FRANCE: Law of Averages

In Cam-Ranh Bay off the coast of Indo-China, French warships were maneuvering one bright morning last week. The submarines Phénix and L'Espoir submerged to make a sham attack on the flagship of the Far Eastern Fleet, the cruiser Lamotte-Picquet. After a half-hour L'Espoir knifed to the surface, but no one saw the Phénix, and probably no one ever will. For a day and a half planes and warships crisscrossed the sea, searching in vain for the crippled vessel. And then the Ministry of the Navy belatedly informed the families of the crew and the world: "The submarine Phénix has been...

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