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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-07365 to 363-07375.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-07365 to 363-07375
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Title
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Fifth article in the "Why Vietnam" series
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Description
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Fifth of a seven article series called "Why Vietnam" analyzing the importance of the Vietnam War in world politics. This article focuses on South Vietnamese government corruption, for the New York Herald Tribune
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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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doope
corico-articlo 5 of? article oorloo
Day 19, 1969
Deco 1
SAICO-The hottest issue in Saigon in noither
bombing flanol, nor Viet Cong terrorion, nor possible
negotiations for poace. It is corruption.
Vietnamose souzooo--gonoralo, majors, captains,
ox-ainisters, ocononisto-cay that corruption is now
rampant and has reached scandalous, unprododonted pro-
portions.
High-placed sources in Saigon-noricon,Vietnamese
and Vestern-argod tighter controls on Vietnamose government
Sundo and on Anoricon aid and goods.
The issue is considered a gift for the Viet Cong
Communiots who promico the workers and peasants justico and
equality. It also has caused friction within the Vietnamese
govoranont and armed forcos. Several voolis ago a low-
ranking Vietnanoco civil sorvant opit on the minister of
Economice because of difforing vicus on the locue; the
civil servant vao fired. A Vietnameco general and an
admiral havo boon suspended on chargoo of corruption.
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doopo
sories-article 5 of 7 article oorloo
Dago 2
Ono high-rankring American official in U.S. Agency
International Development (AID) that 50 percent reportedly
ectionated of American economic add uno unreceipted or
unaccounted for last year. One lou-ocholon American
provincial official said some of the 45 Vietnamese provinces
had not subaltted vouchers for exponituros during the past
three years.
Another official said that "outright corruption
of Anarican fundo onding up in the pockets a of the rich"
vas probably limited to 10 percont-last year this would
hovo boom
One high-raniding Western official angrily explained,
"This is a major American scandal. The way Acoricon-
conorated funds flow of out of this country to Paris-or
bool to Amonica itoolfoll, it makes your hair curl,.
It malos James Bond look: lilo a baby books.
"There are millions and millions of plastres that
to France or go to Ilonk: Kong--and those plastron azo
gonorated by Anoricon add funds. The Fronch have a paying
in Calgon that every tine Anorica increases its add funds
there's a nov hotel on the Champs Elysoo."
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Goopo
corios-articlo 5 of 7 article sorios
page 3
Ho openly reprimanded the Western preso for not
reporting this corlioz. "The Wooton press expos00 all
the sex scandals of Britain and the Bobby Balsor casio0---
why don't you expose this. This is a major Anorican Scandal."
Cho ambassador of another Western cabacay lamented,
"The French atand by, look at what you're doing and giggle."
Amorican aid falls into two broad categorics
military and economic. During past docado was given
to Vietnam through U.S. Military Assistance Program. (map)
This program given guns, annition, mapa, boobs to
Vietnamese apned forces. The original purpose of American
advisors uns to train Vietnamese to use the equipment
"and to Boop track of the equipment, which sometinos took
tho
some doing," one Anoricon captain who worked on Brogram
for two years explained. "So brought in airconditionors
for hospitals--choy ended up in the gonorala bouco; wo
brought in hospital refrigerators to atoro vaccines in.
The vaccinos opoiled and refrigerator wound up in the
gonozale houso."
The second broad category totalling
during
decade in the economie programo administered through the
U.. Agonoy for Intornational Developcont. (USAID).
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doope
cozios-article 5 of 7 article series
Page 4
Ilovovor, of the economie aid program,
753 through the doodlo has boon channeled into the commercial
import program and sales of food-for-pocco program. This
in an outraordinarily complex oyobon in which "vo have
tried to turn American dollars into security," one American
official oxplained. "I'm afraid the aid dooon't show quch
because the occurity basn't boon vozy offective."
It is the this progran, copied after the Harshall
Plan for Europe after World Uar II, that high-glaced sources
in Saigon believe should be re-appraisod.
The commercial import program, plus selling of
American farm susplus goods, callo for the importing of
goods from America or US-authorised countries.. Sbo
Anorican government pays the exporter in dollaro for the
goods; the Vietnanoco importor in Saigon pays the Vietnamese
in piastres. Those Anorican-conerated piactros are thon
put in a special kitty bolonging to the Vietnamoce government
the kitty is called the counterpart fund--and these funds
are primarily used to pay the operating exponoon of the
Vietnamese national armed forcos and to supplonont Viotman's
othor ravennoo.
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doopo
corico-article 5 of 7 article perioo
pace S
She botal amount of paactres badgoted by the
Vietnamese governmont in 1960 van 37.1 billion, but
only 31.5 vao netually opent which created the improcolon
in Gaigon, oven among Vietnamooo ooononioto that "those o
too much money in Saigon. We can not aboomb it all." Moro
than 19 of the 37 billion budgetod voog opont in tho
military budget,. U.S.-gonoratod plastzoo through tho
counterpart Sund accounted for 10.0 billion--or about ono
Chips-of Viotanto budget.
Sho 1965 Vietnamese budget, still under discussion,
is expected to total poro than 45 billion piastros.
Shose are the comments and criticiono which high-
placed sources in Saigon made about the commercial import
program and onles of faca ourplus commodities.
Tirot, according to one Vietnamono oconomist and
os-minister, "economic aid docan't aim at an ocomonio cascot,
but is only in oupport of a military machine." About four-
fifthe of the U.S.-gonorated plastres in 1964 van allocated
in oupport of the Vietnamoco military budget.
Second, the commercial import program, bao onrichod
and enlarged the upper-middle-claca oloconto in Saigon and
other cities, but it has also accentuated the art20000
botwoon tho urban and rural classes. "Ofton you bring in
a whole lot of things for the richer middle class with
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Geopo
cocicsarticle 5 of 7 article corios
Deco G
conspicuouo conouoption and tho Viot Cong can play on
thio, saying it onrichop the middle class and bourgoous,"
one Boctora ambassador explained. Op ao a Voctorn countor-
incungoney export opleinod, Saigon do living on luy
goods while the nation is at war; it chould be on an auctorO
coonogy. Of couroo, you must continue to sustain the
ompenson of the Vietnanoco national army, but not so
everyone up and down the lino con have hip fict in the
port: bazzol."
Fourth, tho rural communities, oopoolally oarlior
in the program, poceived a relatively call proportion of
the commercial import aid. Botuoon Siocal year 1955-60-
uhon the Viet Cong bogan organising and recruiting in the
countryoido-only 4 of the direct and indirect Anorioon
aid vno funneled into the rural population, which in on
octimated 85% of the total population.
Difth, the commercial import program has not
boon geared to apoiot building of industries which funnol
Viotnanoco agricultural producto into the light industrial
coctor. During the critical period of Viet Cong formation
in the countryside, during the yoare 55-60, American
oconomic aid anoloted in the octablishment of 50 companios,
but about 703 of these depended on imported raw materialo;
ovon the papos mille nooded to import intunimink wood pulp..
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*
అంకాకింది యీనికిcle 5 of ? article conte
Page 7
Currently C25 million of tho 050 million used to import
industrial machinery uno allocated for the nochinory in
textile planto, Tot the cotton, rayon and other tostilos
bod to to inposted. Yet at one time in tho late 50o, bo
Vietnamose government encouraged Vietnamco Sarcoma to
produce tobacco, a high-incono crop, for use in the cigaretto
applante in nalgon. Dat then more than 06 బ4224on dollare
worth of American tobacco van duopod on the Vietnamese
parbot--and tho tobacco-govore voro puinod. After 10 yeaso
In Veta, Amoricano ti.12 6200u subber as one of the post
important exposto in the country-cost of it going to Pranco-
but no substantial subbor production factories have boon
ontablicbod in viot Ham.
Bls, the Vietnamese officiale pocognico two lesinde
of corruption; thoro's "dirty dishonoot corruption"-1.0.
taling Vietnamese governgont fundo-but aloo "eloon honest
corruption"gotting accoon to Anomioon-gonorated funds or
cooling Vietnance ofessons for noney for rondering government
బంvicon, Spon the ocunsee of birth covtificate to Sai
of tad moters.
an effective system of padding thois vouchoro and roccdpts.
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doopo
sorios-article 5 of 7 articlo corteo
Dago 0
Poappoco a bridco coato 1000 plaatzoo to build,"
en American district advisor complained. "But the contractor
addo another 200 picotroo and the district chief adds anothor
200 plastros. I can practically soo the money flow into thoir
pookoto, but they give me a receipt for 2000 plastros. What
con I do to disprove thon?"
Ono Vietnasono provinco chiof under the go Dinb
Dion pogine admitted he ordered a fou of his loyal troops to
blow up hin oun bridge that was half-constructed so that
thoy could let another construction contract.
Como Vietnamono regional and regular units aro
Inoun to poo00000 "phanton troops-Croopa that novos existed,
or wazo hillod or docortod but never reported as lost; thoir
paychocks slip into the hands of privileged commanders.
Last wook, loaflota voro printed to oncouzago
Viot Cong troope to return to the government oido. Printing
cost 79,000 plastros, but 250,000 pinotroo had boon allocatod
for the job. The government official oxplained the romaining
two-chiale had to be divided with moooonger boys up to highe
panking civil cosvanto.
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Coopo
corico-article 5 of 7 article oorloo
Dago 9
Sovon, the Vietnanece administrativo poction of
the commercial import program hao at 1000 boon corrupted.
Ono formos Vietnamooo miniator who voskod with Anonicon
foreign aid paid that Viotnanoco importers pay 4-5 plactres
por 1901 for the import liconco. Every time thoro's a coup
or government chako-up, Vietnamono buoinoooon complain thay
will have pay-off a nov miniotor to got it thois import
liconcoo. Victanceco importers are legally allowed fivo
por cont of the import licence to be deposited abroad in a
Soreign account; however, no on induconont to call his
products, the foroien osportor regularly offore an additional,
11local 4-5 por cont listed as "promotion soon or discount"
to bo deposited in hard currency outside of Vietnam.
Ilonco, the program bac allowed the Viotmanoco to build up
foreign accounts of hard ourponey, as a profit for the war.
In addition, Vietnanoco and Wooton couscos complain that
much of var-profito are boing cont abroad, ofthor physically
or in paper transforo, instead of being invootod local
industrios in Viet Nam. Como sourood believe that high-ranking
officials simply carry pinotron to longong in a cuiteaso
(four Anorican onlisted non voro once arrested for acting an
the 300concero); in other casos a paper transfor io made in
which plastron are paid in Baigon and American or Dong Bong
dollaro or Fronch franco aro deposited in a foreign account.
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Googo
sorios-article 5 of 7 article sozio
DOCO 10
Eight, instood of colling goods to the Victo
consusor at the lowest possible cost to boop tho producto
moving, cone businesscon-principally Chinococosmor the
navicot, establish a nonopoly and sell at inflated pricco,
causing a rico in the standard of living. During a ton-day
abortago period, the price of sugar or conont for example
would double.
Dino, the commoncial import program has provontod
lasgo-scale deficit oponding, runaway inflation, paid the
national any and acpistod in the catablishment of poro
than 700 local industrioo. But it boo also allowed tho
Vietnamese government to uno thoir on foreign exchango
for other conounos docendo--and too much of this has boca
channeled into the luxury olooo. The shops along mainctpoet
Saigon are filled with imported choocoa, French perfume,
Japanese sodios, Pronch costume jouelzy and foreign-cado
* 0000 *
Bono of tho00 1tons can be bought by tho
rural peasanto.
Those probleme have boon accentuated by day-toe
day corruption in tho Vietnamese ayaton of 1120. A child
in Drencb-ochool in Calgon-hore cone of ministers and
conorale go if they are not in Franco-000ily pass an
ozan with a 10,000 piactros dopocit under the tablo, "and
if you don't think no, Just look at how many Dronch teachero
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doopo
corico-artiolo 5 of 7 article corico
Dago 11
loave Vietnam and invoot in botolo on the Pronch Rivorin,"
one Vietnamese anti-Communiot explained. Pronoforo to for
Viotnanece battalion commandoro from the sonote provincos
to Saigon cost 50,000 plastzoo. Top 50,000 plastros, a
young con can obtain a certificato that bo's involved in
undercover work for the ministry of Intosios--and io thuo
oxompt from the appy draft. The Ministry hao oignod 1,300
of those certificatoo in zocont voolto. Up to 5,000 plantros
10 siphoned off the allotments for var vidovs, "and to
purvive obo hao to become a prostituto bofozo the first
payment araivos-hich taboo up to ton nonthe," ono
Viotnanoco anti-Communist omplained. "hy ohould hor bruoband
vant to dio unknown in the Jungloo-co hio wife can be a
prostitute?”
Pubat to bollo down to do to have a cocial
revolution or not and eloon up thio government," a Viotnanoco
economist explained. If America io too scared to do it--tho
Communioto will and will win the pooplo. She people want
Justice. They don't care if they have a donocracy or a
dictatorship the government cocoo in with balloto or
balloto. But they want justico-ovon if it is horah.
Who Viet Cong are barch, but they are just."
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Date
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1965, May 19
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Subject
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Strategy; Vietnam (Republic)--Politics and government; Political corruption; Misconduct in office
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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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B5, F8
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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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Collector
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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
