MEN OF MILITARY AGE BEING SEARCHED IN SPOT CHECK; CONSCRIPTS UNDERGOING MEDICAL INSPECTION, RECEIVING THEIR KIT AND UNDERGOING VARIOUS ASPECTS OF MILITARY TRAINING.




Initials PBS/V/JF/K


VISNEWS SPECIAL REPORT

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE PROTRACTED CONFLICT AGAINST THE VIET CONG NATIONAL LIBERATION ARMY HAS COMPELLED THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE FOR ALL ABLE-BODIED MEN AGED FROM 17 TO 38.

THE MEN ARE BEING CONSCRIPTED INTO THE ARMED FORCES AT THE RATE OF ABOUT 2,000 A WEEK. THEY WILL SPEND THREE YEARS IN THE ARMY, AND CAN SERVE AT ANY OF THE HUNDREDS OF BARRACKS THROUGHOUT THE TROUBLED COUNTRY.

CONSCRIPTION WAS FIRMLY INTRODUCED EARLY IN JUNE AFTER THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE ARMY HAD CONSISTENTLY SUFFERED HEAVY LOSSES AND CASUALTIES IN BATTLES AGAINST THE VIET CONG. IN JUNE THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE ARMY NUMBERED 550-THOUSAND MEN - REPRESENTING A LOSS OF 10-THOUSAND MEN IN ONLY SIX MONTHS.

FOR MONTHS BEFORE THIS THE MORALE OF THE DWINDLING ARMY WAS REPORTED TO BE GRADUALLY GETTING LOWER AND LOWER AS THE SEEMINGLY ENDLESS AND FRUITLESS BATTLES AGAINST THE NATIONAL LIBERATION ARMY CONTINUED. AMERICA HAD PROPPED UP THE STRENGTH OF THE FAILING SOUTH VIETNAMESE FORCES BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF ITS TROOPS THERE FROM 23-THOUSAND TO WELL OVER 50-THOUSAND IN 12 MONTHS.

CASUALTY FIGURES IN THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE ARMY, AND AMONG THE AMERICAN FORCES ARE STILL QUITE HIGH, AND MANY DRAFTEES ARE NOT ANXIOUS TO ENTER THE SERVICES FOR WHAT SOME OF THEM BELIEVE MAY BE A LOST CAUSE. CONSCRIPTION MEASURES HAVE BROUGHT ANGRY PROTESTS FROM SOME QUARTERS IN SOUTH VIETNAM, BUT WERE DISMISSED BY THE GOVERNMENT AS 'ANTI-GOVERNMENT' SENTIMENTS.

A FEW WEEKS AGO THE UNITED STATES MILITARY EXPERTS WHO HAD BEEN STUDYING THE VIETNAM SITUATION REPORTED THAT THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH THE VIET CONG IN THE HIT-AND-RUN TYPE FIGHTING WAS TO OUTNUMBER ITS FORCES BY MORE THAN FIVE-TO-ONE.

THE VIET CONG IS BELIEVED TO HAVE AN ARMY OF MORE THAN 147-THOUSAND MEN, ALTHOUGH ITS LOSSES IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS HAVE BEEN HIGHER THAN EVER BEFORE, AND THE FREQUENCY OF ITS HIT-AND-RUN GUERILLA RAIDS HAS FALLEN, DUE POSSIBLY TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF UNITED ???.

IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, SOUTH VIETNAM HAS RECEIVED FURTHER MILITARY SUPPORT FROM AMERICA'S ALLIES IN SEATO, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, AND SOUTH KOREA HAS VOLUNTEERED A SMALL FORCE TO ASSIST.

THE CONSCRIPT ARMY BEING BUILT UP IN SOUTH VIETNAM INCLUDES ALL TYPES OF MEN - TOWN WORKERS, CLERKS, BANK OFFICERS, AND PEASANTS AND FARM WORKERS FROM RURAL AREAS.

THE MAIN TRAINING AREA IS AT QUANG TRUNG CAMP, NEAR SAIGON WHICH ACCOMMODATES 14-THOUSAND MEN. OTHER TRAINING CAMPS ARE AT NHATRANG, MYTHO AND CAPE ST JACQUES.

THE MEN UNDERGO THREE MONTHS OF EXTENSIVE TRAINING BEFORE BEING ATTACHED TO A REGULAR UNIT.

TWENTY PER CENT OF THE DRAFTEES ARE REJECTED ON MEDICAL GROUNDS IN THEIR INITIAL CALL-UP, MOST OF THEM SUFFERING TUBERCULOSIS. HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT FREED FROM MILITARY SERVICE. THEY ARE SENT TO A TREATMENT CENTRE, AND SIX MONTHS LATER ARE BROUGHT BACK FOR FURTHER MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS, AND, IF PASSED FIT, ARE CONSCRIPTED.