOMATS FROM NINE NATIONS, 
HALFWAY ROUND THE WORLD IN GENEVA, HAD BEEN WORKING FEVERISHLY TO 
HAMMER OUT THE FINAL PEACE SETTLEMENT . FEARFUL THAT HIGHLEVEL PARTICIPATION 
IN GENEVA MIGHT PUT THE U.S . IN THE POSITION OF 
APPROVING A SELLOUT TO THE REDS, PRESIDENT EISENHOWER AND SECRETARY OF 
STATE JOHN FOSTER DULLES WERE HESITANT ABOUT ENDORSING THE CONFERENCE . 
BUT WHEN FRENCH PREMIER PIERRE MENDES-FRANCE SAID THAT HE NEEDED U.S 
. SUPPORT TO AVOID UNNECESSARY CONCESSIONS, WASHINGTON SENT UNDER SECRETARY OF 
STATE WALTER BEDELL SMITH BACK TO GENEVA TO STIFFEN HIM UP 
. . (BULLET HERE) IN GENEVA, DIPLOMATS ARGUED OVER HOW INDO-CHINA 
SHOULD BE PARTITIONED . WHEN DISCUSSIONS APPEARED TO BE GETTING NOWHERE, 
MENDESFRANCE IMPOSED A DEADLINE AFTER WHICH HE THREATENED TO RESIGN A 
MOVE THAT WOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE CONFERENCE TO A GRINDING HALT 
AND CONTINUED A WAR THAT COULD NOT BE WON . PRODDED 
BY THIS ULTIMATUM, THE CONFERENCE FINALLY AGREED ON TERMS THAT WOULD 
PARTITION VIET NAM AT THE 17TH PARALLEL . THE AGREEMENT GAVE 
THE VIET MINH THE INDUSTRIAL NORTH, LEAVING THE GOVERNMENT OF NGO 
DINH DIEM WITH THE RICE-RICH SOUTH . NEW MILITARY BASES WERE 
PROHIBITED, AND CIVILIANS WERE PERMITTED TO LEAVE ONE ZONE TO TAKE 
UP RESIDENCE IN THE OTHER (NEARLY 800,000 NORTH VIETNAMESE MOVED TO 
THE SOUTH, BUT ONLY A FEW THOUSAND SOUTHERNERS MOVED NORTH) . 
ELECTIONS TO UNIFY VIET NAM WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HELD IN 
1956, BUT DIEM REPUDIATED THIS WITH THE ARGUMENT THAT ANY ELECTION 
IN THE COMMUNIST NORTH WOULD BE RIGGED . THE CONFERENCE SET 
UP AN INTERNATIONAL CONTROL COMMISSION OF INDIA, POLAND AND CANADA TO 
INVESTIGATE ALL BORDER VIOLATIONS AND ARBITRATE ALL TREATY DISAGREEMENTS ; BUT 
THE I.C.C.'S TROIKA ARRANGEMENT STYMIED WHATEVER EFFECTIVENESS IT HAD . . 
(BULLET HERE) IN JANUARY 1955, THE U.S., AT DIEM'S REQUEST, TOOK 
OVER THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TRAINING OF THE VIETNAMESE ARMY 
AS PART OF DULLES' EFFORT UNDER THE SEATO TREATY TO CURB 
COMMUNIST SUBVERSION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA . THOUGH THE U.S . POURED 
IN LAVISH ECONOMIC AID, THE TOTAL U.S . MILITARY STRENGTH ASSIGNED 
TO THE MILITARY ASSISTANCE GROUP DID NOT EXCEED 2,000 MEN . 
BUT AS THE COMMUNIST VIET CONG GUERRILLAS BEGAN INCREASING THEIR TERRORIST 
ATTACKS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT, THE U.S . STARTED TO GET SERIOUSLY 
CONCERNED . IN OCTOBER 1961, GENERAL MAXWELL D . TAYLOR VISITED 
SOUTH VIET NAM, CAME BACK WITH THE OUTLINE OF A VASTLY 
STEPPED-UP PROGRAM OF U.S . MILITARY AID . TODAY, TOTAL U.S 
. STRENGTH IN SOUTH VIET NAM IS ABOUT 14,000 MEN . 
THE VIETNAMESE ARMY IS ALMOST COMPLETELY ARMED WITH U.S . WEAPONS, 
AND U.S . ARMY HELICOPTERS FERRY GOVERNMENT TROOPS ON PRACTICALLY EVERY 
LONG-RANGE OFFENSIVE MISSION . 