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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-04042 to 363-04056.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-04042 to 363-04056
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Title
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Article about President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu's address
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Description
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Original title: "thieu", Keever's title: "President Theiu Agreed with LBJ's Bombing Pause." Article draft about South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu's press conference, in which he reiterated his anti-communist stance and criticised, albeit nondirectly, the Johnson Administration's abandonment of the bombing campaign and aim to wind down the Vietnam War. The article ends with a missive to Hank (Editor) concerning the British response to Johnson's decision to not seek relection. 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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zczo sag
Jy 1jp
thieu 1 (normass/deepe)
SAIGON, April 2 President Nguyen Van Thieu, today,
answer to President Lyon Lyndon
gave his "most decisive hour"
Johnson's so-called "finest hour" decision.
While President Lyndon Johnson left the impression
impression to the Vietnamese some Vietnamese of "leaving the battle
unfinished, the war half-won, the peace half-sought," as one explained,
the
в
"other President" governing the ik Allied effort here gave
two wars simultaneouges. DentiAl
the impression of waging k
Few observers,
was President Thieul Thieu's
however,
believed the press conference,
however,
"==tha Teuter
final hour of decision,
as the worst appeared to be in store for the Vietnamese government in
the coming weeks.
==more reuter
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- Page 2
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2020 886
Jy 1jp
thieu 2 (normass/deepe)
In the light of President Johnson's bombshell address,
were newsj but in the light of
President Nguye Van Thieu's remarks
President Thieu's past romarks, his press conference was not new.
The samo havicish, hard-line, anti-Communist, anti-coalition government
statements were expressed in his strongest, most articulate terms.
PEOPLE
The
diminutive President pictured the Vietnamese peace as well
willing to sacrifice their utmost for both peace and anti-Communist
freedom, the victims of Communist aggression on the one hand and
Americans "seeling "selling the Vietnamese down the river,"
on the
other hand.
Πε
==more routor
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- Page 3
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8020 808
Jy 1jp
thieu (normass/deope)
PRO
Thieu characterized this time as "an extremely difficult
moment in history," but based on journalists' questions, this sooned
APPEARED
an underetatmont, as the Vietnam seemed to totter botwoon global war
biggor war or bitter peace-and as it dangled so did the big power bloo,
outside and the Thieu government inside.
#more router
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- Page 4
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2020 006
JJ 1jp
thiou/3 (normass/deepe)
In short, President to,
Thiou, in commenting on
President Johnson's moves towards peace,
simply answerod with President
Johnson's previous statements on war--and freedom, and defending American
Saying
comittmen commistom committmonts, and that American troops in Vietnam
were defending not only Vietnam, but also southeast Asia and the Amorioan
PRO-U
Stetm
The past
which President Johnsonho sought to forget in his
mainland.
prayers-for-once prayers-for-peace speech on Mommy on time)
Monday morning (eg (Saigon time), President hei Thieu's choose to
romind him of exnetly twenty four hours later.
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- Page 5
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2020 886
Jy 1jp
thiou (normass/deepe)
Boforo North Vietnam has anon aoo announced its decision
whether or not to accept President Johnson's peace bid, the
option for President Thieu was clearly to continue to press on with the
attempting to keep his troops in the field fighting, with only
wer,
the promise of more draftee and perhaps more American support, attemptijs
attempting to keep the anti-Communist fabric of the society-and the
Governmont glued together long enough to appear united until the
the fate of Vietnam is signed in Geneva, if ov anywhere.
President Thieu acknowledged that he agreed with President
Johnson in his policy for peace, and that ho would gladly moot with
his direct emony gras 02-North Vietnam-but he would not mm moot with
Southern "servant" of Hanoi--the National Liberation Front,
nor would hea allow them into his government.
Members.
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3020 sag
yy 1jp
thiour (normass/doepe)
The press conference was held in the ballroom of the
Undor French-imper ved made crystal chandeliers,
elegant Presidential Palace.) Western and Vietnamese journalists
mingled in business suits, paratrooper unit uniforms, typical
journalists'
Con
"great white hunter"
outfits amid the half dozon
tolovision cameras
nores
and their floodlights. Vietnamese security gaurds
guards and fatigue-clad Presidential aides loungod in the golden brocade
chairs lining the glassed-in verandah-od ballroom. This stateroom,
used in the past for formal diplomatic recoptions, had soon its more
elecent en more elegant atmospher occasions, but hardly ohé one
moro decisivo.
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5050 026
yy 1jp
thiou 67 (normass/deope)
Befoo
a government
Before the the arrival of President Thiou,
interpreter requested throug voiced in the microphone: "Ladies and
Gentlemen,
want. The President asks you to take your time,
wo have all the time you want to ask all the questions you
stand up and identify
We have plenty of time."
"I wonder if they'll serve us lunch and dinner,"
a Western
yours4 yourself and your newspaper.
journalist chided,
RS
In the back of the room, a Vietnamese journalist vociferously
argued with the French journalist about who got to use the sole telephone
first. A small orowd gathered to referred referee.
"We'll resume the
Indo-Chine War all over again again,"
an American jourli journalist
mused.
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zczc sag
yy 1jp
thieu 8 (normass) deepe)
At 10 a.m.--twenty four hours after President Johnson's
adre address was radio broadcast here--President Thieu walked in, and
sat at a long table covered with green baize cover. He was flanked
by more than a dozen ministers of the government, and some took their
seats on green embroidered chairs in the rear, while some, including
Vice President Nguyen Cao Ky and Prime Minister Nguyen van Loc flanked
Thieu on both sides.
For an hour and forty five minutes the questions machinegunned
at Thieu, who gave no opening remarks and who requested no verbal help
from his Cabinet. Dressed in a navy blue suit and conservative necktie,
Thieu appeared calm, confident, articulate and directly forward.
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8020 808
yy 1jp
thieu 87 (normans/deepe)
"Had President Johnson consulted him about reducing the bombing
over the North and what would the results be? a Vietnamese journalist
asked.
Yos, President Thiou responded, President Jo Johnson he
we will.
had consulted the Vietnamese government two days before making his
speech, the Vietnamese government had agreed to the move to its good
The Vietnamese government policy had long boon for poaco.
But, in for the benefit of his countrymen who value strength,
Thieu pointed out that the bombing red doescalation did not indicate
weakness on the part of the Allies, bug but was intended to show the
good will their good will in bringing both belligerents together.
He reminded the press that the last bombing pause during Tet
had only brought Communist offensive into the cities.
Now
"This is the last time we want to do this (a bombing pause),"
Thieu said. "Although North Vietnam is the aggressor,
we want to show
our good will to move towards peace....I would like to reitorate,
this is the last time we want to show our good will to North Vietnam."
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2020 906
Vy 1jp
thiou 9 (normoss/doope).
And, he warned, if North Vietnem did not reverse it's stand,
the Allies would be forood to roview all its strategy and tactics.
The Communists want 1968 to be the decisive year and we can not allow the
Communists to have the initiate, he said.
America
Vlotnem?
An American journalists Is there a foar in your mind the
government may seek peace at any price and pull out of
No,
tho President Thieu said, he had no concern "
Но
whatsoever about that because President Johnson and the American government
had often repeated their determination to fight the Communists.
warnod Hanoi not to mistake the Allies good will for weakness nor to
mis-identify the democratic processoss during the election year in the
United States. He pointed out that President Johnson, while coarching
was also sending more American troops to Vietnam and that
for poace,
+
ho had promised to finance and equip moro Vienos Vietnamese troops.
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2020 906
yy 1jp
thiou 10 (normann/deepe)
government,
"I don't see any change in the stand of the American
and I dod don't see any change in the dotormination of
the Americans," he said.
Another American journalist asked if his government could
work with a future American admn administration advott advertising the
policies of Sonator Robert Kennedy.
Thieu evaded the reference to Kennedym Kennedy, but answered
forcefully in gonoral terms.
We are
"I have said many times this is a war of agr aggression by
the Communists in an offort to take over South Vicm. Vietnam.
defending the freed9 freedom not only of Vietnam, but also we are an
S
outpost of freedom for the whole world, The stand of the Vietnamese
government is not to run against out ideals....
BR regarding Vietnam can change,
"The American government can chango; the American policy
but the ideals of the Vietnamose people
and the stand o stand of the Vietnamese government will never change,"
"This is a Vietnae Viotn mos Vietnamese war before
but the
ay anything else; the Allies have born been asked to help,
Vietnamese will take final responsibility and make the main committmont
to the war.
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3050 g
Jy 1jp
2
thiou (normase/deepe)
"To are determined to maintain our stand that the stand of
the Vietnamese people--which is to fight the Communists and not to
"boalonge with the Communists."
President Thieu, using President Johnson's arguments of
another timo-slico,
repeated that the Allied presence in V here was not
merely a presence in Vietnam, bu
Asia,
but alno a prosonde in all of South East
and defering the mainland of Amerios. If the Americans
withdraw from Vietnam they would be desorting the free world, but
Persevece
Vietnam would continue to persorver in fighting the Communists.
Anyway
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zezc sag
yy 1jp
13
thieu
(normass/deepe)
grateful
He
said the Vietnamese people were grately for all the
help they received from their C
especially the lives of the
troops, but in this common fight, if the
American can not contribute
more troops, he would seek help from other Allies--the South Koreans,
Australians,
Thais and Filipinos.
"If we have more troops,
the war will end faster and peace
will come sooner," he said, still alluding to the hope of a military
defeat over the Communists.
About his invitation from President Johnson to visit the
United States, he said he had just received the invitation this morning
and the matter was under consideration.
An American television correspondent
asked President Thieu
to state in English
American for the benefit of American
* Home
to
tv viewers, his attitude towards a coalition government with the
Communists,
especially in the light of President Johnson's prediction
that all South Vietnamese could soon settle their own matters.
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2020 886
yy 1jp
thieu 3 (normass/deepe)
Thieu said his eyes flashing, his hands folded calmly:
"Many times I have stated we will novor accept a coalition
We accept former combattants from the other
government under any form.
to be law-abiding
side who lay down their arms weapons and who come back
citizens. They will have the full rights of Vietnamese citizens.
are already 75,000 who ape accept to do so,
There
because they have seen
clearly the bright future of the Vietnamese people,
I hope the others
still on the other side can soon follow them as soon as possible
for their highest interest of their country."
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zczc sag
yy 1jp
thieu 14 (normass/deepe)
in a givenl
As the world waits for word from Hanoi--and dangles
like an historic pendu pendelum-only President Thieu,
of all the bate combattant RS
has
voiced a strai
not a lone, lonely, course,
OI a fleetin hone
line, if ngg
AN'S Hing
or victory.
(Hank: Appreciate time check on if you're getting my copy
earlier enough. We have so many briefings, I'm filing later than usual.
Your urgent cable about british reaction arrived here noontime.
Losing
Officially,
British reaction regarding President's not s accenting renon renomination:
"This is an American affair." Embassy has had not guidance or instructions
from London on his and are playing it very
cozy and discreet until
they do because of co-chairman Postich with Russia. Like everyone here,
Britis a British also surprised and flabbergasted, I've cancelled
my refugee refugee zeepager idea, but still planning to by go to
Bien Hoa over weekengd weekend.
Regards Bev).
== END Router
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Date
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1968, Apr. 2
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Subject
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Nguyễn, Văn Thiệu, 1923-2001; Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Bombing, Aerial; Vietnam--Foreign relations--United States
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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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B10, 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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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
