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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-04258 to 363-04264.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-04258 to 363-04264
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Title
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Article about Saigon's opinion on Hanoi-U.S. peace talks
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Description
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Original title: "mood", Keever's title: "Saigon Eager for U.S.-Hanoi Talks to Begin." Article draft about the generally favorable opinion among civilians in Saigon towards peace talks between America and North Vietnam. 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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yy 1jp
mood 1 (normass/deepe)
SAIGON, MAY 7-The increasingly war-worried Saigonese are
counting the seconds before peace talks begin in Paris.
Few expect instant pesco. But they do hope for a brief respite
from the continued low-key, yet fearsome Communice Communist offensive
into the Chinese twin city of Cholon, with saigon city limits, and
on the outskirts of the military-civilian airport.
"We have only two more days to go before Paris talks begin,"
"But maybe the Communists will
one Vietnamese intellectual expl inod.
delay the Paris talks to see the results of this offensive. I suspect
that even if the Communists fail this time, they will try another
push in the cities."
more reuter
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2020 006
yy 1jp
mood 2 (normass/doepo)
Both Vietnamese and Western souces à sources here believe that a
primary objective of the current Communist military thrusts into the
capital--the art most intense urban battlefield thus far in
WAS
the offensive more designed to mesh directly with the beginnings
of the peace talks in Paris. This would be consistent with their
articulated strategy of "fighting while negotiating"-
"The Communists seen to be looking for impact and headlines--making
thom seem stronger as talks get closer--and stronger than they actually
Par0," one informed source explained. "The Communists haven't
actually shown much strength yet, but th we are a fall prisoners of our
experiences and the Communists went to Gonova to negotiate with the French
the day they accepted the surrender of a Dion Bion Phu (in 19 19-40. 1954).
Maybe the offensive was designed to strengthen their hand, but on the surface
they don't seem strong enough."
more router
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zczcs sag
ᎩᎩ ljp
mood 3 (normass/deepe)
Or as a Vietnamese military source explained: "I'm sure that the
Communists will seize some district or provin
weak provincial
capitals such as Phuoc Long or Quang Duc along the Cambodian border. But,
what will it mean to them? It won't have the political boom around the
for them to be able to
world during negotiations as it does t
say they have some Communists in the capital."
==more reuter
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Sozo sag
yy 1jp
mood 4 (normass/deepe)
while
Military
Informed sources believe the Amd Allied command has the situation
basically under control at this time, some Vietnamese sources believe
the small-unit Communist activity will continue at least for another
month no matter what happens at the Paris talks. Official sources believe
the next few days before the beginning of the Paris talks-will be the
militarily pivotal ones, with the Communists faced with three choices:
either to reinforce their units now in the city, to withdraw their
units or to run the risk of losing them. But, Vietnamese sources see
as a fourth alternative-and a growing reality--that the Communists
have de-escalated their larger units into roving bands of three to six
men, which are capable to carrying on sniping, harrassing, and if equipped,
high-impact mortaring on se selected targets at will for a long duration.
more reuter
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zcze sag
yy 1jp
mood 5 (normass/deepe)
"Militarily,
it's really not significant for the Communists to drop
indiscrimate mortar and artillery rounds into the city," one informed
source explained. "But, it does have a high psychological impact to
terrify the people, as do these sniper teams they have placed on the
some of the high buildings in Cholon."
on
The sniper teams have been rather ses successful in grazing down
Vie Amese
jeeps-ful of police police officials and of military officers,
reliable sources report. One senior V Vietnamese police official
was gunned down in his jeep by the sniper teams in Cholon, not far from
the area where four Western journalists were killed on the first day of
the offensive,
last Sunday.
==more reuter
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zC2c sag
yy 1jp
mood 6 (normass/deepe)
how
Informed sources refuse to estimate many Communists in organized
00
units are currently in the city.
80 already seems out of date.
272
A preliminary estimate made Monday,
However, these sources say that
two battalions of the Regiment of the Viet Cong Ninth Division,
which is heavily honeycombed with North Vietnamese
replacements,
known to be fighting in north of the Phu Tho racetrack and south of the
outer perimeter of Tan Son Nhut airbase.
are
At least one battalion of the U. S. Army 199th Brigade was sent Tuesday
to reinforce Vietnamese troops in the area. The American Brigade was the
same unit sent to the same racetrack area during the Tet offensive.
American helicopter gun ships
For more than twelve hes hours,
raked and rocketed the outer periphery of a canal leading from Long An
province into Cholon, where as significant number of Communists had
been sited. The helicopter rocket and machinegun runs began at 3:30
in the morning--which sent Saigonese tossing in their beds ad or running
to their boy balconies--and twelve hours later a tornado-shaped smoke
ascended from the area and hovered over Cholon.
cloud
==more reuter
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2020 sag
yy 1jp
mood 7 (normass/deepe)
tom MORROW
I'll try to give you a long political appraisal, with
(Hank:
human interest too,
Have you run the women's piece
sent last week? If not, I can update it with inserts about Communist
women during this offensive.
Also,
I
understand you can transmit
service messages to me via Reuters
and they'll telephone me, which I suggest using since will be faster
than through
commercial channels.
Cholon looks as tho
it will be a hot area for at least a week. Any chance of the Cholon zeepager
by the Columbia professor?
Regards Bev).
=end reuter
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Date
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1968, May 7
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Subject
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Peace; Vietnam--Foreign relations--United States; Mặt trận dân tộc giải phóng miền nam Việt Nam; Vietnam (Democratic Republic); Vietnam (Republic); Public opinion
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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, F26
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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
