A Native Critic on U.S. Role article draft, page 6-7

Item

derivative filename/jpeg

363-04745 to 363-04746.pdf

Digital Object Identifier

363-04745 to 363-04746

Title

A Native Critic on U.S. Role article draft, page 6-7

Description

Article draft about the opinions of Vietnamese citizens towards the American presence in South Vietnam, for the New York Herald Tribune, page 6-7

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

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- Page 1
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BOMBING DILEMMA
IT IS CLEAR THAT THE UNITED STATES CANNOT WIN THIS WAR
WITHOUT BOMBING, BUT IT IS ALSO CLEAR THAT IT IS NOT LIKELY TO WIN
BY BOMB ING ALONE.
ITEM
X-4 (SAIGON)
FYI, FOLLOWING ARE EXCERPTS FROM A BYLINER BY BEVERLY DEEPE
FROM NEWYORKHERALD TRIBUNE, SEPT.5: 1965
A NATIVE CRITIC ON U.S. ROLE
SAIGON "YOU AMERICANS SHOULD NOT BE UNE FLECHE DE PAILLE-A STRAW
ARROW," THE YOUNG VIETNAMESE PROVINCE CHIEF EXPLAINED, CAREFULLY
LIGHTING A FILTER CIGARETTE. "YOU CANNOT BE HAUGHTY AND ARROGANT LIKE
A TURKEY. YOU MUST HELP US TO INCREASE THE PRESTIGE OF THE VIET-
NAMESE GOVERNMENT AND YOU MUST RESPECT VIETNAMESE SOVEREIGNTY."
"YOU AMERICANS MUST WORK SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE VIETNAMESE
GOVERNMENT PEOPLE--BUT THE VIETNAMESE MUST ALWAYS BE IN THE
FOREFRONT, LEADING THE PROJECTS," HE EXPLAINED. "THIS
IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN THE VILLAGES AND HAMLETS WHERE THE PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED BY VIET CONG (COMMUNIST) PROPAGANDA
ABOUT THE EVILS OF THE AMERICANS. THIS IS YOUR OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT
POLICY THAT THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE OVER
SOUTH VIETNAM, BUT ONLY WANTS TO FREE IT FROM THE COMMUNISTS.
"BUT WHAT HAPPENS? IN MY PROVINCE, ALL SORTS OF AMERICANS GO
DIRECTLY TO THE HAMLETS AND VILLAGES--TO PASS OUT BOOKS OR TO
INSPECT A PROJECT--WITHOUT EVEN CONSULTING ME, OR CHECKING IN WITH
LOCAL AUTHORITIES. ONE DAY I WENT TO VISIT A VERY POOR ORPHANAGE IN
MY PROVINCE. I SPOTTED AN AMEICAN WHOM I HAD MET BEFORE.
HE WAS SITTING IN HIS CAR-- AND DIDNT EVEN BOTHER TO GET OUT TO
SAY HELLO. I ASKED HIM WHAT HE WAS DOING THERE --WITHOUT
MY PERMISSION AND WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES
HE WAS OUT THERE. I TOLD HIM GET OUT/EXCLAMAT./ GET OUT/EXCLAMAT./
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- Page 2
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/EXCL. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE HERE/EXCL/ AND HE LEFT.
INNOCENTS
"EVERY ONE KNOWS THE AMERICANS HAVE A BIG HEART AND HAVE THE
VERY BEST INTENTIONS," HE EXPLAINED. "BUT YOU ARE SO INNOCENT.
YOU LIKE TO BE FLATTERED--AND YOU MUST KNOW THE VIETNAMESE ARE THE
NO. 1 FLATTERERS IN THE WORLD.
"YOUR AMERICAN (MILITARY) ADVISORS ARE VERY GOOD MILITARY TECHNIC-
IANS, BUT WE NEED SOME ONE WITH GOO) POLITICAL BRAINS, BECAUSE WE
ARE FIGHTING THE MOST INSIDIOUS, THE MOST POLITICALLY CONSCIOUS
ENEMY OF ALL--THE CLMMUNISTS. BUT THE AMERICANS COME TO VIET NAM
WITH A NEW YORK MIND, OR AN ATLANTA MIND, BUT NOT AN ORIENTAL
MIND.
HE THEN BEGAN TO DISCUSS THE STRATEGIC HOP TAC PROGRAM--THE
AMERICAN-BACKED PROGRAM TO SECURE AND PACIFY THE PROVINCES AROUND
SAIGON.
"THE VIETNAMESE BUDGET RUNS FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER," THE
PROVINCE CHIEF EXPLAINED. "BUT THE AMERICAN BUDGET RUNS FROM JUNE TO
JULY. SO IN THE PROVINCES LAST YEAR, WE DIDN T GET ANY MONEY UNTIL
SEPTEMBER--WHEN THE UNITED STATES APPROPRIATIONS CAME THROUGH. THAT
LEFT ME FROM SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER--THREE MONTHS--TO PACIFY 100
HAMLETS--WHAT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ME A YEAR. IT S IMPOSSIBLE TO DO.
"NOW, IT IS APRIL, AND I VE SUBMITTED MY 1965 PACIFICATION
PROGRAM FOR THE PROVINCE. BUT IT STILL HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED. I M
SUPPOSED TO HAVE TWO REGULAR ARMY BATTALIONS IN MY PROVINCE FOR THE
PACIFICATION WORK-TO CHASE OUT THE VIET CONG BATTALIONS. BUT STILL
I DON T HAVE THEM."
"THEN THERE S THE QUESTION OF JUSTICE. YOU KNOW AN OLD BEGGAR MAN
ON SOCIAL WELFARE GET TWO PIASTRES A DAY FROM THE GOVERNMENT--
THAT S LESS THAN $1 A MONTH. BUT IN THE PROVINCES, WE SPEND 11
PIASTRES A DAY TO FEED THE VIET CONG PRISONERS. OF COURSE,
WE HAVE THE NATIONAL POLICY TO RE-EDUCATE THE VIET CONG--BUT IS THAT
JUSTICE?
ITEM End

Date

1965, Sep. 5

Subject

Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Public opinion--Vietnam (Republic); United States--Relations--Vietnam (Republic); Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Public opinion

Location

Saigon, South Vietnam

Coordinates

10.8231; 106.6311

Container

B4, F6

Format

dispatches

Collection Number

MS 363

Collection Title

Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers

Creator

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