As far back as June 1954. we urged the U.S. not to follow the French example of trying to deal with IndoChinas problems in military terms. insisting that "nothing but disaster lies down that road." Since the U.S. military involvement escalated in 1965. our field staff. speaking Vietnamese and living as closely as possible among the people. have regularly reported to us on the conditions around them. These reports make hard reading. chronicling as they do a tide of destruction that has gradually engulfed a people and torn apart the fabric of their lives. Here is what these reports have recorded: Refugees: Four million peopleonethird of the rural population of this rural nationhave fled their homes and become refugees in a country where land and village roots have an importance unknown in western culture. Most have fled to the cities. which are quite unprepared to cope with the influx. Saigons population has swelled to 2.800.000. making it the worlds most crowded city. with more than twice the population concentration of Tokyo.3 Destruction: Physical destruction is enormous.
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Refugees refugees