European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 28, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 the stars and stripes april in Asia stronger than Ever a photo to Chi Minh City formerly rehearsing Parade to Mark end of by Leslie Gelb new York times ten years after the defeat of South Viet there is widespread agreement among pol icy analysts in Washington that the position of the United states in Asia is stronger now than at any time since the end of world War in april it was in a decade in North Vietnam looked Invin now the Economy of United Vietnam is stagnating and Hanoi is mired Down in its own Vietnam in in the Span of 10 policy analysts the soviet Union and most communist movements in Asia tumbled from Victory or Ascendancy to while the United states moved from defeat to a position of the turnaround was due largely to a change in the politics of american policymaking toward for 40 no foreign policy Issue More divisive than Asia from what to do about China right after world War through the korean War to but in the last 10 after the opening to China and the end of the Vietnam few policy issues have garnered More bipartisan yet the question of who lost Vietnam is still hotly disputed by the people who once struggled Over policy and fought the among the issues raised Are these Why did the defeat not Lead asian countries other than Cambodia and Laos to fall under communist control like a Row of As president Eisenhower and his successors predicted did americas stand in Vietnam delay or make possible americas current Posi Tion of strength in Asia Why have Hanoi and Moscow been unable to capitalize on their Victory has the War irretrievably turned Hawks and doves on Vietnam into policy adversaries and what parallels Are to be drawn for Central America the questions and answers about the Vietnam experience slice deeply into virtually every Central foreign poli by Issue in the Reagan from Central America to Lebanon and defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger has argued for any military intervention around the world Only As a last with full Public and with the Clear intention of Secretary of state George Shultz has maintained that there is no such thing As guaranteed Public support in and that a great Power must be prepared to use doses of Force to buttress the belief that the position in Asia has never been stronger in 40 years is shared by Vietnam doves like Richard assistant Secretary of state for East Asia in the Carter and Vietnam Hawks like Paul it is Clear that the whole condition of East Asia is today far better than the most optimistic would have predicted 10 years Wolfowitz even compared to the end of world War it is far better because the countries of Asia Are far More self dont look to us As much As they did before but when they we Are these two men and other asian experts Robert Scalapino of the University of California at Donald Zagoria of Hunter and Winston president of the Council on foreign relations produce an almost identical Litany of examples to Back april and foreign nationals being evacuated to ships from Saigon up this optimistic instead of being the principal Adver has become a strategic ally in Many it restrains North aids guerrillas in checking Viet Nam in has called off support for communist insurgents in Thailand and and ties Down a third of the soviet armed forces on its with the notable exception of the most asian countries Are enjoying political stability almost unprecedented for this the stability rests on a blend of democracy and substantial economic according to state department the economies of the members of the association of Southeast Asia or Asean which include the Philippines and Brunei have each grown on the average of 7 percent a year Over the last 10 this is about twice the global average growth after discounting for american Trade with the Pacific Basin area now exceeds its Trade with relations with Japan Are generally deemed to be though marred by continuing friction Over Ameri Cas lopsided Trade deficit with its most important asian soviet military Power in the Region has grown considerably Over the this includes substantial use by russian including and reconnaissance aircraft of the former major american base at Cam Ranh Bay in Pentagon experts generally sub scribe to the assessment of Robert an asian scholar and director of the Londo based International Institute for strategic Given american military and naval Power in the Region and deployments under he said in a recent there is Little Prospect that the United states will be outclassed in Power projection and other strategic capabilities in the provided there Are no major crises americans do have a Pacific said Michael the undersecretary of state for political All these factors tended to guarantee that the fatigue and frustration it with Southeast Asia bred by the bitter outcome of the War was a transitory phenom alone among those former Secretary of state Dean Rusk sounded a note of i dont think we know yet the full consequences of the he North Vietnam still has a lot of digesting to do in South Laos and Vietnam is now a country of 60 million people with an army of million the fourth largest in the world after the soviet Union and the United per capita income is estimated by the state department to be about a Only about one fourth that of its Asean the state department also estimates that the soviet Union supplies Vietnam with about billion this constitutes about on seventh of Vietnam Gross National while the economies of every Asean country have More than doubled in the last Vietnam shows almost no Vietnam real Drain and quagmire is an estimated vietnamese troops Are trying to hold the cities against and searching the Jungles for several different guerrilla forces according to Var ious anywhere from to