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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-04877A to 363-04878A.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-04877A to 363-04878A
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Title
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Viet Press Breifing Expose - Taylor Rips Mask Off Khanh
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Description
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Article published in the New York Herald Tribune about an interview with Ambassador Taylor discussing his frustrations with General Nguyễn Khánh, page 1 and 4
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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Viet Press Briefing Expose
Taylor Rips Mask Off Khanh
By Beverly Deepe
A Special Correspondent
SAIGON.
American Ambassador Maxwell D. Tay-
lor said today that South Viet Nam is fac-
ing the most serious political situation
since he arrived here five months ago, ac-
cording to reliable sources.
At a special press briefing, Gen. Taylor
described the current crisis resulting from
last, weekend's purge-coup as a fight on
four fronts:
The council of Vietnamese generals
headed by Lt. Gen. Nguyen Khanh vs. the
government of Premier Tran Van Huong.
The generals against the ambassador
(himself),
The Buddhists vs. the ambassador.
The generals vs. the Viet Cong Commu-
nist guerrillas.
Reliable sources indicated Gen. Taylor
said he was not sure the Vietnamese gen-
erals were fighting the Viet Cong so well.
He said many of the generals on the 20-
man Armed Forces Council have been in
Saigon for the last three days, "but the
captains are carrying on" the anti-Com-
munist war.
In describing the generals on the council
-who dissolved the High National Coun-
cil, one of the three components of the
civilian government, and arrested most of
its members and other politicians-Gen.
Taylor reportedly said "some are border-
ing on being nuts," some are first class.
Gen. Taylor made these comments at a
specially convened background briefing to
a group of eight American correspondents,
and said the contents of the briefing were
not to be attributed to him personally or
to American officials.
This correspondent was the only Ameri-
can reporter not invited to special back-
grounder. On Wednesday, the Herald Trib-
une carried an exclusive interview in which
Gen. Khanh, Armed Forces commander in
chief, sharply criticized Gen. Taylor for
activities "beyond imagination."
Gen Taylor reportedly said at the brief-
ing today that at a conference last Mon-
day Gen. Khanh asked him whether it
would be helpful if Gen. Khanh "ceased to
be commander in chief."
Gen. Taylor told the Vietnamese mili-
tary leader that it would, according to re-
liable sources.
On Tuesday morning, Gen. Taylor re-
portedly told the American correspondents,
Gen. Khanh said he might step down from
his post as commander in chief and asked
the ambassador if the United States would
defray his expenses for a trip to the United
States and other countries, along with
several other generals.
Gen. Taylor said no final decision was
taken at that time.
The Ambassador reportedly said that
Gen. Khanh, feeling the Americans were
against him, is the center of an anti-
American camp of generals and is whip-
More on TAYLOR-P 4
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- Page 2
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TAYLOR AND KHANH'S
KHANH’S
MASK
(Continued from page one)
ping up a hard core of five or six young
generals.
But Gen. Taylor is said to have pre-
dicted that Gen. Khanh would not win,
for two reasons: No Vietnamese group
stays together for long, and hence in a
few days the Armed Forces Council will
fall apart; secondly, Gen. Khanh is not
very popular with the young generals.
The Tuesday conference with Gen.
Khanh took place two days after the
Armed Forces Council staged its coup.
of the young generals involved and told
them in "soldier-to-soldier blunt terms"
that he disapproved of what they had
done.
Gen. Taylor reportedly explained the
American view that the generals could
not intervene in the government when-
ever they chose and then return to mill-
tary affairs. He was also said to have
told them that although they were patri-
otic they could not "break the crockery
and have others pick it up."
He said the problem now is that "we do
not know how well the crockery can be
picked up."
He said the problem now is that "we
do not know how well the crockery can
be picked up."
The U. S. has hinted strongly that it
would cut off promised boosts in aid to
South Viet Nam unless the High National
Council is restored to power. But Gen.
Khanh and the other generals of the
Armed Forces Council thus far have re-
fused.
On Tuesday, Gen. Khanh asserted at a
meeting of the Armed Forces Council that
South Viet Nam could get along without
American aid, which is being poured into
the country at the rate of $1.5 million a
day to help the fight against the Viet Cong.
Later that same day, in an order of the
day broadcast to his troops, he denounced
U. S. efforts to restore South Vietnamese
political stability. No progress has been
made in finding a way out of the dead-
lock that poses' the worst threat yet to
the U. S. position in this vital Southeast
Asian country.
Gen. Taylor is also said to have described
63-year-old Premier Tran Van Huong as
being physically afraid of the military
and hesitating to tangle with them because
he thinks there is an even bigger threat
from the Buddhists. The Buddhists have
been attempting to overthrow his civilian
regime, and he feels he must have the
support of the military in the fight against
the Buddhist political priests.
The American Ambassador reportedly
told his press briefing today that he had
advised Mr. Huong it would be difficult
for the U. S. to work with him if he chose
to stay in office by making concessions to
the military. This would place the real
power in the hands of the generals, Gen.
Taylor was quoted as telling the Premier,
and there is no value for the U. S. to ne-
gotiate with a "facade government."
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Date
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1964, Dec. 25
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Subject
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Nguyễn, Khánh, 1927-2013; Taylor, Maxwell D. (Maxwell Davenport), 1901-1987; United States--Relations--Vietnam (Republic); Vietnam (Republic)--Politics and government
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Location
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Saigon, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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10.8231; 106.6311
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Container
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B186
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Format
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newspaper clippings
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Collection Number
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MS 363
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Collection Title
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Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
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Creator
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Copyright Information
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These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
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Publisher
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Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
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Language
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English
