Peking’s Next Target?

Red China lost its gamble in Indonesia a year ago. Now it’s after the Philippines, which is America’s single most important Pacific strategic bastion

It may have come as a considerable surprise to Americans to read that it took a riot squad armed with tear gas, clubs and shotguns to break up a screaming mob of Filipino students chanting peace slogans in front of President Johnson’s hotel in Manila last week. The demonstration was efficiently mounted. The students marched in groups from the American embassy to the Manila Hotel. They carried the usual peacenik and “Down with American Imperialism” banners. They chanted “Hey, Hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?” Dozens were arrested, at least a score wounded in twenty minutes of hand-to-hand battling before the tough and well-trained police broke it up. How come, was the reaction in the States: isn’t the Philippines America’s oldest and best friend in the Pacific?

JK

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Justus M. Van Der Kroef

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Red China lost its gamble in Indonesia a year ago. Now it’s after the Philippines, which is America’s single most important Pacific strategic bastion

It may have come as a considerable surprise to Americans to read that it took a riot squad armed with tear gas, clubs and shotguns to break up a screaming mob of Filipino students chanting peace slogans in front of President Johnson’s hotel in Manila last week. The demonstration was efficiently mounted. The students marched in groups from the American embassy to the Manila Hotel. They carried the usual peacenik and “Down with American Imperialism” banners. They chanted “Hey, Hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?” Dozens were arrested, at least a score wounded in twenty minutes of hand-to-hand battling before the tough and well-trained police broke it up. How come, was the reaction in the States: isn’t the Philippines America’s oldest and best friend in the Pacific?