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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-04020 to 363-04027.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-04020 to 363-04027
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Title
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Article about Saigon's reaction to President Johnson's decision to not run for a second term
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Description
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Original title: "johnson", Keever's title: "LBJ's No-Election Bid Shocks Saigon." Article draft written by Keever about the reaction of the South Vietnamese government to Lyndon B. Johnson's decision not to run for a second term. Written for the Christian Science Monitor
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AI Usage Disclosure
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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.
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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2020 986.
yy 1jp
johnson 1 (normass/deepe)
SAGO
SAIGON, April 1 --President Lyndon Joy Johnson's
radio broadcast stating his refusal to accept re-nomination for a
second term created an atomic-sized political shock wave through
the hawkish ox American scanning and Vietnamese anti-Communist
communities here.
This this war zone,
this d announced decision far
out-impacted his statement of a de-escalation of the bombing
American bombing raids over North Vietnam in the hopes of establishing
offer
peace talk The fovebubbami Frued treat the Commander-in-chief
emore reuter
of the half-million-man American troop effort here could easily be tak
Bobby Kennedy, who has vigorously opposed the American mli military effort here
"The President has stolen all of (Eugene) McCarthy's arguments, but this
will help Bobby Kennedy get the nomn nomination while making him look like
a fool," one American officer explained.
#more reuter
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2020 sag
yy ljp
johnson 2 (normass/deepe)
the American Ambassador and General Westmoreland, down
to lowly fighting privates, had tuned in their radios to the U. S. military
station hore to hear the mid-morning address.
"Incredible-Fantastic !," one American officer exclaimed.
es the Presidont announced his decision "not to seck or accept"
ro-nomination. "This is an entirely now ballgame--it means that
(Bobby) Konny Kennedy can has a good chance to win."
Some of the American GI's had taped the President's address
to re-play for their buddies who had missed it. They re-played the
last portion of his spooch. to make sure they Hand it
.
"I thought the President said he wouldn't run un 'unless-
but he didn't. He left no way out. But, there always must be an
unless."
E
officer Explant
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2020 506
Jy 1jp
johnson 3 (normass/deepe)
shook,
Another military hawk, after overcoming his initial
exclaimed, "The only thing loft is awr write-in--and I'm
going to write-in Harry Truman."
WHET
Speculation in American circles, including among senior
officers, immediately began to wonder if somehow at a later time
the President would change his mind and accept a draft-or whether
he would back Vice President Hubert Humphrey or in what way he could
guarantee ax his policy not to fall into the hands of Bobby Kennedy,
who is regarded here as a sel " sell-out dove."
one American
To the astonishment of her male office superiors,
Xoutumm burst into tears when
secretary, a Catholic,
she heard the transistor radio say the President would not run again.
"I* was sorry for that poor man for having to govern us goffy goofy
Americans," she explained. "And it was anger at Bobby Kennedy. If
Bobby hadn't split the party, the President wouldn't have backed out.
In the dinn dining hall of the "colonel's messes", the dining
halls of senior officers, many speculated "the old man must be sick
and under doctor's orders not to run again."
Vice President Humphrey could seize the nomination from Bobby Kennedy.
Few seomed to believe the
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8020 886
yy 1jp
johnson 4 (normass/deepe)
"This is beyond belief, or comprehension,"
one American
officer explained. "The President has adopted the policy of Kennedy--
and yet in doing so has underout Bobby on the one hand but increased
his chances for getting elected on the other."
Even the highest ranking Amel American officials here had not
been informed about the President's decision not to seek a second term.
* The first order of business of the regularly scheduled mee U. S. Mission
In the third floor
Council was to listen to the President's address.
American
conference room of the recently rocketed American Embassy,
Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker, General William C. Westmoreland,
heads of the economic, public information ga agencies,
and sevon other senior officers were informed via radio of the President
the CIA
President's decision.
"The Ambassador had no vocal reaction,"
a
mission spokesman said.
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2020 606
Jy lip
johnson 5 (normass/deepo)
however
Sanior American officials and commanders here had received
a rundown & on the de-escalation of the bombing over North Vietnam, and
had in turn "consulted, rather than informed"
members of the South Vietnamese government.
the highest ranking
The Pr upper-class, educated Vietnamese,
inc
including officers, senators, government officials and businessmen
the decisio President's announcement
were also astonished by
statement he would not seek re-election.
about it then the American community.
more reuter
but they were far more e skeptical
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2020 seg
yy 1jp y
johnson 6 (normass/deope)
"Remember, this in Ap April Fool's Day in Vietnam,"
Vietnamese official, speaking privately explained.
one
"How can we
Vietnamese believe what President Johnson has said. He can change his
mind a
tomorrow.
He is very truc tricky. What he says today, he can forgot
A Vietnamese politician explained s "Look, we can never
An example is Kennedy-he said he wasn't
trust Amorican politicians.
going to run and then he decided to run. Who can believe them?"
Clearly, the Vietnamese were inclined to judge the American
political scene in terms of their own cynicism and skepticism of Vietnamese
politics. But, some were rather moderately calm and optimistic.
"Maybe the President decided to de-escalate the bombing just
win votes or something," one Vietnamese explained. "But the
Americans can never abandon Vietnam because they have half-million
troops and a bunk bundle of pre most of the prestige wrapped up here."
more router
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2020 306
Jy 1jp
johnson 7 (normass/deepe)
One retired Vietnamese general explained:
is one of the trickiest of American Presidents.
"Johnson
He is the typical
American--and represents American thinking. They talk big, they talk
of power,
Texas."
they are tery t very tricky-and Johnson comes from Toxa
Another Vietnamese added to his commentary: "Yes, but
only the innocent Vietnamese can be fooled by tricky people. The
Vietnamose constitution promulgated a year ago d today-on April Fool's Day
too, and so no one could take it very seriously either. But, remember
the Communists are very tricky too."
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johnson 8 (normass/deepe)
Officially,
the Vietnamese government has made no commene
immediate comment on the President's decision not to run;
Vietnamese
nowspapers were published too late to run stories or editorials about
the President's speech.
However, the Vietnamese government to the hax reduction of
bombing over North Vietnam-and American hopes for peace talks--brought
a strong and adverse reaction. The Vietnamese government had been
informed prior to the President's speech about the first portions
rl related to des deescalation of the bombing. Sunday, addressing
# 14,000 students who had just finished their two weeks militia training,
Th President Nguyen Van Thieu called on the Vietnamese to make more
sacrifices and to gozum continue fighting,
Americans make a peace settlement.
oven if the
"Nobody can force us to accept this coalition (with the Communists)
and nobody can force us to accept Communist slavery," Thieu said.
He told the students:
with the Communists."
"I can not and will never accept coalition
Despite the a initial adamacy of the Thieu government, the
reaction of one Vietnamese intellectual seemed typical: "This is the
beginning of what we don't know yet. Certainly it is the bi beginning of
worse to come-nore b fighting won the battlefield and probably demonstrations
in the streets."
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Date
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1968, Apr. 1
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Subject
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Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973; Vietnam (Republic); Presidents--United States--Election--1968; 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; 106.6297
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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B10, F4
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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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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
