Penny-Ante Copy

No duffers at picking up a good technique, Thailanders borrowed Germany's last month, began busily producing a penny-ante version of totalitarian aggressiveness. In good Nazi fashion they shouted lustily for Lebensraum in northwest Indo-China, started a little trouble on the bor der to show they meant business. Fortnight ago, with Japan's encouragement, Major Chai Pradipasena bustled to Hanoi, trumpeted his claims to French Indo-China's Governor General Admiral Jean Decoux.

Across the border Thailanders reveled in the new-found excitements of "frontier incidents" and "grave diplomatic tension." Troops, tanks and planes were massed Nazi-style on the border. Nine thousand members of the Thai youth movement marched gaily through the streets of Bangkok, urging the Government to fight, if necessary, for Thailand's claims.

But Admiral Decoux still had bigger fry to deal with, impatiently gave the buzzing Thai a backhand slap, while he tried to keep Japan from swallowing all French Indo-China at a gulp. Emissary Pradipasena was told to go home and argue with the Vichy Government.

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