SOUTH VIETNAM
High in the central mountains north of Saigon, Premier Ngo Dinh Diem, solemn and immaculate in a white sharkskin suit, sat on a canopied dais before representatives of 600,000 mountain tribesmen. Huge brass gongs sounded out a tribal chant. Tribesmen, some wearing only loincloths, others rigged out in bright robes and peacock feathers placed ceremonial jars of wine from each mountain village before him. Through long, curved bamboo stems, Diem took a ceremonial draught from each jar. Then village elders slipped three large gold bracelets on Diem's arm, spread the head...
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