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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-08117 to 363-08121.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-08117 to 363-08121
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Title
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Article about anti-Communist war effort in South Vietnam
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Description
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Original title: "War", Article draft about anti-Communist war effort in South Vietnam, for the London Daily Express
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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Mr. Nicoll
London Daily Express
Fleet Street
London Rod
Dear Mr. Nicolls
Saigon
June 10, 1964
Mom
Sorry for the delay in airexpressing the chaves to your 15160
of May suggesting I write my views on the . . Nem and World Report article
on the Turth about the Viet Nam War. I've also just finished reading Robert'
Moore's sabeegnant article in the June 8th issue of the same nowamagazine.
Those are my vioma:
1. His feats about the commption, refusal to fight-
are basicially accurate, though a little lopsided. More importent, however,
they are facts about only a small facet of the problem. Examples He does not
mention the sheer heroism of some of the Vietnamese Special Forous articles-
I know one that has boon into Commmmint North Viet Nam six times. Also Moore,
males olasaio baroos out of the U. . Special Forces, and their program hasn'
been all that successful. Thirdly, the essential problem here is political and
because of that the resulting symptoms which Moore writes of are military.
The simple feet in the Test-principally the U. do not have an ideology
to match that of the Communists. If we did, the Commmint guerrillas infiltrating
from North Viet Non would never have been able to terrorise and persuade the
South Vietnamese population for mupport
2. Hourg's paltry facte may be correct, but his conclusion is
hilariously wrote In his June 8th article, he comes up with two solutionss
one to have 100 instead of 40 U. 3. Special Forces teams in South Vietnam, which
would send the bondor. I've soon the jungled Laotian border donems of timon; and to
think small forts of patrolling soldiers are going to stop infiltration is ridiculous.
Second, he suggests that Amerions have operational control of combat works this
on would only reinforce Communist propaganda about the "imperialistic" Americans
wanting to control the country in the same manner an the French colonialists.
And every Anurioen in the beasy known the U. S. would be defected in the seme
way-end for the same roncon--the French wore. An essential ingredient looking
on the governmens side in nationalism--and to give the moricans operational control
would only make it vanish further. In addition, American Ambaobelor uses the
argument that with Con. Khanh's government, the Americans have no problem getting
agreement on policy, operations or tactics-but the problem in getting them
implemented. von American operational control officers couldn't do that.
because
In short, the Vietnamese-aany, but not all--are not willing to fight
then to fights there's no reasons they
Enclose the
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Beverly Deepe
101 Cong Ly
Saigon
War-1
SAIGON Ten months ago, a Western diplomat described the
anti-Communister in Vietnam as "a ship with all the sails flapping, but we're
not going anywhere."
Today-after w tro military coup d' d'etats and significant
Military
Comm Communist hins the same diplomat st explained, "Now the ship
is sinking."
The simple,
deventing devastating truth is: In the past ten
months the Communists in Viet nam have been getting stronger militarily with
the help of Co Rad China and North Vietnam--and politically-with the
help of France's push for a neutralist settinent settlement here and general
-pro-Communist tendencies in Laos and Cambodia. Simultaneously, war-weary
VIETNAMESE GOVERN ment Strength. HAS
y deteriorated almost visibly by the day
LEADERSHIP
AGGRESSIVENESS,
anti-Communist Viet-New
lacking dynamic, stable government and the military offensive
(More)
from
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Beverly Deepe
War--2
"We're losing strategically in Southeast Asia," the gloomy
diplmat groaned. "And we're losing tactically in South Viet Nam."
During the current r r☑ rainy season, which continues until
October, high-ranking Vietnamese officers (informatively only--prime minister
General Nguyen Khanh) conceded the pro-Communist guerrillas have the capability-
of the 43 provincial capitals
and the intentions-of overt
Tuting overrunning
in the country.
Some
And they have the capability of regimental-controlled
operations, a definite increase in the scope of the war,x in which their
previous largest operating unit was a battalion.
Reliable sources indicate that the pro-Communist guerrillas
are now moving battalions from the lower Mekong Dleta Delta-which they now believe
they dominate to seven cruoial provinoes forming an aro south of Saigon. (See
enclosed map.)
(More)
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Deepe
War 3
The purpose of these troop movements is neither military attacks
"developing the political
nor increased terrorism in Saigon, but
climate in Saigon.
Six months ago their political aim was neutralism;
now they're strong enough to expect absolute accomodation to whatever they
wish to dictate. "
Reliable sources re believe it will not be difficult
The Chinese and Indian
for the communists to establish this political climate in Saigons there is
already increasing fear of political assassinations among high-ranking
government officials and militant anti-Communists.
business community already reflects mor fear of the growing uncertainty;
young married couples are attempting to scrap together the money to buy
black-market French citizenship papers or to smuggle their children agross the
Cambodian border. Exit permits are inc
increasingly prized.
"There's a crisis in confidence; a crisis in leadership on
the government side," a Vietnamese businessman explained. The Vietnamese
government position has steadily de
be swept
Horated eroded "and will eventually
Tike when the plug is pulled out of the bathtub drain, " another
foreign observer explained. The generals within the military junta are fighting
? For more power and
among themselves; the political parties are agitation
prestige; the
Catholics and Buddhists are staging demonstrations which
undermine the strength of the government.
In the rumah.
countryside
where the guts of the war is centered, the male morale of government troops
has continually sagged, brining bringing increste esertions ar
unwillingness to fight.
(More)
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Deepe
War-4
The one ray of hope is that the Honolulu conference
DERM
of
high-ranking Amerioans-Secretary of State Rusk and Defense Seoretary
Robert S. Monamara-would result in "a policy of action rather tha n reaction."
But as the days past, the American community itself-also fraught with its
lack of leadership and growing frustations and fabions faotionalism-
is reaching its lowest point of depression since 15,000 American advisors
were committed here two years ago. Observers here ready conceded that the
three dramatic alternatives facing to American policy makers are equally
unacceptable-total withdrawl, expansion of the war by bombing North Viet Nam,,
oommitting American fighting troop 8.
In short,
the wax political-military war is desperate.
The question is whether it is hopeless.
"I've seen alot worse situations than this," the Western
diplomat conceded. "I was in Burma when we held only the suburbs around
Rangoon and had seven insurgencies ming at one time. Five years later, we
almost had it won...and then we had a coup by pro-Pekingites and lost it."
-30
head of the Australian
Notes prinoipal source for this is Col. Serong,
training team. He's one of the few who know so much of what's going on
in the country-and is courageous enough to say it.
quoted by name or by country, since there's such a
Australians here.
Let me know if this is NOT
le try Ayan
article and I 11
Obviously, he can't be
small community of
you wan walotr a wrap-up
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Date
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1964, Jun. 10
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Subject
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Vietnam, 1961-1975;
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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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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B2, F5
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Format
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dispatches
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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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Collector
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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
