https://mediacommons.unl.edu/MediaManager/srvr?mediafile=/MISC/UNL~139~139/1629/363-04795.pdf

Media

Part of Saigon Urges U.S. to Resume Bombing Soon

extracted text

Saigon Urges
U.S. to Resume
Bomhing(Soo~
~

..JC

By Beverly

Deepe

A Special Correspondent

SAIGON.

South Vietnamese Foreign Minister Tran Van Do urged
yesterday that President Johnson resume the bombing of
"Hanoi has to give up its hope to convert South Viet Nam
North Viet Nam "in a! ew day."
by force-and if they don't and want to continue this war,
they will be exposed to heavy damage by bombings," Dd. Do
said in an interview.
He added that "it's up to
them (the Communists) to
choose-we have no choice
but to fight."
Dr. Do, a physician who has
served as Foreign Minister
under three regimes, announced on Dec. 30, at the
beginning of President Johnson's peace campaign, that
the South Vietnamese government opposed a formal ceasefire or unconditional negotiations with the Communists.
Yesterday he denied the
peace offensive had deflated
South Vletne.mese morale, a
contention of,t en expressed 1n
Saigon.
"We understand what the 1
peace move means," the Foreign Minister sa.td. "President
Johnson had to do what he
did . He wants to know exactly
what he has to do this year.
"I! Hanoi accepts to negotiate, then we will have
talks. If Hanoi rejects hi!"
offensive, then he knows he
has to fight. He has to make
up his mind."
But, Dr. Do said, "we can't
afford to stop the bombing
too long, for North Viet Nam
wm use the situation to infiltrate more cadre and to Introduce more arms Into South
Viet Nam."
Dr. Do said his government
demanded that both North
Vietnamese Army cadres and
South Vietnamese guerrillas
withdraw to North Viet Nam.
"We can't negotiate while
the Communists are all over
the country," he said.
"The Americans agree with
us on the withdrawal of the
cadres. . . . An American
official told me it's unthinkable that-during World War II
the Allies should start negotiations when the Germans
still occupied France."
Dr. Do declined to name
the American officials who
gave his government this
guaranty, but well-informed
sources said they were Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge
and former Ambassador Maxwell Taylor.
Although U. S. officials 1n
their public statements have
called !or an end to the 1nflltratiofi; they have not aid
they 1''ere demanding 11. Communist withdrawal prior to
peace talks.