PAGE TWO THE MICHIGAN DAILY TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1967 PAGE TWO TUE MICUIGAN DAILY TUESDAY. JANUARY 10, 1907 Viet Pacification: How Successful? EDITOR'S NOTE: The key word, in South ;Viet Nam is "pacif ica- tion." It means the effort to win t people over to the side of the Sai- gon government, with assurances for their safety. How is it going? '1o find the answers a reporter with five years' experience in Viet Nam, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for his t reporting there, traveled through the country, observing and talking with Americans and Vietnamese at all levels. In this article, first of a series of five, correspondent Peter 1 Arnett analyzes the history of the pacification program, its debits and ; credits. By PETER ARNETTt SAIGON (A') - Priority one in Vietnam today,- as for the past five years, is pacification. This paramount objective has! been overshadowed for years by the bloody battles, the coups d' etat, the political infighting in j Saigon. The sad truth is that pacifica-l tion has been a failure in Viet-w nam, a sorry record of grandiose schemes that collapsed, of money] ill spent, of dissillusionment by1 those with energy and vision who surgents roaming freely through came to Vietnam to help and left the hamlets and villages of the disgusted. countryside. , This failure to gain minimal Pacification is meant to move in progress in pacification has so two ways. It must woo the uncom- angered President Johnson, ac- mitted millions of Vietnamese to cording to well-informed Ameri- the side of Saigon. And it must can sources in Saigon, that he has smash the Communist organiza- threatened to take the whole mul- timillion-dollar program out of the hands of the civilian U.S. mis- sions in Saigon and turn it over to Gen. William C. Westmoreland, commander of American forces. The billions of dollars poured into Vietnam since 1962 have been aimed directly and indirectly at achieving pacification-winning' and holding the allegiance of theI 15 million Vietnamese people. Time has shown that without this allegiance, the Saigon gov- ernment will remain at best a be- leaguered regime, necessarily bol- stered by massive support 'of the United States, permanently im- prisoned in the provincial and dis- trict towns, with Communist in- tion holding sway across much of the countryside and pervading the tiniest aspects of Vietnamese1 rural life.1 For this dual purpose in 1967,1 the Vietnamese government willi commit 560,000 armed men, a to- tal that includes all of the police and paramilitary forces and half the regular army.1 American troops also will beR assigned to various pacificationI projects of differing importance. As the year began, approximately 20 U.S. infantry battalions were1 committed for this purpose, andi the figure is expected to doublei this year.j One of the main roles of these U.S. units will be to handle the regional Viet Cong troops thati operate within province bounda-i ries. American Civilians Aid A force of about 1,500 Ameri- can civilians also will be involved in the pacification and directly re- lated U.S. aid programs The 1967 budget for the Revolu-' tionary Development Program, the name now applied to the pro- gram, is about $77 million. Thet aim will be rehabilitation of =sev- eral hundred hamlets. But hundreds of millions more will be spent in related projects, such as commodity support and providing building and other items. Pacification has gone under many names since the late Presi- dent Ngo Dinh Diem belatedly created his so-called agrovilles in 1959 with the aim of depriving the Viet Cong of rural support. When he agrovilles failed to bring about the social revolution he en- visaged, Diem introduced the stra- tegic hamlets-islands of people forcibly relocated or settlements surrounded by moats and walls. Various New Schemes Then in rapid succession after the fall of Diem came a torrent of new schemes-the "new life" hamlets, the "oil spot" program, rural construction, rural recon- struction, revolutionary develop- ment and, for 1967, the "New So- ciety," an amalgam of the slogans of the Kennedy and Johnson ad- ministrations. The White House is believed to fear that the scores of bloody battlefield victories gained by American troops in the past 18 months might well be in vain un- less measureable progress is made in winning over a large number of the nation's 12,000 hamlets where the Communists get much of their support Only a handful of these can be said to be truly paci- fied as of now. Westmoreland As commander of U.S. forces, Westmoreland reportedly looked like a good bet to President Johnson to wear the extra hat of pacification chief. But the pro- posal was fought on two counts. The civilian U.S. missions had built up over the years a bank of experts and knowledge about paci- fication which, they argued, would flower in a suitable environment. And the mission felt that West- moreland, while leading U.S. troops to victory against main units of the enemy, had failed in his basic mission-that of build- ing the Vietnamese army into a viable fighting force. The need for nearly 400,000 American troops in Vietnam was cited as evidence. Security Lacking Because the Vietnamese army was unable to provide sufficient security to pacification teams, the civilians argued, the programs are doomed to failure. There could be no guarantee of success for Westmoreland in pacification, because in the end he would have to face up to the problem of get- ting the Vietnamese to toe the line. With these arguments, the civil- lan U.S. missions managed a stay of execution. But the possibility of a military takeover of the paci- fication program still exists, and U.S. officials speak about a two- to three-month trial period after which a decision will be made. Something Spectacular , One senior officer commented, . don't know what we have to do in that time, or what we can hope to do. But we have to do some- thing spectacular to stay leading the team here."- That "something spectacular" includes a whole new look at the problems of pacification, and the creation of a powerful pacifica- tion chain of command within the U.S. mission, presided over by Deputy Ambassador William Por- ter and functioning with strong regional chiefs. A Saigon-based brain trust will aid, evaluate and prod field teams of U.S. experts led by men of proven ability. But the streamlining of the American effort is regarded as just a fraction of the problem. The main burden must lie with the Vietnamese, U.S. officials 'ar- gue. "SUPERIOR OFF-BEAT, AND ORIGINAL!'-N.Y. TIMES CO .PYZ'APC, BP ,.M6SMASONl8 3NBRSLYNNRORave SUGGESTED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES Tuesday 7 and 9 AnnArbor, Michigan 210 S. Fifth Avenue 761-9700 ANN ARBOR FRIENDS MEETING For anyone interested in the Society of Friends (Quakers) you are invited to a series 'of Seeker's Meetings scheduled for the following Sunoays: Jan. 15 "Friends' Testimonies and Social Concerns" WALTER SCHEI DER Jan. 22 "The Organization of the Society of Friends HERBERT L. NICHOLS 3:00 P.M.; Friends Meetinghouse, 1420 Hill Street, Ann Arbor 4w 0. NEW MUSICAL TO OPEN AT LYDIA MENDELSSOHN ON JAN. 27 MUSKET, nationally acclaimed musical comedy company; will open on Jan. 27 with OUT OF OUR MINDS; a musical en- tertainment which can't be missed. The show uses the Univer- sity situation as a springboard for two hours of song and dance. There has not been a musical comedy in Ann Arbor quite like this one since the days of the famed Union Opera. OUT OF OUR MINDS is fast-moving, bright entertainment, with a list of songs which touch on the widest variety of musical styles-- from flamenco to popular to rock. 4' Tickets are available at the Lydia Mendelssohn beginning Jan. 13 for Block Sales, and Jan. 16 for Sales. Don't miss the chance to see this great show. box office Individual I ULLR SKI-CLUB MEETING Tonight at 7:15 in Room 3C in the Union. Sign up for CHEAP trip to Mt. Holly this Friday night. Everyone is invited.f UAC MUSKET '67 o TICKETS: @ut Of Our L [' III fHtnbt ATOMIC ENERGY DIVISION PHILLIPS PETROLEUM COMPANY has need at the NATIONAL REACTOR TESTING STATIONz Located near Idaho Falls, Idaho the new musical * Block Sales January 13 ." Individual Sales start January '16 Lydia Mendelssohn Box Office. All Seats $2.50 Performances: Date: Fri.-Sun., Jan. 27-29 Wed.-Sat., Feb. 1-4 Time: Fri. & Sat. Nights 7:00 & 9:30 4 ' 4 &%kM. -'UAO MUSKET HIGHLIGHT A PREVIEW of one of the highlights of this year's original Musket performance of "Out of Our Minds" is shown here being taped at the University Television Center, The television preview will feature taped interviews with student co-authors Charles Troy and Carolyn Delevitt, composer Bruce Fisher, and director Jack Rouse. Plans for the 30-minute television version are not definite, but an airing on state stations is planned before the premiere in Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre Jan. 27. The revue will run through Feb. 4 for 11 performances. FOR I To Clear Up Any CONFUSION caused by a Display Ad which ran on Sun., Jan. 8th, FRATERNITY RUSH Begins Jan. 15 at 1 P.M. CHEMICAL ENGINEERS ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS MECHANICAL ENGINEERS METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS NUCLEAR ENGINEERS PHYSICAL CHEMISTS MATHEMATICIANS PHYSICISTS LYDIA MENDELSSOHN All Other Nights 8:30 S1 .-.- "" "" . 11 i To plan and direct experiments and tests aimed at understanding the behavior of reactors and reactor systems under dynamic conditions. Work in an area where you can enjoy the best in: FISHING HUNTING SKIING JAN. 27-29, FEB. 1-4 CINEMA II presents .Cary Grant Audrey Hepburn in Charade TECHNICOLOR FRIDAY and SATURDAY 50c 7 and 9:15 P.M. Auditorium A, AngellI Hall. I Dial Shows at 1 :00 5-6290 C TODAY 3:00-5:00 7:00-9:00 You caught the 'Pussycat"...Now chase the Fox! PAkAVISION* COLOR by DeLuxe Released thr UNITED APTIATA FRI.-Dean Martin in "MURDERERS' ROW" I Contact your PLACEMENT OFFICE for an interview appointment on January 20, 1967 I_ 1I I DIAL 8-6416 I A1 °IUr. TODAY THIS ONE IS TRULY DIFFERENT! TONY RICHARDSON'S DON'T MISS IT JEANNE MDREAU PANAVISION" 0 STARTING THURSDAY e Claude Giroux Presents. A MA AND A WOMAN I Student or Faculty I.D. Required U. S. Citizenship Required An Equal Opportunity Employer i 4 - £.d - Westvaco... part an parcel of the huge growth in data handling. Growth industries look to Westvaco for leadership in paper, packaging, building materials and chemicals. Want to grow with Westvaco? With over 20 locations to choose from and openings for B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. engineers and scientists; M.B.A.'s; business and liberal arts majors, we've probably got the career combination you seek. Your Placement Office has more detailed information and will arrange an interview with JANUARY 10-15, 1 FESTIVA l OF Jean-Luc "One of these dire the cinema can n exactly the sam Tonight & Tomorrow UNE FEMME EST U (A Woman Is a Woman- 196 One of film's most brilliant exc thematic use of color in Godar tribute to his wife. With John-I Anna Karmna Thursday & Friday ALPHAVILLE "The importance of 'Alphaville not by our conception of its th but by the fact that it exists, h life, occupies its own artistic sp Saturday & Sunday RAkIfL A DAT Tuesday-Sunday Godard ctors after whom ever again be e. UILD I: * WEEK +s ' 4 NE FEMME 1i) amples of Id's film Paul Belmando and She the worldsmost beautifubankrobber! dmetro-goldwyn-mayer presents if~tJlmoda's co-sirring iaiibten&CksUMn e' is defined eme, as ace." A' I I .I