WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 195$
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGE TIME
WENSAFBUR ,98TH IHGNDIYG HE
Communist
Drive
ay
Put
U.S.
on
Defensive
By PETER ARNETT
Associated Press News Analysis
SAIGON (A') - The allied mili-
tary posturesin Vietnam has been
challenged by tloe unexpected
turbulence of the Communists'
winter-spring offensive.
The most experienced observers
see a major reassessment of tac-
tics forced upon the U.S. military
high conimand, particularly in
view of the now proven vulner-
ability of major population cen-
ters and administrative headquar-
ters.
These observers believe that
great gaps have been exposed in
the allied military stance since
the Communists began the offen-
sive with major actions near Laos
and Cambodia last October and
November, and followed these up
with the attacks that culminated
in action against 35 population
centers in the past week.
Unless these gaps are plugged,
it looks as if the Communist bat-
talions will be able to return any
time they wish to harass the
cities and major -towns. As some
see it, this prospect might well
break the will of a people sub-
jected to war for 20 years.
Late in December Gen. William
C. Westmoreland said: "The best
measure of progress is the im-
proved attitude of the people.
They have an attitude of optim-
ism. Everywhere I go I note a
feeling of encouragement."
Optimism and encouragement
are not apparent amongst the
population this week. Scores of
thousands have fled from their
homes.
The experienced observers, in-
cluding some senior U.S. military
officers, see these weaknesses ex-
posed in the allied military pos-
ture in recent months:
1. Enemy capability was under-
estimated, particularly concern-
ing the Viet Cong forces who
draw recruits from South Viet-
nam's population.
Several U.S. advisers in the Me-
kong delta area said privately
the Viet Cong were powerful
enough to overrun government
forces. This past week the delta
was terribly mauled.
2. Allied intelligence, often de-
pendent on reports from the
South Vietnamese, is inadequate.
While there were some warnings
forecasting last week's onslaughts,
these did not anticipate that the
Communists without widespread
detection could mass 60,000 troops
inside and at the fringes of major
towns. The lunar new year truce
was canceled only in the north-
ernmost 1st Corps.
The director of the U.S. Com-
mand's combat center, Brig. Gen.
John Chaisson, has credited the
enemy with "having engineered
and planned a very successful of-
fensive in its initial phases, sur-
prisingly well coordinated."
3. The ability of the South
Vietnamese armed forces is again
in question.
"If this shows anything, it
shows that you just can't fight a
revolutionary war by keeping of-
fice hours," one observer com-
mented, in reference to the reluc-
tance of most Vietnamese units
to fight a seven day week.
4. The Viet Cong infrastructure
in Saigon must be regarded as
more powerful than ever before,
despite claims that it was being
gradually destroyed.
With the clandestine Commu-
nist movement operating so ef-
ficiently in the capital city, hopes
have been dashed that any real
progress has been made in the
towns and hamlets in the coun-
tryside.
The pacification program ap-
pears set back indefinitely in view
of its major objective: the se-
curity and economic development
of the population.
This has been a key aim. From
President Johnson down, leaders
in the allied effort have made it
clear for years that the Vietnam
war involved not only military
moves but also "the other war,"
,the promotion of safety and sta-
bility among the people.
By last December the U.S. Em-
bassy, citing computer analyses,
was saying that two thirds of
South Vietnam's 17 million peo-
ple were living in secure areas
controlled by the government.
But traffic hasn't been able to
even leave Saigon for the past
week, and the cities en route are
full of danger. .
One field chief said: "Now that
the war is so big, it is ridiculous
to hope that a handful of men
can or will protect their remote
homes. A Communist battalion
can walk through any pacifica-
tion area in the whole country."
What of the picture over all?
What can the U.S. Command be
expected to do to counter the ef-
fects of this recent Communist
offensive, at a time when the
enemy's main force units are yet
to be destroyed and the record of
pacification is so clouded?
While Westmoreland's head-
quarters declines to discuss what
may be done, he has often re-
ferred to the American military
posture here as "defensive in
strategy, offensive in tactics."
If fighting continues to be re-
stricted to South Vietnam he may
have no choice but to pursue a
defensive strategy.
He may have to change tac-
tics, to bring his forces closer
into the provincial towns and
cities. Already many of the 35
population centers that came un-
der attack are partly defended by
U.S. marines and infantry. It is
possible that only American forces
with their endurance, firepower
and mobility can provide the kind
of defense that a city like Sai-
gon needs 24 hours a day.
* . oreans Rap
Talks on Pueblo
SEOUL (P) - The tempo of of- crisis. They followed closely a
ficial protest against secret U.S. protest note Premier Chung II
negotiations with the North Ko- kwon handed U.S. Ambassador
reans for the return of the USS William J. Porter on the secret
Pueblo increased yesterday night. talks.
The National -Assembly adopted a The assembly's resolution in-
resolution expressing "national sisted that the recent attempt by
indignation" at the negotiations. North Korean commandos to as-
Park Choon Kyoo, chairman of sassinate \President Chung Hee
the Foreign Affairs Committee, Park was more important to
told the assembly that South Ko- South Korea than North Korea's
rea was being shut out of the seizure of the Pueblo, a communi-
talks at the armistice town of cations ship.
Panmunjom on subjects of vital 'Punitive Measures'
concern to the country. The assembly resolution asked
Chairman Park's remarks and the government to take "punitive
the assembly's action reflected measures, if necessary alone,
growing government concern over against Communist provocations
the U.S. handling of the current such as the attempt to assassin-
ate Park."
It suggested that "military re-
SCourtF1i es prisals would be the best mea-
sures" since North Koreans "do
not stick to diplomatic agree-
N..Strike menu.,"
N .Y . One legislator explained that
South Korea feared the United
States might sacrifice,this coun-
ni n Leader try's interests for U.S. global in-
terests.
NEW YORK (R) - The leader Indignant Reaction
of a five day sanitation men's Indignant South Koreans say
strike was sentenced to 15 days the United States did not react
in jail yesterday for defying a forcefully when the attempt on
court's back to work order and Park's life was made Jan. 21 but
9,llowing 40,000 tons of garbage it alerted all South Korean and
to pile up in New York City U.S. forces when the Pueblo was
streets-enough to fill a freight captured two days later.
train nearly nine miles long. The South Korean forces re-
"Employes cannot strike against main under the U.N. Command
the government," State Supreme that fought the Korean War, and
Court Justice Saul S. Streit told this is another point of irritation.
John DeLury, president of the Remove Army?
striking Uniformed Sanitation- The protest note to the United
men's Association, an affiliate of States and the assembly resolu-
the Teamsters.Union.tion both contained a hint that
DeLury also was fined a maxi- South Korea might remove its
mum $250 under the state's Tay- 560,000 man army from U.N. con-
lor law, which prohibits strikes of trol to meet any North Korean
municipal employes. d threat. South Korea also has 40,-
The union head was allowed his 000 men fighting in Vietnam, and
freedom overnight and his lawyer there have been some reports
said DeLury will begin serving there migh be wtda o
his contempt of court sentence fight at home.
Today.gm
Streit continued until today con- Abou Protest Leaflets
charge agaist thbunio 60 students, joined by
tempt 200aoges apersons, emonstratn
itself. A maximum fine of up to in front of the U.S. Embassy and
$10,000 a day against a union isi
provided under the state's Tay- handed out leaflets protesting
for law, which works out to $1 per American handling of the current,
. day for each sanitation man: crisis. Then late in the afternoon,
It was the second crackdown in peared at the embassy with more
four months on union leaders about a dozen students reap-
who have ignored the law, which leaflets.
took effect last Sept. 1. The leaflets demanded U.S. re-
The city's 10,000 sanitation men taliation against the capture of
struck last Friday in a demand the Pueblo 'and the attempt on
for a $600 a year increase in an- Park's life, an end to the secret
nual salaries that range from $6,- Panmunjom talks aimed at re-
424 to $7,956 after three years. leasing the Pueblo's 83 crewmen,
A mediation panel recommended and modernization of the Korean
$400 a year. armed forces.
Knudsen WALLACE, KENNEDY REJECTED:
fpF~~t : . Takes fiord' Wisconsin Primary Includes
Presidenc y 6 Republicans, .2 Democrats
Former GAI Leader
To Replace Miller
In Unforseen Shift
DETROIT ()-Semon E. Knud-
sen, who resigned last week as
'number four' man at General
Motors after being passed over
for the presidency, yesterday was
named president of Ford Motor
Co., GM's major competitor.
Making room for Knudsen,
former President Arjay Miller was
shifted to the newly created post
of vice chairman of Ford's board
of directors.
Knudsen, son of a former GM
president, also was named a di-
rector an a member of the Ford
executive committee.
Surprise Announcement
The surprise announcement
was made by Henry Ford II,
chairman and chief executive of-
ficer of the company founded by
his grandfather.
Knudsen when he stepped out
at GM was an executive vice pres-
ident in charge of overseas and
MADISON, Wis. (A')-The names
of President Johnson and seven
others were selected yesterday for
Wisconsin's April 2 presidential
preference primary ballot by a bi-
partisan nominating committee.
On split votes, the committee
defeated attempts to place the
names of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy
of New York and former Gov.
George Wallace of Alabama in the
Democratic primary with John-
son.
Johnson and Sen. Eugene Mc-
Carthy of Minnesota were unani-
mously named to the ballot as were
six Republicans.
The eight candidates, unless
they filed affidavits that they are
not and do not intend to become
candidates for the presidency,
would be listed on the ballot.
Candidates
Republicans named were: former
I Vice President Richard M. Nixon,
Sen. Charles Percy of Illinois, Cali-
fornia Gov. Ronald Reagan, New
York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller,
Michigan Gov. George Romney,
and former Minnesota Gov. Harold
Under the law, voters will have
an opportunity to vote for any of
the candidates listed, write in their
own candidates, or vote against all
of the candidate listed on either
the Republican or Democratic bal-
lots.
The attempt to nominate Ken-
nedy was defeated 5-4. Supporters
for Wallace's name lost 6-3.
George Wallace, who has said
many times he would run for pres-
ident unless the major parties
"give the people a choice," is ex-
pected to announce tomorrow that
he is a candidate.
New Conference
The former governor will have
a news conference in Washington
tat 9 a.m. Thursday to make known
"his intentions regarding the 1968
presidential campaign," his head-
quarters said yesterday.
Even as the news. conference
was being arranged, members of
the former governor's staff were
in Pennsylvania for a drive to get
his name on the presidential ballot
there in November as a third party
candidate.
Wallace has already won a place
on the California ballot, and sim-
ilar efforts are under way in other
states. More than a dozen lawyers
have fanned out across the nation
to findout the legal requirements
for gaining ballot position in one
state after another.
The name of Robert Kennedy
was proposed by Republican State
Sen. Robert Knowles, a brother of
Gov. Warren P. Knowles.
Democratic state chairman Rich-
man Cudahy protested that Ken-
nedy had no campaign committee
working for his candidacy and had
not announced for the White
House.
Kennedy's office said he had no
comment.
FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT Richard M. Nixon made his first
major speech in Wisconsin last night since formally entering the
presidential race.
REVENGE ATTEMPT:
Soviets Fear New
Syria-Israel Crisis
MOSCOW (P) - Soviet officials these sources, 'is a bitter hatred
are worried that Syria might by Syrian leaders of Egyptian
make a desperate try for revenge President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
on Israel this spring, creating the These leaders are pictured as cal-
danger of another Middle East culating that even another Arab
war. failure to defeat Israel in a
April is being mentioned in in- Syrian sparked new Middle East
formed Soviet circles as the time war would be worth while be-
Syria might be ready to do some- cause it might cause Nasser's
thing rash. ouster.
'TONIC
Canadian operations and all do- Stassen.
mestic nonautomotive and defense Of the sik, only Nixon, Romney
divisions. and Stassen are declared candi-
Stock Holder dates for the GOP presidential
Knudsen was one of GM's big- nomination.
gest stock holders.\As of last May Soon after the committee action
he held 42,507 shares, worth more was announced, Rockefeller said
than $3.3 million at current mar- at Albany that it was an "embar-
ket values. It was not immediately rassment" because he is supporting
clear what disposition would be Romney. The New York governor
made of the GM stock but indus- said he would sign a disclaimer
try speculation was that he prob- to remove his name from the Wis-
ably would dispose of his hold- consin ballot as soon as he is
ings - perhaps trading them for officially notified.
Ford stock. No Campaign
Knudsen walked out at GM last Reagan, who had said previously
Wednesday, saying he was leav- he would not campaign in Wiscon-
ing for personal reasons. It was sin, said he would not change his
no secret that Knudsen had been stand.
disappointed last fall when Ed- At Washington, Percy said he
ward N. Cole was named GM would "respectfully but firmly" file
president as James Roche moved the affidavit needed to take his
up to chairman. name off the ballot.
Wisconsin's primary law makes
no 'provision for third party can-
70NIGHT at didates.j
A NIGHT
BUSTER
KEATON
NEVER
WEAKEN
OF(
;HT
COMEDY !!!
THE
NAVIGATOR
HAROLD
LLOYD
7:00 & 9:05 P.M.
The high ranking Soviet sourcesj
who gave this information yes-t
terday indicated the Soviet Un-
ion wants to restrain Syria. Butt
the informants expressed doubt
Moscow has enough leverage in
Damascus.
Syria has refused repeatedly to
subscribe to the Soviet public po-
sition that political means-rath-
er than military force - should
be used to eliminate the results
of last June's war. Syria also has
rejected U.N. efforts for peace.
Leftist Syria, which is armed,
advised and aided by the Soviet,
Union, follows Soviet suggestionsI
on economic policy. It echoes
Kremlin views on most aspects of
world affairs, except those con-
cerning Israel.
As interpreted by informed So-
viets, the Syrian hatred for Is-
rael is so irrational that it can
lead to suicidal attempts at re-
venge.
Another factor, according to
If another war should break
out, the Soviet Union has no more
intention of risking a nuclear
confrontation with the United
States than it did last time, the
sources said. The Middle East is
not regarded as vital enough to
basic Soviet interests to be worth
global destruction.
t~Tt
/
ARCHITECTURE
AUDITORIUM
7
NOW ONL
G I
.Y IC
HOOT
* Bring your guitars, banjos or just come and
sing along. Entertainment from 8 P.M.-12 P.M. Grady
uck, Chr istopher & Sara, Dave Siglin and other
fr'ends of The Ark
)inursday-PAP presents Readings in 'Pataphysics'
--with songs by Camp, music by Peter Griffith
and Robert Morris. "The PAP has nothing to con- 1421 Hill St.
tribute to the Ann Arbor cultural environment." 8:30 P.M.
-S. Richardson.
Friday-VINCE SADVSKY-singing blues, folk, and
folk-rock music, playing 6 & 12 string guitar-and
PAULA STONE-singing blues and ballads, playing
g:uitar.
Saturday-PAMELA AND MICHAEL-original, pop-
ular, and traditional folk music for voice, guitar,
and harp.
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UNIVERSITY PLAYERS
DEPT. OF SPEECH
Wednesday-Saturday
February 7-10
8 P.M.
LYDIA MENDELSON
THEATRE
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PERSONAL
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TO: YOU
"It ain't no use
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I
cause we are caught
in the flypaper of life."
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