TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1968
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGE' TBREE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1968 THE MICHIGAN DAILY ?AGE THREE
Allies
Assess
Effects
of
Communist
Offensive
14 Mls To DMZ SOUTH
Sosth Boundar IT A
O a ,. Highway~y
.©Marines Fight 4 re'
VOff Attack
VNiethamesenamesA
Diiin mtlratc861 Kiv SNH// LO
By PETER ARNETT
Associated Press News Analysis
SAIGON-What did the Com-
munist high command hope to
achieve in its attacks on 35 South
Vietnamese population and ad-
ministration centers in the first
days of the lunar new year?
To what degree were the ob-
jectives attained and what has
been the impact of the recent
events of the war?
The answers to these questions
and an assessment of the enemy's
intentions in the Khe Sanh bat-
tleground in the northwest, are
being carefully examined and de-
bated in Saigon.
For the first time, the U.S.
Command. seems to be assessing
the Communists as tacticians,
rather than just fanatical hordes
pouring across the border to be-
come cannon fodder for U.S. guns.
Three broad theories are being
put forward as to the Communist
objectives.
The first is that the attacks
were an escalation of the Com-
munist war effort, an obvious ex-
tension of a strategy that climbed
into gear in late 1967 with haras-
sing actions against district towns
that built up into a challenge
against the Vietnamese capital
itself.
This purely military effort was
designed to disrupt temporarily
the allied stance, and parallel con-
tinued fighting along the borders.
This theory would classify the
Communist objective as attained.
The second theory, favored at
this time by U.S. and Vietnamese
official spokesmen, possibly be-
cause it puts the best light on
recent events, declares that the
Communists were counting upon
popular uprisings in the cities
they attacked. The Communists
committeed a gross error of judg-
ment, according to this theory.
The third theory is that the
Communists were intent upon
damaging the prestige of the Sai-
gon government in American eyes.
attempting to show the United
States that the South Vietnamese
government is incapable of de-
fending even its biggest cities,
and that the Communists are the
ones who call the tune in Vietnam.
The adherents. of this theory
see the Communist push as the
first phase of the "final push."
The softening up phase is design-
ed to prove to the United States
that continued support of the
Saigon government would be
doomed to continual failure.
Supporters of this third theory
believe the Communists might well
feel the objective is partly attain-
ed, even though the U.S. Com-
mand would deny it.
A major problem in assessing
Communist objectives is that the
intelligence haul has been poor
in recent days. No high level Red
cadre has been captured, docu-
ments have been vague and out
of date.
The most experienced observers
believe that the Communists
probably included part of each of
the theories in their major objec-
tives and that no one theory
would apply.
There seems little doubt that
the Communist high command
would have welcomed a popular
uprising against the government
in Vietnam's major cities. Many
prisoners have said they were told
that the public could be expected
to aid them.
The Communist offensive ap-
pears to be the first to include an-
nounced military and political as-
pects. In the battle for Dak To
last November, and the earlier
fighting along the demilitarized
zone, the Communists seemed to
be seeking purely military objec-
tives.
The current offensive has ob-
vious political ramifications. The
Communist radios have been ,
broadcasting the formation of "a
unified front for the people, for
democracy and peace," and cre-
ated revolutionary councils in
Saigon and the northern city of
Hue.
Some here believe that the
Communists see in the creation of
this political organization a car-
rot that they can wave in front
of a United States eager to grasp
at anything that will end the
Vietnam war.
To this end, Communist broad-
casts have proclaimed that "Na-
tionalists and Democrats" are
members of the new front enabl-
ing the United States to accept
this organization as a possible
alternative to the Communist
National Liberation Front.
MAP O1 KITE SANH area shows deployment of troops,
recent clashes around Marine base.
J
U.S, South Vietnamese,
.Attack Hue Resistance!
whites Meet To Stem
Orangeburg Boycott
PLAN EXTRA MEETING:
Vance Attempts To Ease
RIft with South Koreans
I
ORANGEBURG, S. C. P) -
The first day of a Negro economic
SAIGON (k)-South Vietnamesez
warplanes pounded the walledt
Citadel of Hue yesterday and U.S.!
Marines and South Vietnameser
troops closed in on the fortressg
for an assault to wipe out the lastk
major pocket of Communist re-I
sistance in the ancient imperiali
city.
The Vietnamese air force took1
advantage of clearing weather tor
bomb and strafe the die-hard
Communist forces that have held
the Citadel for two weeks despitet
South Vietnamese efforts to drive<
them out. U.S. Marine reinforce-{
Thant Seeks
British AidI
To End War2
LONDON (P) - U.N. SecretaryX
General U Thant flew in fromE
Moscow last night seeking Brit-(
ain's help to head off a runawayt
escalation of the Vietnamese warI
apd get peace talks started. I
Thant's stop in London to con-1
fer with Prime Minister Harold
Wilson was the third in a quickly
arranged tour that took him to
India before his call in Moscow.
He will return to New York today.
India's Prime Minister Indirat
Gandhi, according to diplomats
here, assured the secretary gen-
eral of her government's constant
readiness to back any worthwhile
attempt inside or outside theI
$ United Nations for peace talks.f
Nominally, the Vietnamese war
is ,not U.N. business. But as sec-t
retary general, Thant is entitledI
to concern -himself with abouti
any issue that could threatent
world peace.=
Each of the three countries he
has visited at a time of intensi-
fying conflict in Vietnam has a
significant role to play in the
peacemaking and peacekeeping
process.
India presides over the Inter-
national C o n t r o 1 Commission
which is supposed to supervise
peace arrangements throughout'
former Indochina.j
ments were called in and entered
the Citadel for the first time.
The Communist North Vietna-
mese regulars and Viet Cong
guerrillas fired a hail of .50 cali-
ber bullets at the raiding planes.
Communist forces are holding out
in the sbutheast third of the 2%
square mile fortress, once the
home of Vietnamese emperors and
now a pile of ruins.
Widespread Fighting
There were other actions around
the country in the second week
of the Communist offensive, in-
cluding some fighting in the out-
skirts of Saigon.
The Marine base at Khe Sanh,
anticipating a major Communist
attack, received the usual sporadic
enemy shelling.
But the only sustained action
reported was in Hue, 400 miles
northeast of Saigon.
Marines Join Fight
AP correspondent George Mc-
Arthur reported that four com-
panies of U.S. Marines have cross-
ed the Perfume River in landing
craft to join the fight for the Ci-
tadel. An undisclosed number of
Vietnamese marines also have
moved into position to link up
with the Leathernecks and with
South Vietnamese troops who
have been fighting in the walled
fortress since Jan. 31.
Odds in Allies' Favor
The total number of allied
tfoops grouping for the all out
assault was not disclosed but it
was believedthey would greatly
outnumber the enemy force still
holding out there. The Commun-
ists were thought to have the
remnants of an original 2,000 man
fprce still in the Citadel.
On the south side of the river,
the section of Hue where U.S.
Marines have been pushing for-
ward for days, the enemy resis-
tance was reported practically
ended except for isolated inci-
dents involving snipers.
World News
Roundup
MILWAUKEE, Wis. - A con-
troversial Roman Catholic priest
was fined $500 yesterday and
warned that he risked a six
month jail term should his civil
rights work again lead to his ar-
rest.
The Rev. James E. Groppi, the
white cleric who helps lead Mil-
waukee's long running open hous-
ing demonstrations, indicated the
sentence would not stop his ac-
tivities.
WASHINGTON - Under the
impact of the Communist offen-
sive in South Vietnam, Ameri-
cans' support of the U.S. war ef-
fort spurtedfrom 61 per cent in
December to 74 per cent this
month, the Louis Harris poll re-
ported yesterday.
The over all support of the war
was well below the peak of 83
per cent reached last July but
Even the secure area of the boycott prompted businessS
city faced major problems of civic leaders to hold closedd
struggling back to life after al- meetings yesterday and po
most two weeks of severe fighting, sweeping civil rights demand
There still was no electricit or the wake of racial violence..
waterBoestilwasntetrcitso Bankers gathered for pri
water. Bodies lay on the streets, talks on employment prac
and there were fears of disease. and a newly formed biracial c
U.S. planes again attacked sus- mittee met in closed session
pected troop concentrations, gun Boycott in Effect
emplacements, and supply lines in How successful the boycott
support of the Marines at the could not be immediately de
Khe Sanh area in the northwest mined. There were few Neg
corner of South Vietnam. among shoppers in the busi
Moonsoon weather over North district during the day.
Vietnam Sunday limited U.S. pi- More than 600 National Gua
lots to 75 missions, some of them men remained on duty with
against important air installations, tries posted about the campu
but bad weather ruled out most South Carolina State Col
damage assessments. scene of an outburst Thur
g a
T HIHeu Claims Need
For More Troops
MY THO, Vietnam (A') - Pres- tion for pacification teams in
ident Nguyen Van Thieu yester- countryside.
day toured four Mekong Delta In Bac Lieu wher at least
cities hit by the Viet Cong offen- In B r L ieu a lhs
sive and said more U.S. troops are homes burned, Tien said the
needed if the Vietnam war is to Cong "intentionally burned
e ended soon. houses of the people."
"We can hold them, the Com- He said the burning of h
munists," Thieu said, "but to end was an attempt by the Viet C
the war faster is another matter." "to create the impression am
There now are more than 500,000 the people by burning and ati
U.S. troops in South Vietnam. ties that they are stronger t
the national government."
SFive to One Ratio Thieu visited several ref
Thieu said the Communist at- shelters and talked with pro
tacks on population centers n cial officials about their plan
South Vietnam showed that one taking care of the homeless
Viet Cong battalion in a city "de- civilian casualties. Thieu was
mands at least five times as many that there were more than 10
troops on our side to destroy civilians needing relief in the
them." ta, and that more than 1
He said the Communists "can homes had been destroyed.
do that because they have no re- He also was told that 6,33
sponsibilities, they don't have to vilian casualties were recorde
protect roads, bridges and out-w
posts and they don't have to wor- the delta, and that 1,771 of t
ry about hurting people." had died.
Commenting on Thieu's state-
ment in Washington, White House s
press secretary George Christian Wednesday&Thursday
said: "You can properly assume Depart
that the level of forces is always STUDENT LA
under consideration. I don't know
of any discussion for increasing
the authorization of troop levels. THE CAVE
We haven't reached that author- by MJC
ization level yet, We're still some
thousands away from that level." THE BR
He referred to President John- b
son's authorization of 525,000 b
troops for Vietnam. February 14th & 15th
Arena Th
Twelve Hour Tour
On a 12 hour helicopter tour of
the delta cities of Can Tho, My
Tho, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang,
Thieu said the Communists might m eE F
launch a second wave of attacks
But he said the Viet Cong
"could go back to the countryside
and spoil the pacification pro-!+
gram and meanwhile stay around
the cities to fix our troops."
He referred. to a Communist
strategy that would force gov-
ernment troops to guard the P ayer
cities instead of providing protec-
and
door
ender
s in
vate
tices
om-
1.
was
eter-
roes
ness
rds-
sen-
us of
lege,
sday
the
1,000
Viet
the
uses
Cong
nong
,oci-
than
ugee
vin-
s for
and
told
0,000
del-
5,000
0 ci-
d in
hem
night that left three Negroes dead
and 37 injured.
State patrolmen opened fire on
a group of Negroes near the S.C.
State campus. The troopers said'
the Negroes injured one officer
with a brickbat and then started
shooting at the officers, who had
accompanied a fire department
crew to extinguish fires set by,
} the Negroes. The other two killed
were college students Henry
Smith, 18, of Marion, S. C., and
Samuel Hammond, 18, of Fort
Lauderdale, Fla. Smith will be
buried Tuesday at Marion and
Hammond on Wednesday at Fort
Lauderdale.
Colleges Closed
Classes at S.C. State and ad-
joining Claflin College, both pre-
dominantly Negro institutions,
were suspended indefinitely.
About 800 Negroes in a Sunday'
meeting voted for a boycott of
white owned businesses to bring
pressure for racial changes and
immediate withdrawal of the Na-
tional Guard.
The troops were called in to
back up about 200 state police of-
ficers.{
Meanwhile merchants said al
nightly curfew clamped en the
town since Friday night by theI
governor already has taken a
heavy economic toll. Negroes be-
gan their no buying campaign
yesterday. About half the town's
population is Negro.
Request Restitution for Dead
Included in Negro demand;
made Sunday were suspension of
police officers "responsible for the
police brutality" and restitution
by the state to families of the
dead and injured together with
greater integration of jobs in city
Iand county governments and full
scale integration of the schools.
Last week's racial violence cli-
maxed a series of Negro student
demonstrations after a Feb. 5 sit
in at a segregated bowling alley.
A hearing will be held Thursday
in U. S. District Court at Charles-
ton on a Justice Department suit
demanding desegregation of the
bowling alley.
SEOUL (M)-U.S. special en
Cyrus R. Vance had a three h
talk yesterday with Presid
Chung Hee Park and otherI
rean officials aimed at shoring
a rift between the two allies.
Vance scheduled another m
ing with Korean officials tod
the day he was supposed to
turn to Washington, indica
that the talks have not been
tirely smooth.
ivoy A former deputy secretary of
our defense, Vance came here as
dent President Johnson's special envoy
Ko- to deal with the worst crisis since
up the Korean War. Presidential press
secretary Shin Bumshik said
eet- Vance handed Park another let-
day, ter from Johnson.
re- Tension flared Jan. 21 with a
ting 31 man North Korean commande
en- raid aimed at assassinating Park.
It grew to fever pitch two days
Farmers Extend Boycott
In Price Raising Effort
later when North Korean patrol
boats seized the U.S. intelligence
ship Pueblo off the coast of North
Korea.
Since then, the Americans and
North Koreans held a series of
five talks at Panmunjom truce
village on the Pueblo incident
from which both the South Ko-
reans and the Communist Chinese
allies of North Korea were barred.
The talks were expected- to re-
view the U.S. defense posture,
efforts to release the Pueblo crew,
more military aid from the United
States to South Korea and other
American aid.
The U.S. Embassy said only that
the talks include a "free, friendly
and candid exchange of views." A
spokesman for Park said, only
that the meeting was conducted
in a "sincere atmosphere."
The Park government reacted
to Johnson's first letter last
Thursday by saying South Korea's
interests lie in security and de-
fense and not in a one shot appro-
priation for military hardware.
This referred to the $100 million
Johnson is asking Congress to
appropriate in special military as-
sistance to South Korea'
DES MOINES, Iowa (P) - A 35
state grain market boycott by the
National Farmers Organization
(NFO) was extended to meat yes-
terday in the second phase of an
all commodity withholding action
aimed at boosting prices.
The meat embargo was called
one month after the NFO in-
structed its members to hold corn,
oats, wheat, rye, soybeans and
sorghums off the market until
prices reached predetermined
levels.
The final phase of the action, a
milk sales boycott, is planned at
an as yet unscheduled date, said
NFO president Oren Lee Staley.
The organization urged its
members to hold all livestock from
packing houses until prices rise
as much as six cents a pound.
The militant farmer group!
wants cattle prices increased from
26 to 32 cents per pound, hog
prices up from 19 to 23 cents and
sheep from 23 to 29 cents.
The grain boycott was called
Jan. 11. Staley said the meat em-
bargo was timed to hit gains in
grainprices before they reached
a level harmful to' cattlemen in
need of feed.
"We were watching the grain
supply in elevators as we had an-
ticipated doing," said Staley.
"Now we are ready for a holdout
perhaps as long as the 43 days of
the 1964 action."
Prices have risen slightly dur-
ing the grain boycott. Market
specialists say that in addition
to the embargo this is explained
by increased exports, grains stored
under government loan, a big
signup for the 1968 acreage diver-
sion program and the Vietnam
war.
Information For Service Day
Representatives from:
VISTA, The PEACE CORPS,
PAVLA, and Others
wvII discuss their programs
and provide applications
7:00 P.M. Tonight, Feb. 13
NEWMAN CENTER--331 Thompson
SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE
4:10 P.M.
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