SDAY, Jt tNE "25, 1964
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
THURSDAY, JUNE '25, 1964 THE MICHIGAN DAILY
U.S. Speeds Viet Plans; Asia Stirred
World News Roundup
Government
Views Air,
Offensives
WASHINGTON (A)-The United
States is speeding up planning for
strikes by the South Vietnamese
air force against Communist sup-
ply bases in Laos and North Viet
Nam and infiltration routes lead-
ing from Laos.
The possibility of such a move,
it was learned yesterday, figures
high in official thinking. Also un,
der study is using this country's
overwhelming advantage in air
power before committing any
United States ground combat
troops in Southeast Asia.
This "escalation" of United
States preksures against the Com-
munists may come into play if the
North iVetnamese and Communist
Chinese persist in pushing insurg-
ency in South Viet Nam and Laos.
Reinforcements
United States officials also are'
considering sending another 500 to
600 of the Army's anti-guerrilla
special forces to South Viet Nam.,
Any across-the-border opera-
tions by the South Vietnamese
would be undertaken only if Maj.
Gen. Nguyen Khanh, South Viet
Nam's strongman, felt he had a
secure home base, authorities said.
Since last February, the United
States has been trying to get
across to the North Viet Nam and
Chinese Communists that they risk
an armed clash with the United
States if they don't stop support-
ing aggression against weaker
Southeast Asian nations.1
No Soviet Support
Some officials believe a recent
Russian warning to Communist
China that the Chinese no longer
could be assured of the Soviet
Union's support in a fight was the
result of -the United States atti-
tude.
S far the increase in United
States involvement has been lim-
ited chiefly to photo reconnais-
sance flights over Laos, fighter
escorts for those flights, and one
known United States P-100 fight-
er-bomber strike at Communist
gun positions on Laos' Plaine des
Jarres.
If another turn of the screw is
needed, it evidently will come in
the form of South Vietnamese air
force attacks against the Lao-
tian panhandle where the Com-
munist Viet Cong have supply
bases such' as Tchepone, only 20
miles from South Viet Nam.
Net of Trails
Other strikes might be direct-
ed at a network of trails leading
from Communist, North Viet Nam
through Laos into South Viet Nam.
These trails have been a main
reinforcement and supply route
for the guerrillas who have kept
South Viet Nam in turmoil for
years.
And, if necessary, the South Vi-
etnamese air force might strike
supply rand communications routes
and centers in North Viet Nam.
These attacks would be mount-
ed by United States-trained pilots
flying skyralder dive bombers,
South Met Nam now has about 50
of these former United States
Navy planes and the United States
is in the process of providing an-
other 100.
Skyraiders have a combat ra-
dius of 1500 miles and can carry
up to 12,000 pounds of bombs.
Taylor in Charge: War Near?
SAIGON ()-America appears
to be facing its closest approach
to a general war in Asia since the
close of hostilities in Korea in
1953.
President Lyndon B. Johnson
has appointed his highest rank-
ing soldier to take charge in the
hottest of the Asian hot spots-
South Viet Nam. Gen. Maxwell D.-
Taylor knows his way around in
these parts, both in uniform and
in dinner clothes. Taylor will be
arriving in civilian clothes this
time. But there is no doubt he is
coming primarily to head a war ef-
fort that could lead to a head-
on collision with Peking or even
Moscow.
It seems unlikely that Taylor's
appointment will result in major
immediate changes in the bal-
ance and organization of Ameri-
ca's support efforts here.
Since 1961, the involvement of
American manpower in Viet Nam'
has been overwhelmingly military
-especially at the working level,
in the field.
Small Increases
With some small anticipated in-
creases, United States civilian
field workers will number a little
over 200 men and women. Of
these, roughly 150 are field repre-
sentatives of the. United States
aid mission, charged not only with
distributing aid locally but with
pursuing political, social and edu-
cational projects at the rice-roots
level.
Another 50 or so American field
workers come from the United
States Information Agency and
the Central Intelligence Agency.
On the military side roughly
10,000 of the 16,000 United States
servicemen are in the field. Be-
sides advising the Vietnamese in
military matters, they work closely
with Vietnamese rural officials in
civil matters.
' Intelligence, Aid
Psychological warfare, military
intelligence and even some forms
of direct civilian aid are handled
by military men.
There are no immediate pros-
pects for increasing the number
of United States servicemen here.
A United States military spokes-
man explained yesterday:
"We have enough people here
now to fulfill the mission assigned
to us. Of course, if that mission
should change, the whole picture
would change."
He was referring to a possible
general escalation of the.United
States military involvement.-
Coordinator
The significance of Taylor's job
appears to be in that context.
As coordinator of the entire Amer-
ican effort here, he could take
over instantly as commander of
the Vietnamese theater if a major
war should develop,
Taylor follows Henry Cabot
Lodgeinn a pattern established by
President John F. Kennedy. Ken-
nedy decided during the crisis here
last summer that the job of am-
bassador should be considered a
top job.
Bt Taylor will face a different
set of problems. ,
Lodge arrived 10 months ago to
find a nation in revolt. Buddhist
and political opposition to Ngo
Dinh Diem had reached the point
at which the war against the Viet
Cong guerrillas was virtually for-
gotten.
Lodge had to deal with a gov-
ernment that had become out-
spokenly anti-American, more con-
cerned with demonstrating its au-
. I
tonomy than with working on
ioint plans.
J~lltr llll.
was
Lodge's immediate problem
the political crisis in Saigon.
President Diem and his strong-
man brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, were
overthrown and slain. A - new
strongman, Maj. Gen. Nguyen
Khanh, emerged from the chaos
to seize command.
South Viet Nam now has what
appears to be an increasingly sta-
ble military dictatorship. Khanh
has promised to hold tight to the
reigns of power. He has shown
an all-out willingness to cooper-
ate with his American allies. Re-
lations between the Saigon gov-
ernment and Washington have not
been so good in years. American
officials have great faith in
Khanh.
But the Viet Cong has made
steady advances. It has opened a
dangerous new offensive in Laos,
and has scored important diplo-
matic points in neighboring Cam-
bodia. Washington apparently has
decided the time for a showdown
may be at hand with what it re-
gards as the two biggest trouble
makers in Southeast Asia-Com-
knunist China and North Viet
Nam.
No Joint Command
Ranking American and Vietna-
mese officials have for the time
being discounted the idea of a joint
Vietnamese - American military
command. But Premier Khanh
said recently this question would;
have to be reexamined if the sit-
uation changed.
He was talking about a general
war. If such a war developed,
Khanh and Taylor presumably;
w buld become co-commanders.
Taylor comes with the knowl-
edge that Washington is prob-
ably even willing to go to war
with Communist China itself. This
knowledge is likely to end many of
the restrictions on American serv-
icemen here.
Over All Chief
In a general way, Taylor is ex-
pected to serve as over-all oom-
mander of a coordinated military
and civilian establishment, with no
clear line of distinction between
them.
U. Alexis Johnson will be head.
of civilian and political functions,
while Lt. Gen. William C. West-
moreland will head the military
establishment.
Taylor's relations with his
American team and his Vietna-
mese counterparts are likely to
be the point.
In 1961 he came here as a spe-I
cial fact-finder for President Ken-
nedy. At a point near the Laotian
frontier, Taylor was told that a
certain number of Communist in-
filtrators had crossed the line on
a certain night.
"Why didn't you shoot them in-
stead of counting them?" he ask-
Khanh Hails'
New Moves;
China Scoffs
SAIGON (UP)-Maj. Gen. Nguyen
Khanh, readily endorsing the shift
in United States ambassadors, said
yesterday the crucial hour in
South Viet Nam's anti-Communist
war is at hand.
"The free world countries are
right at our side," the strongman
premier told his people in a speech
at Rach Gia, on the Gulf of
Thailand, "and if necessary will
tackle the problem of Communism
right at its roots ..."
In Moscow the Soviet govern-
ment newspaper Izvestia had this
explanation for. the new assign-
ment of Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor
as ambassador: American plans in
Viet Nam are failing.
Tokyo newspaper editorials ex-
pressed concern. The Daily Yo-
miuri said "if the United States
is going to intensify military in-
tervention and would bomb Ha-
noi, there is fully the possibility
of Chinese Communist 'volun-
teers' going to North Viet Nam."
In Hong Kong, various papers
predicted the United States will
increase its military activities in
Southeast Asia.
Radio Peking broadcast a charge
by Communist China's deputy pre-
mier, Chen Yi, that the United
States is contributing to an, in-
creasingly grave situation through
aerial operations against the pro-
Communist Pathet Lao in Laos
and "preparation for new military
adventures in Southern Viet Nam."
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The Senatef
beat back yesterday a last-min-t
ute effort to slash by 10 per centr
the $2.67-billion "Apollo Project"r
for putting a man on the moon. I
* * *
WASHINGTON -- The United
States and the Soviet Union are
discussing desalinization of seas
water, President Lyndon B. John-r
son announced Tuesday. A meet-I
ing of United States and Soviet1
scientists is scheduled for July )
14 and 15 in Washington to goc
over the possibilities of makingi
sea water drinkable, including ther
use of nuclear power.k
WASHINGTON - Atty. Gen.
Robert F. Kennedy began a sen-
timental mission to Germany last
night on the heels of his an-
nouncement that he would not
<seek the Democratic senatorial
nomination in New York.
* * *
WASHINGTON - A Pentagon
spokesman yesterday refused com-
ment on a published report that
Lt. Gen. William C. Westmore-
land, the new U.S. commander in
Viet Nam, has been given the ad-
ditional assignment to oversee civ-
il as well as military pacification
programs in three provinces which
border Saigon.
The New York Times had re
ported Tuesday that Westmore
land had been given the assign
ment in a reorganization of th
American military and civilian ad
visory mission to Viet Nan which
would greatly increase the re
sponsibilities of the United State
Military Assistance Command.
NEW YORK-The stock marke
made its best gain in a montl
yesterday as the Dow-Jones 65
industrial average was up 4.31 t
827. Twenty rails were up 1.98
15 utilities were up .53 and 6
stocks were up 1.78.
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Vietnam Policy Uncertain
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WASHINGTON (9) - President
Lyndon B. Johnson's tough talk
about stiff-arming the Commu-
nists in Viet Nam and his appoint-
ment of Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor
as ambassador there is doubly
useful to him.
But what the rest of the coun-
try doesn't know-and perhaps
the Johnson administration can't
tell, either-is what the United
States is 'heading int6 in Southeast
Asia.
If 'this country gets directly into,
the fighting there-with a presi-
dential campaign coming up --
there's no way to predict whatI
this will mean to Johnson's chanc-
es for re-election.
Talking Points
But the tough talk and the Tay-
lor appointment will keep the
Communists guessing, if it doesn't
discourage them, and both will
be talking points for Johnson if
the Republicans complain he isn't
showing enough muscle.
Taylor, chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff and therefore this
country's top-ranking military of-
ficer, is credited with being a
tough and brilliant officer.
He succeeds Henry Cabot Lodge
who resigned to come home and
Scranton, he won't have to soft-
pedal hi's criticism.
But if ,Scranton gets the nom-
ination, the Republican Party in
general will be in poor position
to make Viet Nam 'an issue, and
for this reason: Lodge in his let-
ter' of resignation to Johnson
highly praised his Vietnamese pol-
icy.
Thanks Johnson
In that letter Lodge said among
other things:
"My thanks to you for your un-
failing devotion to problems con-
cented with American policy in
Viet Nam, for your guidance, cour-
tesy . . . although in a dangerous
position, the Republic of Viet Nam
is on the right track .. .
"Persistent and patient execu-
tion of existing civil and military
plans will bring victory ..."
American talk about stopping
the Communists from taking over
Southeast Asia has become in-
creasingly tough although how far
the administration is actually will-
ing to go has never been clear.
Johnson told a news conference
Tuesday:'
'No Rashness'
"The United States intends no
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