Article about Communist anti-war propaganda

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363-06961 to 363-06968.pdf

Digital Object Identifier

363-06961 to 363-06968

Title

Article about Communist anti-war propaganda

Description

Keever's title: "Communist propaganda-cum-subversion is 'Raging and Rampant' In South Vietnam", article about Communist anti-war propaganda

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Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.

Transcript

(Morgan Gandy) SAIGON, 20220, (UPIS)--Two weeks ago, aye student demonstrator carried along the streets of Saigon aye small [deletion: [illegible]] placard reading, “We are against the war exterminating the Vietnamese race!” The placard implanted the anti-war idea, but did notrptnot raise the question of whether [deletion: to] the Americans or the Communists were responsible for [deletion: initat] initiating the violent, bloody struggle. [XXXX indicating deletion] Then, in the ritziest knick-knacks shops along the main street of Saigon, a small wooden wall decoration appeared for sale. The decoration carried the words: “War or peace?” [XXXX indicating deletion] At the top of the decoration was the black shriveled head of aye corpse; at the [deletion: bomm] bottom was painted the an eighteenth century-type [deletion: painting] sketch of American Indians being [deletion: killed] slaughtered. “This is the most sinister of Communist propaganda,” one Vietnamese politician explained. “It [XXXX indicating deletion] alludes to the Americans exterminating their own Indian race--and leads the Vietnamese to believe the American troops will do the same to them.” (More--Miller--BD) first add--morgan gandy--saigon xx x to them. x x x In the Mekong Delta south of Saigon, Viet Cong political cadre are reportedly [deletion: teo] telling the Vietnamese peasants that at the Honolulu Conference in February the decision was made for American warplanes to use as “free bombing zones” the populated areas of Vietnam. Then, when the Vietnamese people are exterminated, the Americans would bring in South Koreans and Taiwan Chinese to re-populate the areas so that the Vietnamese agricultural economy would be maintained, according to their [deletion: po] propaganda line. Monday of this week, at aye seminar of University of Saigon professors [deletion: , called to discuss] discussing the upcoming constitutional assembly elections, aye woman faculty member went to the rostrum, began [deletion: cryinh] weeping, and reportedly said, “This is aye war to exterminate the Vietnamese race.” She later asked for the withdrawal of allied troops. [XXXX indicating deletion] (More--Miller--BD) second add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x allied troops x x x. Today, (Wednesday), the Vietnamese-language Dat To (Fatherland) newspaper, the unofficial publication of the militant Buddhist leadership, ran aye four-stanza poem entitled, “Who are We?” Excerpts of the poem read: Are we human beings or microbes That every day they spread toxic products over all our bodies; They drop bombs over our heads [insertion: ?] [XXXX indicating deletion] They shot into our bodies thousands of bullets. They shatter our bodies into small pieces To make aye kind of stenching pastry. What kind of specie are we? Are we human beings or grass? That they [XXXX indicating deletion] chop off our head [deletion: by] with aye sharp machete. They plung into our chest aye pointed bayonet. They split our heads open with aye big axe. Are we human beings or animals? Are we human beings or microbes? Are we human [deletion: begins] beings or grass? Who are we? (More--miller--BD) third add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x are we? x x x These are living examples of the process of Communist subversion [insertion: currently] taking place in Vietnam. None of these Communist-inspired political arguments are being countered either by the Vietnamese government, or [XXXX indicating deletion] by the American [deletion: [illegible] ½] psychological experts, humorously [deletion: called] termed “psywarriors.” The effect of these political arguments, as skillful as they are vicious, is to arouse the emotions of the Vietnamese people against the war effort--and to create hatred against the American presence. Hatred is by far the most deadly of all the military-political weapons in Vietnam--it was hatred, notrptnot carbines, that defeated the French colonial regime here moren decade ago. (More--Miller--BD) fourth add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x decade ago. x x x Using the principles of political subversion, coupled with military guerrilla warfare, the Communists have strengthened their control on the Vietnamese population (in the countryside this is almost total control), while eroding the authority of their opposition in the cities--[deletion: presently] namely the Vietnamese armed [deletion: forced] forces, the military regime of Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky and the American political and military presence. “Communist subversion in Vietnam is currently raging and rampant--it is everywhere,” one counterinsurgency expert estimated--no one knows for sure. (More--Miller--BD) fifth add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x for sure. x x x Intelligence sources indicate that Communist political agents have penetrated and converted sympathizers among the Vietnamese government bureaucracy, the armed forces, the police, the schools and universities, the Vietnamese intellectuals and low-class laborers. Some of the most highly classified military operations--including [deletion: the] those involving American SAC BBB-52 fifty two raids--have been leaked to the Communists before they were ever launched. During the recent period of overt political unrest, the Communist subversives “had only to lean on [XXXX indicating deletion] the anti-government sentiment--and to fan the fires of personal feuds,” the source continued. “So, in the end, Catholics were fighting other Catholics; Buddhists fighting other Buddhists; one general fighting another; one Vietnamese battalion ready to fight another. This is subversion in motion, designed to erode the authority of the government until now it is nearly collapsing.” (More--Miller--BD) sixth add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x nearly collapsing x x x. The best sources in Saigon familiar with Communist subversive tactics believe it is too late to “roll back, isolate or insulate” the Communist subversive process. “We are now beyond the point of notrptnot return,” one source explained. “Since the fall of Diem (President Ngo Dinh Diem in November nineteen sixty three), norptno one was in power long enough to do anything about the subversives--and now the government is too weak. There’s too much discontentment among the Vietnamese population, and it’s aye fertilized field for the Communists to plant their seeds in. The Communists do notrptnot have to create this discontentment--it’s there already and they simply exaggerate, embroidery and exploit it. So, the labor unions are mad about the inflation; the high-class Vietnamese are mad at about the bars in on mainstreet and the students are mad about being drafted. The first problem is identifying the Communist. Aye militant anti-Communist can be just as mad at Ky and the Americans because they’re losing the war as the professional Communist agitator who is [deletion: [illegible]] sowing disunity. The Vietnamese police intelligence is notrptnot good enough to weed out the hard-core subversive. And even if one had aye cold case against an individual, he’d be masquerading as aye Buddhist--and the Buddhists would protect him, or as aye member of the Dai Viet (political party) and they would buy him out of jail” (More--Miller--BD) seventh add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x of jail. x x x. An American source explained, “The basic problem was that Washington deluded [deletion: themse] itself too long that this [deletion: war] was totally aye war of aggression from North Vietnam instead of partially [deletion: the] an insurrection to demand [deletion: for] aye social revolution within the South. The Honolulu Conference did realize the desire for aye social revolution within the South--but then it was too late. It is the Communists--not the Americans--who are seizing control of the revolution, of the people--and of the country.” (Endit-Miller--BD)

Date

1966, Apr. 20

Subject

Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Psychological warfare; Leaflets dropped from aircraft; Socialist propaganda; Pacifism; Vietnam (Democratic Republic). Quân đội

Location

Saigon, South Vietnam

Coordinates

10.8231; 106.6311

Size

20 x 26 cm

Container

B188, F3

Format

dispatches

Collection Number

MS 363

Collection Title

Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers

Creator

Keever, Beverly Deepe

Collector

Keever, Beverly Deepe

Copyright Information

These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.

Publisher

Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries

Language

English