-
derivative filename/jpeg
-
363-07280 to 363-07293.pdf
-
Digital Object Identifier
-
363-07280 to 363-07293
-
Title
-
Article about the propogandization of peace talks
-
Description
-
Original title: "peace", Keever's title: "President Johnson and Viet Cong See to Woo New Followers", Article draft about both sides efforts to spin the possibility of peace talks to their advantage, for the Christian Science Monitor
-
AI Usage Disclosure
-
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
-
--------------------
- Page 1
--------------------
zozo sag
yy-1jp
peace 1 (normass/deepe)
SAIGON, December 21-President Lyndon B. Johnson's
latest proposal for "informal discussions" between the Viet Cong
and the South Vietnamese government is considered aimed at, not
negotiations for peace, but instead proselytization for victory.
More Ru Reuter
--------------------
- Page 2
--------------------
zC2c sag
yy-1.jp
peace 2 (normass/deepe)
The President's televised "conversation" is regarded
here as a sophisticated speciman of "haute politique" without much
meaning in narrowing the "peace gap"
to end the war with the
Communist side.
More Reuter
--------------------
- Page 3
--------------------
zcze sag
yy-ljp
peace 3 (normass/deepe)
The speech is a considered a timely counterweight to the
concurrent Communist proselytization to win more friends both
internationally and within South Vietnam by spreading the word
about their un much-discussed 14-point program issued in mid-August.
In strategic terms, the Communists are attempting to sap
the political strength of the government of President Nguyen Van Thieu
by bo "negotiating" with a nationalist factions living under Saigon's
control, while tex
LOD DOWN FTCuen the American-Saigon campaign
Nationalists
is geared for sapping the political strength away from the Viet Cong.
More Reuter
--------------------
- Page 4
--------------------
zcze sag
yy-1jp
peace 4 (normass/deepe)
In short, the Communists are making on "concessions"
to the various groups in South Vietnam, such as government
soldiers, civil servants, landlords, religious groups, by promising
them a fair deal if they im swing them their support;
while the Allies are promising "concessions"
to those Viet Cong
who want to x cross over to the Vietnamese government side.
More Reuter
--------------------
- Page 5
--------------------
zcze sag
yy-1jp
peace 5 (normass/deepe)
thus
The political climate within South Vietnam is
phim moving towards polarization between the Communist and Allied
rather than towards compromise, in a swift, spectacular,
camp
but still indecisive manner.
More Reuter
--------------------
- Page 6
--------------------
zcze sag
yy-1jp
peace 6 (normass/deepe)
These judgments are currently expressed in Saigon
by sophisticated political analysts, but they are not shared
Politicians,
by lesser informed Vietnamese politicals, businessmen and mid-level
government officials, who regarded the President Jon Johnson's
statement with a mixture of bet bewilderment, worry and small
doses of panic.
More Reuter
--------------------
- Page 7
--------------------
zczc sag
yy-l.jp
peace 7 (normass/deepe)
The Vietnamese language newspapers gave the Thund
President Johnson's speech, splash, banner-line play. The th
pro-government, inal politically-intellectual Chinh Luan
(Right Path Path) newspaper carried the double-size
two-line
banner X "Before the seven-country Allied meeting in Australia,
the boiling problem is raised--informal discussion with the National
Liberation Front." The Tia Sang (The Spark) newspaper played
the story safe with the
DOUBLE
ne banner: "The United States
pushes the Viet Cong to talk with Saigon unofficially to solve the
感
Vietnam problem." This highly commercial newspaper maintains
the highest circulation in the capital-20,000 readers--with sepali
serialization of love novels.
MoreReuter
--------------------
- Page 8
--------------------
zcze sag
yy-1jp
peace 8 (normass/deepe)
The Canoli Catholic newspaper Tu Do (Freedom) printed
a clear clea clever cartoon showing a Vietnamese reading from a
piece to paper to an American civilian, with the caption: "The
CIA is VC and the VC is CIA. In that case, God knows who is who "*
The news broke too quickly for the newspaper to comment editorially
on the ne
More Rueter
--------------------
- Page 9
--------------------
zczc sag
yy-1jp
peace 9 (normass/deepe)
Reliable sources here believe both Washington and Saigon
are in agreement on the broad strategy of "negotiating" with the
Viet Cong the populat nom popular name for the National Liberation
Front through the Chieu Hoi (Open Arms) program. Agreed upon
at the Honolulu Conference in February, 1966, as a means to
carry the "other war," both sigmxmnim the American and South
Began
These defectors are given some
Vintage governments agreed to accelerate this program by offering
a partial amnesty to those ici fong those who served the Viet Cong
either militarily or politically.
government help in finding jobs, building new homes, or granted
small plots of land. Last year, 20,000 Viet Cong defected to the
government side; this year, 40,000 are expected. The strategic
value of the program is to isolate the Communist elements of the
Viet Cong from the "nationalist" rank-and-file; a split in the ranks
in the Viet Cong is believed to can exist between those
Viet Cong who want peace and are tired of the fighting and those
want.
Ring Viet Cong who went to continue the war.
More Rueter
--------------------
- Page 10
--------------------
zczc sag
yy-ljp
peace 10 (normass/deepe)
If enough of this "nationalist" element of the Viet Cong
it
would defect, this would mean a formal, tacit political victory
This year,
of for the South Vietnamese government and its Allies.
the newly formed government of President Thieu has upgraded the
Chieu Hoi program from a commissariat (or department) to
ministerial status, and the program has been officially formalized
with the ic Doan Kiet policy--the policy of national reconciliation.
More Reuter
--------------------
- Page 11
--------------------
zcze sag
yy-1jp
peace 11 (normass/deepe)
However,
certain differences, implied or stated,
and inconsistencies at the tactical level do appear here to exist
between the statement of President Johnson and the subsequent
clarifications by President Thieu. Johnson's speech seemed to
urge "informal discussions" between Saigon and the Viet Cong as
a means to urge more of the Viet Cong to defect; Thieu's clarification
implied he would hold "informal discussions" only after the
AlReady
Viet Cong had defected to the Saigon government) s Johnson's
statement meant mentioned "representatives" of the Viet Cong-presumably
those who could sa speak for the whole organization and military
movement;
Thieu's counter-statement mentioned only "individuals"
who would no longer be in touch with the Viet Cong organization.
More Reuter
--------------------
- Page 12
--------------------
zC2c sag
yy-1.jp
peace 12 (normess/deepe)
Internationally,
President Johnson may appear to
have scored a rather major propaganda souc success, thus taking the
edge off the Viet Cong counter- Viet Cong's diplomatic offensive.
But,
A
within South Vietnam,
light.
khem his speech
was regarded in rather dim . First, President Johnson-
Που the Saigon regime once again upstaged the Saigon government
ink finding a solution to their own problems--a criticism of the
President's heavy-handed manner since the first conference with Saigon
leaders at Honolulu in early 1966.
(The Catholic Xay Dung newspaper
carried the four-column headline: President Johnson is Pressuring
President Thieu Before Arriving in Canberra.").
More Reuter
--------------------
- Page 13
--------------------
ZCZC sag
yy-ljp
peace 13 (normass/deepe)
Criticism of this Johnsonian manner has been rampant
mengapa in Vietnamese circles and is also frequently
mentioned by senior American officials here, for, to the Vietnamese
Saigon
population, it makes the daigon government appear as " a "puppet
regine," which is expetly the heart of the Viet Cong propaganda. Against
Second,
the President's speech is also
considered kefy
likely to exacerbate the already strained relations between Thiou
personally and the American officialdom, as well as the Thiou Cabinet
and their American counterparts. Sources close to Prosidont Thiou
have said the small-framed President dimana sm had not been
informed that Johnson was going to make a speech, about Vietnam and
WoRds
that the Johnson "put words in Thieu's mouth, that Thieu had
never said publicly or privately in Saigon.
More Reuter
--------------------
- Page 14
--------------------
zozo sag
yy-1jp
peace 14 (normass/deepe)
It seemed ironic here that President Johnson chose
the seventh anniversary
to make his major speech on December 20th,
of the founding of the National Liberation Front.
(Hank: Is a Monitor man traveling with Johnson;
we suspect he may fly up here. Letter follows about banking.
Merry Christmas to all. poles please change in lead sentence
proselytization 'to "political proselytism. 韓 Multi thanks. Bev).
End Reuter.
-
Date
-
1967, Dec. 21
-
Subject
-
Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Peace treaties; Mặt trận dân tộc giải phóng miền nam Việt Nam; United States. Armed Forces; Vietnam (Republic). Quân lực; Strategy
-
Location
-
Saigon, South Vietnam
-
Coordinates
-
10.8231; 106.6311
-
Size
-
20 x 26 cm
-
Container
-
B7, F5
-
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
