The National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated independent stations present the Pacific Story. In the midst of the fury of world conflict, events in the Pacific are taking on even greater importance. Here is the story of the Pacific and its peoples, whose destiny is at stake in the Pacific War. Here is the tale of the war in the Pacific and its meaning to us and to the generations to come. The Pacific Story, presented by the National Broadcasting Company and dedicated to a fuller understanding of the vast Pacific Basin. This broadcast series comes to you as another public service. The drama of the past and present of the millions of people who live around the world's greatest sea, where the East at last meets the West. Indochina, the collapse of French Empire in the Pacific. In the southeast corner of Asia is one of the most coveted regions in the world, Indochina. Here, France built her stronghold in the Far East and called it her balcony on the Pacific. Today, this strategic area, immensely wealthy in resources and commanding the riches of the Indies and the sea lanes in this quarter of the globe, is no longer French Indochina. Today, it is Japanese Indochina. For years, Japan had kept an eye on Indochina. In Tokyo, the Japanese military leaders stood around great maps on tables and studied the minutest details of the terrain, the shoreline, the harbors. Their bases here, General, would be of greatest strategic value to Japan. In Northern Tang King, yes. We would then be in a position to bomb the economic and political bases of the Zhongkai sect government in Zhongking. It would also give us more effective bases against Pema Road and against British Burma and Thailand. And here, control of this point would mean control of British communications between Hong Kong and Singapore. What is that, Admiral? Kamra Bay. Who is it? The new French naval base. Kamra Bay is one of the finest national harbors in the world. Japanese fleet operating from this base could outflank the Philippines here, the British melee stays here, and the Netherlands Indies down here. What of the port of Saigon, Admiral, just south of Kamra Bay there? Saigon is more incised than Kamra Bay, but it is more important in a commercial sense. Then we should move to secure a dominant position in commerce at Saigon before the British can strengthen their defenses in the Pacific and before the United States can reinforce its Asiatic fleet. Then both Saigon and Kamra Bay, Admiral, would be valuable in defense move to the south. They would be more than valuable general. They are indispensable. Japan kept an eye not only on French Indochina, but likewise on the unfolding of events in the war in Europe after Hitler marched into Poland in 1939. By June 1940, when France collapsed, Japan was ready to move. The day after Marshal Petain asked for an armistice, a Japanese spokesman made an important public pronouncement. The heavy traffic in arms from Indochina into China must stop. For the past five months, heavy shipments have been made. Japan demands that the French government consent to the dispatch of Japanese inspectors to Indochina for the purpose of making investigations of all goods going into China. If this traffic is not stopped, the Japanese army will wean Indochina from hostility to Japan. They move very fast, General. I've been waiting for this. Here is the report, sir. Yes, let me see. The Japanese have now established inspection control stations at all our key points on the highways and railroads leading into China. Oh, incredible. They have taken 100,000 tons of Chinese supplies at Haifeng alone. Yes. And you see on the report there, that included 400 tons of medical supplies. Yes. And down there on the bottom, sir, you see there is a total amount stopped and taken by the Japanese. Oh, 150,000 tons of what they call war materials, including 2,200 motor trucks. Is there nothing we can do? Yes? Here is the report, sir. Thank you. The Japanese mission that came to Indochina to seal the frontier to China now demands that it be opened for the Japanese army. Is there any answer to the cable, sir? No. No answer is necessary. The Battle of Hengli Standing against the pressure of Japan was Governor-General Georges Coutreau, then as today a supporter of the de Gaulle committee, but within a week after the collapse of France, the Petain regime ordered the removal of Coutreau, sent Vice Admiral Jean Ducoup to replace him. For more than a month, Coutreau held on. It is a very difficult situation with Admiral de Coup here and General Catroux not stepping down from authority. For whom are we to obey? They say General Catroux is looking to the British for help. But the British cannot help him now. Perhaps not. No, they have closed the Burma road three days ago to appease Japan. Perhaps General Catroux believes that there might be some change in the international scene so that London can support him. If that should happen, he would be able to defy Vichy. Ah, such a complicated state of affairs. Yes, he said that in... Have you seen the new order? Order? What order? Admiral de Coup has taken over. He is now Governor General. But what of General Catroux? He is gone. Gone? Gone where? Who knows? What? It would be my guess if he has taken the only course that the... General Catroux made a dramatic escape from Indochina, went first to London and then to Egypt to continue his fight with the fighting French. And now Indochina moved step by step into the camp of the Japanese. The Japanese have demanded and taken air bases at Laokai and Hanoi. Japanese troops crossed the border into Indochina at three important points just before midnight. The Japanese have captured a French general and 2,000 troops and forced the French to withdraw. The Japanese have secured a monopoly on Indochina's rice, rubber and coal. This comes as a lifesaver for Japan, whose rice supply was dangerously reduced by the war. Step by step, Japan engulfed Indochina. In Hanoi, Admiral de Coup, the French Governor General, sat in conference with Japanese Major General Raishiro Sumita discussing these progressive steps. In Vichy, the loudspeakers announced... After long conferences, Japan and Vichy are now in complete accord and will cooperate in the defense of Indochina. Meanwhile, Frenchmen stood on the shore of Saigon and Cameroun Bay and watched Japanese men-of-war and transports move into the great harbors. Japanese warships in Cameroun Bay. France has lost in the Pacific. Not only France. From this naval base and the one at Saigon, the Japanese fleet is now in a position to cut the British sea route from Hong Kong to Singapore and to intercept all fleet movements between Manila and Singapore. They may even sail into Singapore itself one day. We are seeing more than Japanese warships here. We are seeing the drawing of a new map of Southeast Asia. French rule in Indochina came to a close in 1941, marking the end of 80 years of colonial effort. In these same waters where Japanese ships bristling with guns now move, French warships unlimit their guns in 1858. The decks are cleared for action. All guns are loaded, Admiral de Genoyi. Very well, Captain. Has any word come from ashore? No word yet, sir. The time of the ultimatum is not past, is it not? More than an hour has passed, sir. We will wait until the Spanish ships are in position. Yes, sir. But not only the commander of the Anomite forces in force, Aichard Toulin, must know that he cannot prevail against a combined French and Spanish fleet. It is my opinion, sir, that neither the Anomite government at way nor the commander of these forts takes our ultimatum seriously. They will know we are in dead earnest this time. We have protested the treatment of our missionaries again and again. But each time the fleet are sailed away, they have renewed their persecutions. The Spanish Crown has protested the death of missionaries as often as we have. Our mistake has been that we have done no more than protest. Admiral de Genoyi, the Admiral of the Spanish fleet has signaled that he is in position and ready to fire. Captain. Yes, sir. Is there any trace of a boat coming out of this flagship? None, sir. Very well. Lieutenant, signal the Spanish admiral to open fire whenever he is ready. And Captain. Yes, sir. Give the order. Open fire. Yes, sir. All guns ready. Fire! Admiral de Genoyi, direct hits on the first albo. Continue firing into the Fortes du Malais. Yes, sir. Ready. Fire! From this time forward, for a period of nearly 20 years, French admirals were to have the ruling hand in extending the influence of France into Indochina. Where they were able to impose their will by force of arms, they prevailed. But when they found it necessary to remove force from one place and apply it at another, outbreaks resulted. This is the tenth month we have been besieged. Ten months, yes. Help is coming. The courier said Admiral Charnier is coming with a strong force of 3,000 men. Ah, 3,000 men. There are 12,000 animites outside the citadel. Admiral Charnier's men will not even get close to the citadel. But the courier, the two? Ah, barely with his life. Admiral Charnier and his 3,000 men will be slaughtered before they get here. That is not true, Mr. What is that? Anger on! That must be Admiral Charnier's force. Maybe the animates are attacking again. Anger! To the firing pad! Everyone, to the firing pad, if there's a chance. It is Admiral Charnier's men. They are coming through the animites. Watch your fire, or else you'll shoot Admiral Charnier's men. The animites are trapped between the admiral's force and the citadel. The animites are trapped. Admiral, it's good to lift the siege. It's good to lift the siege. Open the citadel gates. We will try not to give ourselves any fall. Come on, come on, come on! Through this victory, Admiral Charnier forced through a treaty with the NAMM, and won three Cochin China provinces and a money indemnity for France. France was gaining a foothold in Southeast Asia. Now, French traders were making inroads far beyond the limits agreed upon between France and the NAMM. The friction that had subsided grew again, and another French admiral, Admiral Dupre, then governor general of Cochin China, sent for a brilliant young officer, Francis Gagnier. Oh, come in, Monsieur Gagnier. This must be important, Admiral Dupre, to bring me all the way from Shanghai down here to Saigon. Oui, it is. Your work of exploration can be done at any time. You mean, Admiral, that what you have in mind must be done at once? Oui, immediately. Recently, Jean Dupre, a French trader, sailed up the Red River. He proved the navigability of the Red River to China's southern provinces. He went all the way up to Yunnan. That was contrary to France's treaty with the NAMM, was it not? Our treaty makers were not far sighted enough. What do you wish now, Admiral Dupre? In order to reach China's southern provinces, we must go through Tongqing. You perhaps know there is now widespread revolt in Tongqing against the government at Hui. You wish to move into Tongqing? If France does not, Britain may intervene. And if Britain should gain control of Tongqing, Britain would hold the key to South China and would endanger our position on the peninsula. Alors, I will outfit an armed expedition for you, Captain. I will lead no such expedition. You are against France taking Tongqing? I am against taking it by force. So, what do you propose? The capital at Hui is insecure. I believe it will yield without resorting to force. You must have a show of force. A small number of groups, perhaps. How many? Oh, 200 perhaps. Not more. 200? That is not enough to take any sort of a stand against the opposition. With 200 French soldiers and a few Annamites, young Francis Gagné set sail for Hanoi. He found Hanoi buzzing with military preparations to close the Red River to commerce and to resist the French forces. Take this ultimatum to the commander of the Annamite forces in Hanoi. Inform him that if the Red River is not immediately open to commerce and Hanoi disarmed, that I will storm the citadel. The ultimatum went unheeded. Francis Gagné attacked. Ahead! Ahead! Ahead! Ahead! With a tank soldier, Gagné took the citadel. Envoys from Hui came to the citadel to make peace. Gentlemen, France wishes peace with the Annamites. Our immediate problem now is not the Annamites, but the Chinese bandits, the Black Flags. The Black Flags are troubling you here, yes? We have information, gentlemen, that your government at Hui has encouraged these bandits against France. Oh, the Black Flags are strong. We have protested and asked the Cantonese government to send regular Chinese troops to halt them. But the Chinese regulars have joined with the bandits. Oh, we are helpers before the bandits are you. Could it be that your government at Hui prefers the Black Flags to the French in the control of Tonkin? Monsieur Gagné! Monsieur Gagné! What is it, Lieutenant? The Black Flags, the bandits are marching in Hanoi. Our patrols are trying to hold them at the Pépabri. At the Pépabri? Yes, sir. They are attacking in force. Come to the assembly. We will march at once. Here is the Pépabri, sir. Yes. Very well. You take the left flank and you, Lieutenant, take the right. I will take the center. We will charge the main body of the bandits at the bridge. Go ahead, charge! Drive them back from the bridge! Right to the tune! Monsieur Gagné! Monsieur Gagné! Help! Monsieur Gagné is shot! Help! He is dead! He is dead! Monsieur Gagné is dead! The Black Flags were driven back, but the death of Francis Gagné delayed the French conquest of Tonkin ten years. Then France sent Commandant Henri Rivier to establish a protectorate over Anam. But Rivier was killed by the Black Flags at almost the same spot and in almost the way that Gagné was killed. France then bombarded the fort at Huey, the capital, forced the Anomites to sue for peace, and completed the conquest of the delta by taking the towns one by one. Then France was to sow the seeds of trouble, which was to harass her for the next forty years and more. A period of conquest is over. The rule of the admirals has come to an end. Now we must substitute civil administration. Monsieur, my committee has a study and it is our conclusion that we must form the colonies in our own image in order to better them. In what sense does the senator mean? We must replace the native institutions with our institutions in France. Well, it might be distinctly to our advantage to retain some of the native institutions. No, no, I do not agree with you. You feel, monsieur, that the natives are not capable of contributing to French culture? We must lead the natives from their darkness to the light of French culture. Ah, yes, and we must start by substituting the French language for their language. Oblige the natives to learn French in place of their own language? Precisely. My committee is of the opinion that when the natives have learned to speak French, they will then easily seek the wisdom of French ideas. Who will be more interested in the products of French manufacture? This will not work. We believe it will work. The only way to eliminate the difference in thinking between the French and the natives is to replace the native institutions and education with ours. Monsieur, on the basis of our study, I propose that we submit a resolution to provide the French education... The seeds were sown, and under the surface, while the French sought to entrench themselves more deeply in Southeast Asia, the Indo-Chinese grew restive. An underground wave of nationalism swept through the land. The French themselves fought for liberty, equality, and fraternity. But the Frenchmen who fought for liberty, equality, and fraternity are not the same Frenchmen who are here ruling us. Japan has shown what a small nation can do. It has defeated Russia. Yes, and we can do the same. And the Chinese under Sun Yaxuan, they are organizing to rebel against the Manchus. If we yield, we shall have nothing. We shall be crushed. If we fight, we shall have at least our honor. And we may save our country. In 1908, the Annamites revolted against the French for the first time. The outbreak was put down. But under the surface, it continued to smolder. When World War I broke out, more than 100,000 Indo-Chinese were recruited. Lift the gangway! All right! Lift the gangway! Easy now, easy! Take away! Take away! So, they are really going to take us away from our homes? Yes, the ship is all loaded. We are saving. Will they really take us to France to fight on the battlefields? I do not know. They call us volunteers. Volunteers! They herded us together like miserable animals and took us aboard the ship under guard like prisoners. Where are we going? I do not know. Let us ask his French officer. Yes. Where are you taking all of us? You will learn in due time. But where? We are sailing. That is all I can tell you now. You'll be told what to do when the time comes. They are taking us to France. I know. They have taken me away from my family. I am not going. I am not going! Where are you going? You cannot climb over that rail. Come back! Come back! Oh, man overboard! Man overboard! It is an American soldier. Get that man! Get him! The Indochinese volunteers distinguished themselves on the battlefields of France. But those who came back returned to conditions little better than those they had left. To fight for their rights, various political parties took form. The Nationalist Anomite Party, much like the Chinese Guomindong, a communist party and several lesser parties. In secret places they prepared arms and ammunition. Some of their money for operations were secured by alt-right banditry. Now and again, accidental explosions of bombs drew attention to them. The police hunted them down, but they continued to operate underground and to prepare for the day when they would strike. Native soldiers garrisoned in Yanbei, but they did not today. They brutally murdered their French officers. Yanbei controls the Red River Valley and is of great strategic importance. The Native rebellion has spread to Hanoi. Bombs have been thrown at the Commissariat. A sub-prefect has been assassinated and violence is rife throughout the city. Widespread arrests are taking place in Indochina in the face of the Native outbreak. Several thousand natives have been jailed as the authorities are struggling to get the upper hand. It is time that we re-examine our policy toward the institutions of the people of Indochina. Well, we might better set up a policy of association with the people of Indochina, rather than to try to continue to impose the French language and the French culture upon them. And what do you suggest, Mr. Chairman? That we govern the natives by operating through framework of their own laws and customs. That would mean the re-execution of the teaching of French. Well, we should have learned by this time that the wise course is to put the emphasis in primary education on the vernacular rather than on the French language. With this policy... With this policy, the French and the peoples of Indochina drew closer together. The French, through their extensive research, uncovered the wonders of the cultural heritage of Indochina. The Indochinese recognized the great value of the French doctors in the fighting of tropical diseases. But the intellectuals of Indochina still doubted that the French liberté, égalité, and fraternité applied to them. This failure to see eye to eye was an important factor after the outbreak of the war in the Pacific. There is another squadron of planes, mon général. Yes. Thailand planes, are they not? Yes, sir. They are violating our borders without regard for our rights. Thailand knows that Japan is putting pressure on us. I think Japan is using Thailand against us. This is an old quarrel with Thailand. They are teaching the school children that parts of Indochina belong to them. And Thailand is building up around forces that are not part of the Indian army. Yes, and we have only 27,000 regular troops. Thailand has at least 60,000. And many reserves, a growing air force, navy. Air force? I am certain Thailand is getting planes from Japan. We can do nothing about that. General, if they outnumber us, we must get reinforcements. Reinforcements? Reinforcements would have to come from France itself, or from other parts of the French Empire. This is impossible. Are we to have nothing to fight with? Blow us. There in Camra Bay, we have the cruiser La Montpiquet, four dispatch boats, and ten gunboats. That is little out here in the Far East alone. We must use what we have and make every move count. General, there are some more Thailand planes. Yes. One of these days, they will do more than simply destroy the whole of Japan. They will do more than simply fly over us. We must make every effort. The friction increased between the two neighbors, Indochina, China, and Thailand. Charges continued that Japan was fomenting the conflict. Developments came rapidly. Last night, Thailand troops attempted to cross the Khatun River and seize the Cambodian village of Popiah. The surprise attack was thrown back by the Japanese. Japan has sold 25 bombers and 33 pursuit planes to Thailand. Violations at the border continue as... All commercial operations on land between Thailand and French Indochina have been suspended. Observers say that the two nations are moving toward a full-dress war. The French eugenics squadron led by the cruiser Lamot Piquet last night destroyed the main units of the Navy of Thailand in a surprise attack in the Gulf of Phaya. Japan dictates that this strife between Thailand and Indochina come to an end. Thailand's claims are just. Japan will mediate this border dispute and will make the final decision. The French were in no position to defend their claims. France had fallen and Indochina, isolated and alone, half way around the world in the Far East, was caught between Thailand and the Japanese. The French yielded. We have ceded to Thailand territory amounting to 25,000 square miles with a population of a million people. But let it be known that we yielded to Japan, not to Thailand. And Japan it was that was calling the tune. When the settlement was made, Foreign Minister Matsuoka dispatched a letter to both Indochina and Thailand. Japan expects France and Thailand to declare that they have no intention to conclude with any third powers, any agreement or understanding that anticipates military or any other type of cooperation against Japan. This was the beginning of the end of France in Southeast Asia, and the end itself was not far off. Presently, Japan moved into Indochina itself, then struck at the United States at Pearl Harbor. Thailand then joined forces with Japan and Indochina. France's balcony on the Pacific dropped like a ripe plum into the lap of the Japanese. With the taking of Indochina, Japan gained not only strategic control of the sea lanes of Southeast Asia and the riches of the Indies, but also of Indochina's own vast resources. For Indochina, with its 286,000 square miles, one-third larger than France itself, is rich in its own resources. Possession of these brings Japan a great stride closer to its objective of self-sufficiency and gives Japan a stronger position against all the powers of the world. You have been listening to the Pacific Story, presented by the National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated independent stations as a public service to clarify events in the Pacific and to make understandable the cross-currents of life in the Pacific Basin. A reprint of this Pacific Story program is available at the cost of ten cents. Send ten cents in stamps or coin to University of California Press, Berkeley, California. The address again, University of California Press, Berkeley, California. The Pacific Story is written by Arnold Marklis. The original musical score was composed and conducted by Thomas Peluso. Your narrator, Gaines Whitman. Pacific Story was presented from Hollywood. This is the National Broadcasting Company.
