LEST WE FAIL TO REMEMBER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP67B00446R000300170023-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 7, 2003
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: January 14, 1965
• Content Type: OPEN

-1111, Approved For Release 2003/ / : CIA-RDP67B00446ROa0300170023-6
1965 CONGRESS AL RECORD -APPENDIX A147
ern European exports have doubled and
our exports to Japan have tripled. Our
European markets have made possible
a favorable balance of trade of over $3
billion, U.S. wheat and milk donated to
Japan 'in earlier years has contributed
to.making Japan today the single larg-
est consumer of American agricultural
products today.
U.S. aid is so familiarizing the world
with American products and techniques
that it is creating a market which is
potentially four times that of the
Marshall plan countries. As these coun-
tries achieve economic growth and sta-
bility so will demand and purchasing
power for buying U.S. goods.
The President has stated that the role
and responsibilities of the U.S. private
sector in the aid program is growing.
More opportunities will result from the
enactment of the President's request to
expand the existing investment, guaran-
tee programs and the enactment of the
investment tax credit program: At the
same time, the foreign assistance pro-
gram affords many chances for advance-
ment for the private sector in the de-
veloping countries. The program loans
to small business and development and
agricultural credit banks as well as tech-
nical asistance will encourage private
enterprise and provide a favorable cli-
mate for investors from abroad.
These aspects-the expansion of U.S.
exports, earnings from U.S. foreign in-
vestments and acquainting nations with
U.S. goods and services-mean that the
foreign assistance program, contrary to
sol)le popular beliefs, actually contributes
to the long-range improvements in our
balance of payments.
Aside from the benefits to U.S. business
and export, American products have
added new dimensions to the living
standards of developing countries.
U.S. wheat and milk which went
to Japan during assistance days
created a market for additional quanti-
ties of milk, wheat, and corn products
now important nutritional ingredients
to the Japanese diet. U.S. tech-
nology and business enterprise have
appealed to the inventiveness of the de-
veloping countries and by their example
have importantly contributed to better
living standards, future industrialization,
with accompanying job opportunities.
The foreign aid record is particularly
encouraging in light of these facts. It
certifies the prudence of our loan record
and responsibility with which recipient
countries have carried out their agree-
ments. It proves itself a sound invest-
ment for the U.S. business community.
It represents an investment which will
_Increase U.S. exports and further reduce
the U.S.- balance-of-payment deficit.
Most important, it is a sound investment
in creating a world of modern and secure
nations,
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
or
HON. BURT L. TALCOTT
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, January 14, 1965
Mr. TALCOTT. Mr. Speaker, prob-
ably too many American citizens and
leaders fail to remember daily that we
are at war-a dirty, dying, deteriorating
war-in Vietnam.
Some of America's best manhood is
dying each day in Vietnam. We` need to
remember. They need to know why.
More than 18 graduates of the Defense
Language Institute, Monterey branch,
have been killed in Vietnam. This is an
enormous number.
I recently read the following requiem
from the U.S. Air Force Academy stu-
dent magazine, the Talon, of December
1964.
The first Academy cadet to take the
oath of allegiance was killed in Vietnam.
We should remember this outstanding
young man.
On Saturday, October 24, 1964, the U.S. Air
Force Academy lost its first graduate in com-
bat. Not only Was he the first Academy
graduate to be killed under enemy fire, but
he was also the first cadet to take the oath
of allegiance in the first entering class.
Lt. Valmore Bourque took the oath with
the class of 1959, but he graduated with the
class of 1960. His mission while in Vietnam
was combat support in C-123's. His specific
mission on the 24th of October was a resup-
ply drop of high explosive and ammunition
to Special Forces. He was flying lead in a
flight of three C-123's when his ship was hit
by ground fire. Although the other two
planes were hit, they managed to limp home.
Lieutenant Bourque was posthumously pro-
moted to captain and awarded the two high-
est Vietnamese Air Force citations. The
Academy can look with pride on Captain
Bourque's record as an officer. He was an
aircraft commander and was recently made
a mission commander, a great distinction for
so junior an officer.
Captain Bourque's death marked the first
Academy graduate to die in combat. He is
not the first graduate to die, nor will he be
the last to do so under enemy fire. But his
sacrifice epitomizes the sacrifice each and
every cadet voluntarily swears to make upon
entrance into the Academy. Moreover, the
death of Captain Bourque illustrates more
vividly the true mission of the Academy.
This does not include excellence in aca-
demics, physical education, or military train-
ing alone, but rather in a willingness and re-
sponsiveness to give up whatever is neces-
sary, including the life itself, for one's
country.
'While at the Academy we are still a long
step from participation in the mission of the
Air Force. In effect we are training our-
selves-mentally through academics, physi-
cally through athletic programs, and profes-
sionally through military training. However,
often our vision as to where we are going, or
why, is clouded by problems of immediate
concern with regard to academics, physical
education, or military training. To us, Cap-
tain Bourque is not only a symbol of why
we exist, but he represents these characteris-
tics each one of us should try to emulate.
He realized his responsibility; he undertook
the mission in full realization that he might
not return, and he prepared for the untimely
conclusion. In preparation for this assign-
ment to Vietnam, he requested that should
he not return, he would like to be buried
in the Academy cemetery. Our vantage point
of Captain Bourque and what he contributed
to our further development can best be sum-
marized by the somewhat unrenowned phi-
losopher John Berrill:
"I am like a man journeying through a
forest, aware of occasional glints of light
overhead, with recollections of the long trail
I have already traveled, and conscious of
wider spaces ahead. I want to see more
clearly where I have been and where I am
going, and above all, I want to know why
I am where I am ana why I am traveling
at all."
Can anyone in a position of leadership
or authority tell the family of Captain
Bourque "why he was there" or what
the sacrifice of his young life contributed
to the betterment of society. These val-
iant young men may be willing to die
for their country, but should they not
have a purpose?
Long Campaign Breeds Venom
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
HON. JAMES J. DELANEY
OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, January 14, 1965
Mr. DELANEY. Mr. Speaker, I would
like to call to the attention of the Mem-
bers the enclosed article which appeared
in the San Francisco Examiner, Novem-
ber 6, 1964, on the subject of long cam-
paigns. This presents the views of two
outstanding leaders in the Democratic
and Republican Parties-James A. Far-
ley, a former Democratic national chair-
man, now chairman of the board of the
Coca-Cola Export Corp., and Leon-
ard Hall, a former Republican national
chairman-who agree that the length of
a campaign should be given serious con-
sideration.
The article follows:
LONG CAMPAIGN BREEDS VENOM
Two of the Nation's most respected politi-
cians, James A. Farley and Leonard Hall, were
as far apart as the poles in their election posi-
tions. Farley is a former Democratic Party
national chairman, Hall a former Republican
chairman.
But they stood together in advocating
shorter election campaigns. Farley con-
tends that a majority of the people had
made final decisions in the first few days-
or weeks at most-after the national con-
ventions. Hal attributed the campaign ex-
cesses of bad temper and bad taste to pro-
longation of the effort to influence the
voters.
Long election campaigns stem from the
days of slow communications and travel.
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - APPENDIX January 14
Those days are long gone. Now communi-
cations are virtually instantaneous. Physi-
cally, San Francisco is less than 5 hours
from New York.
Most of the venom, hate and calumny of
the 1964 campaign built up through the un-
necessary weeks and months of the contest.
Politicians and candidates said all that
needed saying and then kept on saying it
over and over again, with embellishments.
The more a story is told the farther it gets
from the truth. The inventions, contriv-
ings, exaggerations and misrepresentations
of it political campaign amount to wearing
and wearying boredom for voters. They
change few voters, if any.
The British concentrate their major elec-
tion campaigns into a little more than 2
weeks. These are tense weeks, with con-
troversy, personalities and vilification to
spare. But candidates and voters alike get
in and out of a campaing fast without in-
jury to the democratic process, without risk
of an uninformed electorate and without any
damper on free expression.
We do not propose a 2-week national
election campaign in the United States. We
do propose as do Messrs. Farley and Hall,
that shorter campaigns would take much of
the bad temper and bad taste and much of
the cost in wasted time and money out of our
elections.
The Dedication of the John F. Kennedy
Elementary
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
OF
HON. JAMES A.' BURKE
OF MASSACHUSETTS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, January 14, 1965
Mr. BURKE. Mr. Speaker, it was my
pleasure to be the principle speaker on
Sunday, November 22, 1964, at the dedi-
cation ceremonies of the John F. Ken-
nedy Elementary in Holbrook, Mass. I
presented a flag which had been flown
over the Capitol as well as Senate Docu-
ment No. 59, Memorial Addresses in the
Congress of the United States.
Following are my remarks:
Mr. Chairman, on Friday, November 22,
1963, the assassination of President John
Fitzgerald Kennedy brought shock and grief
to both great and humble people through-
out the world. The inspiration of President
Kennedy's courageous, stirring leadership will
live through the years to strengthen and sus-
tain our great Nation and time will enrich
the greatness of this outstanding American,
who shall always be remembered for his cour-
age and his dedication to freedom, peace, and
the cause of humanity.
How impressive was his magnetic person-
ality, how appealing his alert mind. How
appreciated the lightning of his ready wit.
How admired his lofty ideals, his intrepid
courage, his concern for those unable to
speak for themselves, his inspired battle for
social justice, for equality of right and op-
portunity for the cause of the oppressed.
His determined struggle for peace and order
and a world organized on the rule of law, his
firm resolve to preserve the Integrity and
security of our Nation and the free world, to
uphold the basic moral and ethical principles
of the American way of life.
The name of John Fitzgerald Kennedy will
go down the long unbroken annals of history
like a great gleaming beacon light casting its
warming glow of toleration and justice over
the Nation and the world and showing us,
and generations to come, the way to prosper-
ity and peace.
My friends, rarely in the history of America
has one man blazed his path of glory across
the horizons of this Nation in so short a time
and with such momentous impact as did
John Fitzgerald Kennedy. He was fashioned
of the heroic stuff of which great Americans
are made. Yet we who knew him best can
testify before all the world that here was
a man of gracious charm, broad Intellect,
and rare wisdom, a man with all the courage,
faith, and compassion which real manhood
forever requires.
And as if aware of the tragic limitations
which destiny was to impose upon him, he
swept with power and purpose out of the
mists of relative political obscurity to burst
upon the consciousness of the American peo-
ple as few men before him have ever done,
symbolizing in his vigor, his leadership, and
his vision a new generation of Americans.
In all of his formative years, it is difficult to
find a time when John Kennedy was not
testing himself, when he was not sharpening
and perfecting his moral and intellectual
capacities for that fateful moment when
he would keep his long appointed rendezvous
with destiny as President of the United
States. His entire life became a hymn of
preparation for the brief but critical months
of service he would undergo as leader of the
country he loved so dearly and for which
he finally gave every last ounce of devotion
that there was in him to give.
Though he wrote three books, he con-
sidered himself no author. Though he was
a decorated war hero, he was no militarist.
Though he served with honor as a distin-
guished political figure, he was no politician.
But, first and foremost, he was a great
patriot.- Above personal ambition, above
party affiliation, above petty conceits, John F.
Kennedy will forever be a challenge and an
inspiration to all those patriots, present and
future, who would take their place among
History's honor roll of the brave and the
good. Though many men are called to serve
their God and their country, a very few
men in any generation are chosen to walk
the solitary path to glory which he walked.
His entire life was a noble overture to his
sudden and tragic death.
No man so captured the imagination of his
age as did John F. Kennedy. No man so mir-
rored the ideals and aspirations of the Amer-
ican people as did he. When John Kennedy
died, people the world over felt hope within
them die. When JohnKennedy was struck
down, men everywhere saw reason and sanity
and understanding being struck down with
the same brutal senselessness and violence.
But the ideals which were so much the
immortal part of John F. Kennedy shall en-
dure beyond the grave. The assassin's gun
and the assassin's bullet has not been made
which can destroy freedom's dream-a dream
that is indelibly impressed upon the minds
and hearts of men. The dream of freedom
shall endure so long as man himself endures.
On January 20, 1961-nearly 4 years ago-
John F. Kennedy said:
"Let the word go forth from this time and
place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch
has been passed to a new generation of Amer-
icans. * * * Let every nation know, whether
it wishes us well or in, that we shall pay any
price, bear any burden, meet any hardship,
support any friend, oppose any foe to assure
the survival of liberty."
John Fitzgerald Kennedy has borne his
burden. Now let us take up ours. With
God as our shield, with freedom as our cause,
let us labor to create a new and even greater
America so that historians, in the years to
come, will not find us unworthy of the sacri-
fice made by one of the noblest men of this
or any other age.
A list of the members and programs Is as
follows :
BUILDING COMMITTEE
Thomas F. Hoell, chairman; Henry L. Dye,
secretary; Thomas Ahern, Andrew H. Card;
Stanley R. Christianson,' secretary; Walter
W. Donovan,' Peter George, Francis Hoban,
Edward Huntington, George T. Jameson, Jr.,
Gerard Lane, Frances MacWilliams, James F.
Magrath, Donald J. Martin,' chairman; Miss
Grace G. McCarthy,' Irene A. Moran, Roger
F. Poole, Ralph A. Samuels, John C. Sarhans.
Superintendent of schools, I. D. Reads;
assistant superintendent of schools, John E.
Zoino; principal, Irving Waitz; architect,
Korslund, LeNormand & Quann, Inc.; con-
tractor, Marshall Contractors, Inc.; clerk of
the works, Irving Winslow.
Hosts: Holbrook Parent-Teacher Associa.
tion.
DEDICATION PROGRAM
Presentation of the flag, main entrance:
John J. Kelly.
Invocation: Rev. Charles B. Murphy, pas-
tor, St. Joseph Church.
Welcome: Thomas F. Hoell, chairman,
school building committee.
Introduction of platform guests
Music: Kennedy School Glee Club, director,
Marcia Galway.
Presentation of keys
Contractor to architect.
Architect to building committee.
Building committee to school committee.
School committee to superintendent of
schools.
Music: Kennedy School Glee Club, director,
Marcia Galway.
Presentation of John F. Kennedy portrait
Council No. 5046 Knights of Columbus,
William Godfrey.
"God Bless America": Audience.
Benediction: Rev. Roy Bruce, pastor,
Brookville Baptist Church.
Open house: 3 to 5 p.m.
Who Says What?
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
OF
HON. ANCHER NELSEN
OF MINNESOTA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, January 14, 1965
Mr. NELSEN. Mr. Speaker, the editor
of the Mankato, Minn., Free Pressraises
an interesting questions about who should
make agricultural policy. I would like
the editorial, by Franklin Rogers, includ-
ed in today's CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
L.B.J.'s REMARKS
Comments on President Johnson's state of
the Union message included one from the
Department of Agriculture that he did not
say what that Department had told him to
say about the farm problem. ThePresident
informed the Nation that he had instructed
Secretary of Agriculture Orville L. Freeman
"to lead a major effort to find new approaches
to reduce the heavy cost of our farm pro-
grams and to direct more of our effort to the
small farmer who needs help most." This
apparently surprised the Secretary and his
advisers.
A legitimate question arises here, however.
It revolves around who is the boss, as far
as the executive department is concerned.
Is it the President? Or some of his under-
lings?
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 Approved For Release 2003 r _ =FDP67B004 6 3GQ17t3023 =
R
ECORD - SE E
196 CONE ESS1 L
E$ectIve tax rates under R.R. 8363 'Will the passage of a bill under which
[Married cpu le with 2 dependents, with typical dM- the "tygioa]" taxpayer With a realized
d ends 1 gains and other income,' and typical income of more than $1.5 million a year
itemized eductions;
pays less than 16 percent represent an
Tax as
9djustedgross
Realized
Tax under
percentage
incemg l
income 2
II.R. 8363
of realized
income
$3,060--- -------
$3,
$4 000_.----------
0
130
26
5
$103
219
2.5
3
4
..__
$5,00
$6,000___
'1
6, 6
339
.
5.5
$7600 ___ ___
: _
16 000
7,63
186
10
569
972
7.4
5
9
__
$
_,
$12
500
,
736
12
373
1
.
10.8
---___
,
$15,000__-.---- ____
,
15,385
1
830
',,
11.9
$17,500____________
18,033
1
296
12.7
$20,000____________
20,713
2
820
3
13.6
15
3
$25 000 _:
$30
000
26,0
6
31
461
.98
1197
5
.
16
8
-__
,
$40
000
_
,
42
331
,
8
392
.
19.8
_
_
,
$50
000
-----------
,
53,203"
,
12,217"
23.0
,
-
$75,000____________
81,220
20,672
25.5
$100,000__ ___
200
060
113,212
247
580
29,670
56
675
1y 26.2
22
-
9
__ ___
$
,
$500 000_
,
721
365
,
138
216
.
.-,,
2
19
_ ___
$1,0 0,000 ____
,
1, 501, 588
,
238,037
.
' 15.9
typleal dividends and-capital gains. Estimates of typi-
cal dividends and realized capital gains and itemized
ded retlons aree baased on 1960 tax return data.
? weal(zed income exceeds as usted gross income
largely because ad] usted gross income includes only
40 percent of capital gains under TI.R. 8363 (50 percent
under existing law).
NozIE, -Several items, such as tax-exempt interest,
of long-term capital gains, including so-called statutory
ggains which often have no logical relationship to capital
transactions, depletion, and intangible drilling costs, are
omitted, from adjusted gross income and from realized
income.
sourge of basic dais Office of the Secretary of the
Treasury Otlice of Tax Analysis. See table on p. 709
of Finance Committe hearings.
Mr GORE. Senators will find that
the highest percentage tax payment
shown, on thetable is reached at an
adjusted gross 'income of $100,000 and a
realize dL iflcoine of $113,212. This high
point, of tax rate for "typical" taxpayers
in the various incpme groups is not the
,table, Senators will see that as income productioAi. It is leading for'est
this point, I wish also to invite the at tax st lecture is one way of dealing w
father with a child to clothe, feed, an M the Senator knows, there are cer-
educate would be allowed an exemption tal,h tax deductions which are loopholes,
for himself and each dependent of only avid I shall help the Senator try to plug
levy. In 1940 a man and his wife had Mr. GORE. I thank the Senator from
an exemption of $2,000. That amount," Oregon. His comments are encourag-
was reduced during World War. II izl ing. Perhaps many other Senators will
now need to dampen the consumer de"
mand. of low-income, people in the /sills
of Kentucky?
We do not Ilped now to supprges de-
mand, Our economy needs stir tttlllation
of the consumer sector.
President Johnson has dec}ared un-
relenting war against pove . I a p7
plaud liim for it. He identid the place
t Pher . we si ould start. He ailed alien-
tiolaro the fact that o fifth of our
pebj'il-e live in or near poverty. One-
fifth of our people live either in abject
poverty or on the very verge- of it. This
is, where we need to start the war on
poverty. to not forget that the tax bill
is supposed to be an important part of
the. War .on poverty.
ldo. 6--4
of pro-
sion of
I think it very"important that those
who are interested in this subject-who
speak, comment, and write on the sub-
ject-be very sure of their facts and read
carefully the report. For our people,
with their deep interest in it from the
standpoint of health and its important
economic interest to thousands of farm-
ers and others, require that this subject
be treated factually.
My purpose in speaking briefly today-
and I expect to comment later in more
detail-is to emphasize the,need for care
by calling attention to one specific point
which has been commented upon very
widely. In news reports, and in several
editorials, it has been generally stated
that there is no evidence that filters used
in cigarettes have any value. Some
statements have gone further. They
have indicated that the report of the
Advisory Committee stated that filters
have. no value. .I think, in part, this im-
pression or misconception followed the
press conference Saturday by Dr. Luther
Terry, the Surgeon General, Dr. James
Hundley, Assistant Surgeon General, and
members of the Advisory Committee. I
noted in the New York Times of Sunday,
January 12, 1964, a report of their re-
sponses to questions from the press.
The inference is drawn from the state-
ments in these articles that filters in cig-
arettes were found by the Advisory Com-
mittee to have no helpful effect. I read
the report and I could find no conclu-
sion or finding in it to substantiate
such an inference. In fact, I found,
from my reading of the report, scarcely
any mention of filters. The Committee
evidently made no comprehensive study
of filters, pointing out they had been
in use only about 10 years.
At pages 60 and 61 of the report the
Committee uses language which suggests
that further study may show that filters
are or would be helpful. I quote from
page 60:
The fact that side-stream smoke--
By which is meant smoke along the
side of a cigarette when it is not being
smoked, as distinguished from smoke in-
haled from the cigarette-
contains three times more benzo(a)pyrene
page 61 I find this statement:.
gaseous co
activity.
I do not,w_ t to go into details, for I
am not a sclen t or a doctor. But these
statements do_s Best the effective value
of inters,
-The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
time of the Senator has expired.
Mr. COOPER. Madam President, I
ask unanimous consent to have addi-
tional time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
objection, it is so ordered.
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attack, a battle, in the war on poverty?
Such a bill would be a battle lost in the
war on poverty. We must start not by
giving the greatest benefits to those who
need them least, but by giving tax relief
to those who need it most-the parents
with the largest number of children to
educate.
Madam President, the Senate Finance
Committee is proceeding with orderly
consideration of amendments to the bill.
In due course it will be reported to the
Senate. I shall offer amendments in the
interest of equity and fairness; but I
shall not wait to alert the Senate to the
unfairness and inequity of this bill.
Daily I shall speak briefly in the Senate
on this point.
Mr. MORSE, Madam President, will
the Senator yield?
Mr. GORE. I yield.
Mr. MORSE. . The Senator from Ten-
emption on a voice vote. - We
- i want t Senator to know that when
his amendm nt, calling for' $1,000 -ex-
emption, rea es the., fioo of Senate, I
shall support it. My mi is open about
other proposals4ilade y the Senator
from Tennessee.
Also, I shall suppo some reduction in
the corporate tax f'. 52 percent. Two
years ago I said o the oor of the Sen-
ate that I would-? o as lo as 46 percent,
but I would b glad to c promise at
join in the battle on poverty when the
Senate considers the tax bill.
SMOKING AND HEALTH-REPORT
OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
TO THE SURGEON GENERAL
Mr. COOPER. Madam President, the
report of the Advisory Committee to'fhe
Surgeon General` of- the Pub c` Iealth
Se.~r~vice entitled dlSmokin and 1=lealth "
3s, being stucliedan corisl ere' ious y
throughout the country I mind dater
this week to discuss it more fully and, I
hope, constructively. 'Y'oda7'I want to
bring to the attention of the Senate, and
to the news media, a point about which
I believe there has been widespread mis-
 328
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE
Mr. COOPER. I want to make the
point that the Committee did not make
any findings upon the effectiveness of
filters.
To make certain that I was correct, I
wrote a letter yesterday to Dr. Luther
Terry, the Surgeon General. I asked if
he would respond as quickly as possible.
I received a letter from him today which
verifies what I have said. I will read the
letter. Then I shall ask that my letter
and his reply be placed in the body of
the RECORD.
The letter is dated January 14, 1963:
DEAR SENATOR COOPER: This is in response
to your letter of January 13 which poses cer-
tain questions as to the Advisory Commit-
tee's views on cigarette filters. Certainly,
it is erroneous to conclude that cigarette
filters have no effect. As noted in the Com-
mittee's report, filters in common use do re-
move a variable portion of the tars and
nicotine. Your specific questions and our
replies will follow:
1. Is it not correct that the Advisory Com-
mittee made no judgment as to the effect of
adding filters to cigarettes?
Answer. Yes.
2. Do I understand correctly that the
Committee made no finding on filters because
It believed- it had insufficient evidence
from animal experiments, clinical studies,
or population studies-the three kinds of
evidence It considered-on which to base any
findings as to the effect of the various types
of filters?
Answer. Yes.
3. To the extent that a filter removes tar,
nicotine, and the gaseous elements of cigar-
ette smoke, is it not reasonable to assume
that the effects of the filter will be similar
to the effects reported by the Committee of
smoking fewer cigarettes?
Answer. A categorical answer to this ques-
tion is difficult. The best I could do would
be to answer "Yes-perhaps," or "Yes--prob-
ably." A part of the problem' here is
whether the filter in addition to removing
tar, nicotine or other elements of cigarette
smoke might also lead to different levels of
cigarette consumption and different amounts
of inhalation, etc. Another difficulty is that
we do not know all of the substances which
different filters do or do not remove. Since
we do not yet know all of the substances in
tobacco smoke which have adverse health
effects, a given filter might permit the selec-
tive passage of hazard substances, as well as
selectively removing others.
4. Does not the limited discussion of a
new-type filter, on page 61 of the report, sug-
gest that the Advisory Committee believes
that the development of selective filters may
have significance in terms of reducing the
hazards to health the Committee believes
It has found?
Answer. Yes; the Committee felt that the
development of better filters or more selective
filters is a promising avenue for further de-
velopment.
6. Would not standardized research on the
effectiveness and selectivity of filters, as well
as additional research on the components
of smoke, be desirable?
Answer. Yes, unquestionably.
I hope these responses will be of assistance.
Sincerely yours,
LUTHER L. TEARY,
Surgeon General.
My comment on this is that those who
study this report must be careful not to
extend the conclusions of the Commit-
tee.
No findings were, made with respect to
filters. It is important that further
study and research _be conducted on the
question of filters. Dr. Terry has stated
that the Committee felt that the devel-
opment of better or more selective filters
is a promising avenue. I urge that re-
search in this area be expanded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. With-
out objection, the two letters will be
printed in the RECORD at this point.
The letters ordered to be printed in the
RECORD are as follows:
U.S. SENATE, .
January 13, 1964.
Dr. LUTHER L. TERRY,
Surgeon General, Public Health Service, De-
partment of Health, Education, and
Welfare, Washington, D.C.
DEAR DR. TERRY: The report on smoking
and health, and the press conference Satur-
day, January 11, by the Advisory Committee
to the Surgeon General, appear to be widely
interpreted as having included a finding
that cigarette filters have no effect. On the
contrary:
1. Is' it not correct that the Advisory
Commm4tee made no judgment as to the ef-
fect of adding filters to cigarettes?
2. Do I understand correctly that the
Committee made no finding on filters be-
cause it believed It had insufficient evidence
from animal experiments, clinical studies,
or population studies-the three kinds of
evidence it considered-on which to base
any finding as to the effect of the various
types of filters?
S. To the extent that a filter removes tar,
nicotine, and the gaseous elements of
cigarette smoke, is it not reasonable to as-
sume that the effects of the filter will be
similar to the effects reported by the Com-
mittee of smoking fewer cigarettes?
4. Does not the limited discussion of a
3-6
January 1 J#
to the effects reported by the Committee of
smoking fewer cigarettes?
Answer. A categorical answer to this ques-
tion is difficult. The best I could do would
be to answer yes-perhaps, or yes-probably.
A part of the problem here is whether the
filter in addition to removing tar, nicotine or
other elements of cigarette smoke might also
lead to different levels of cigarette consump-
tion and different amounts of inhalation,
etc. Another difficulty is that we do not
know all of the substances which different
filters do or do not remove. Since we do not
yet know all of the substances in tobacco
smoke which have adverse health effects, a
given filter might permit the selective pas-
sage of hazard substances, as well as selec-
tively removing others.
4. Does not the limited discussion of a
new type filter, on page 61 of the report, sug-
gest that the Advisory Committee believes
that the development of selective filters may
have significance in terms of reducing the
hazards to health the Committee believes
it has found?
Answer. Yes, The Committee felt that the
development of better filters or more selective
filters is a promising avenue for further de-
velopment.
". Would not standardized research on the
effectiveness and selectivity of filters, as well
as additional research on the components of
smoke, be desirable?
Answer. Yes, unquestionably.
I hope these responses will be of assist-
ance.
Sincerely yours,
LUTHER L. TERRY,
Surgeon General.
suggest that the Advisory Committee be-
lieves that the development of selective
filters may have significance in terms of
reducing the hazards to health the Com-
mittee believes it has found?
5. Would not standardized research on the
effectiveness and selectivity of filters, as well
as additional research on the components
of smoke, be desirable?
Because the report of your Advisory Com-
mittee is the subject of wide and general
interest, it will be helpful to have your
answers, at least to the first question, as
quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
JOHN SHERMAN COOPER.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCA-
TION, AND WELFARE, PUBLIC
HEALTH SERVICE,
Washington, D.C.
Hon. JOHN SHERMAN COOPER,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, D.C.
DEAR SENATOR COOPER: This is in response
to your letter of January 13 which poses cer-
tain questions as to the Advisory Commit-
tee's views on cigarette filters. Certainly, it
is erroneous to conclude that cigarette filters
have no effect. As noted In the Committee's
report, filters in common use do remove a
variable portion of the tars and nicotine.
Your specific questions and our replies will
follow:
1. Is it not correct that the Advisory Com-
mittee made no judgment as to the effect of
adding filters to cigarettes?
Answer. Yes.
2. Do I understand correctly that the Com-
mittee made no finding on filters because it
believed it had insufficient evidence from
animal experiments, clinical studies, or pop-
ulation studies-the three kinds of evidence
it considered-on which to base any finding
as to the effect of the various types of filters?
Answer. Yes.
S. To the extent that a filter removes tar,
nicotine, and the gaseous elements of cigar-
ette smoke, Is it not reasonable to assume
that the effects of the filter will be similar
SAIGON'SUMMARY
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I invite
the attention of my colleagues to an ar-
ticle entitled "Saigon Summary" by Miss
Marguerite Higgins, which appears in
last week's issue of America magazine.
This is a shocking article; indeed, it
would be almost incredible if it did not
come from a correspondent of such ex-
ceptional stature. Although I am in no
position to vouch for the accuracy of
Miss Higgins' statements on every point,
her article raises such serious questions
about the conduct of American foreign
policy that it cannot be dismissed or ig-
nored. On the contrary, I believe that
the Foreign Relations Committee should
look into the charges and allocations
made by Miss Higgins, and that Miss
Higgins should be called before it as the
first witness to report in more detail on
her personal knowledge of the develop-
ments in Vietnam.
"Saigon Summary" is the story of the
final days of the Diem regime, or, in Miss
Higgins' words:
Of the inglorious role played by the De-
partment of State by encouraging, for the
first time in our history, the overthrow in
time of war of a duly elected government
fighting loyally against the common Commu-
nist enemy.
In her article, Miss Higgins makes the
statement that the agitation about
Buddhist persecution was a complete
fraud and she charges, further, that the
State Department knew that it was a
fraud. She quotes Roger Hilsman, As-
sistant Secretary of State for Far East-
ern Affairs, as telling her:
After the closing of the pagodas on Au-
gust 21, the facts became irrelevant.
Miss Higgins, whose personal contacts
are second to none in the Washington
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 I Approved For Relealse 2003/10/1.5 :,CIA-RDP67B%~ 61~70023m6
.
196 CO-NGRES SION AL RECORD,
329.
pren corps, states that Secretary of
I
cf' a
g ede'~is b lic 669f Yo I c one om)osed
a coup 9'etat because the reared its con-
sequen&s "b I ut~
f.Ae.y Were oveIT~led by the pr'o-c-ou p dletat
1 16 , d by Ambassador Henry Cabot
J,odge, Under Se' . 1 8
r~6ii, 6'd #etary.of, tatiAverell Har-
- Assistant Secretary bf~ State for,
Far, Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman.
The ~oint was made' by every com
meritatpr at tlie time that through its
August 25 broadcast, the Voice of Amer-
ica virtually called on the Vietnamese
military to overthrow Diem. Mis's Hig-
gins_ offers th6 -additional rmail'6n
that:
: At thi-same time, Amiba~s'~doi ~~dge asked
the.=to poll the Vietnamese g6ii6ials and
see v7vWn and i~,-~hey were ready to, translate.
rev0t Wlk- wtQ~,PtCti0n~
Migs , Higgins also points out - that
Thic).i Trl (4iianj, the 146. 1 13uddhist
I - .- . ' ' - ' f " th Americ -
leader Who Wo refu e lp an
w6s, kccor Ing to his own ad-
rrabass~
line - b - ' '
misslo4, a one-b mem er of the Viet-
Minh, 064V~'st liberation'front; that
he had twice been arrested by the French
for deallngs with Ho Chi Minh' that hi's
brojhei~`j currently w6rkifig for, the Min-
1,9iry of'the Interior in 06mmunist Viet-
naj~; alid thaf Thich Tri Ouang- is an
oui4,8',okeii n utialist. She quoted Thl6h~
Tri ng ~,
as t-ellanj hei~
We cannot get an axrangement with the'
north until we get rid of biem. and Nhu.
I the aiticle would be
As i'~have s I(.
all but, lj -- - i~,di.d- not come from
a corres,ponde , of Miss Higgins~ stature'.
I Miss .- Hjggin~, despite her ~ relative
. youth, was jeh6rall~ credited with b6iu,
liq %btt Of the ,prps of Ameri-
one of _r
6 6 11 1 " " World War.
can cor espo dents covering -
X1. Sh-' P"ov'eeid the t6rean war wkkh
equal 9stincti o , ri. She fia . s r6 p I oft ed on
the.majbr political events of oiir time in
the couise of fravels.that have taken her
repeatedly through many countries.
She h4sserve'a"as chief of the New York
H arld.,T~Jbu I AV Bur6au'both"'in Berlih
e, J J& Pulitzc~i
and in Tokyo. , -She has won
Priie ~ alid nuifiekous other ~ou~nillsfk
honors., But ibove. Wleve that
Miss Hxginq! article deserves special
attention because of the enviable repu-
tation -which 'she enjoys' both for
thoroughness i~fid for infigrity".'
0 11 f th , is I Q I an sp - eak frbm'p~qofiai ex-
perience 'ecause I came to know Miss
Higgi I ns elf when sh - e w as cov6ring the
Nur,vm~ekg trials and I was serving as
executive tilaf coun~el under J sti
Jackson, In 41'of my Ion' .1cle
g experience
I have never met a more honest or more
conscientious, correspondent thaii.Mar-
-guerlte~111 " 4'. And I believe this
opinion of shared, by everyone who
knows her.
Unlike- some of the journalists who
covt d,, the V..Tet1iR s' ~ - -Isililfox, the
. . r~ , - pese cq
ment in the south. . She was A -witn-ess- PA- .,-early date, to hear Miss Higgins be-
to. the 51ji
lokt. WLmcAU9qs cause.I.-ain certain she possesses more in-
and progress that t99k placeqn.deXTres- formation of,. &-confidential nature that
ident Diem. AJ -d -she - I a
WMJ4 Viet4q.T- she,-hasnotyet published.
again both bpfore_the,rQcpnt cou~ anci - There. being no, objection, the articles
After the coup. ' were ordered to be printed in the RECORD,
Unlike some of the other, American as f6ij
QNS;
correspondents in Vietnam, Miss Hig- [From America, Jan. 4,1964:1
gins did not conflne herself to Saigon.
She traveled ~extensively. In the-Viet-pain-
esb countryside.- S e interviewed Gov-w
ernment officials, and leaders of th6 Bud-
dhist opposition,' Vietnainese -Villagers
and Vietcong deserters, American offl-
cers and rank and -Pile members of the
American -forces iri Vietnam.'
'in " i6riiarit~ible'series'ol"ar-ticles-which
the wrote f6r"'t-he' N'6w York Her-ald Trib-
uffe during the last week of August of
la,st year,,.Miss Hig
- , _gins did not absolve
the Diem -government for its handling of
the so-called huAdhisi crisis. But she
sought to look at the picture of Vietnam
whole, examining its strong points as well'
as -its weaknesses. Her articles devoted
much attention to the situation in the
rural countryside, where'as she pointed
out, the overwhelming majority of South
Vietnam's 14 million people live, and
where the war will be either won or lost.
I have hesitated to say anything crit-
ical of our Vietnamese policy because I
believe that in a situation such as exists
in- Vlqtnam, we must accept the regime
in power, seek to help it overcome its
shortcomings by persuasion, and Cooper-
ate with it loyally.
..While I deplore the assassination of
Diem and Nhu, and while I gravely fear
that their overthrow may produce a
worse situation rather than a better sit-
uation, I have not wished to say any-
thing that could be construed as under-
cutting the military junta now in power
in Vietnam.
It is my hopei indeed, that we will sup-
port the junta somewhat more loyally
than we supported the government of
President Diem; that we will not demand
of it the democratic perfection that we
demanded of Diem; that we will not sub-
ject its shortcomings to propaganda
bombardments that can only play into
the hands of the Communists; and that
we will not again stoop to engaging in
intrigues against an allied anti-Com-
munist government,
1 hope that, by our actions, we will give
the lie to the Peiping broadcasts which
have been warning the new rulers of
Vietnam that American imperialism,
when it suits its whims, will betray them
as mercilessly as it betrayed Ngo Dinh
Diem,
It is for this purpose that I speak to
day, and, it is for this purpose that I
ask unanimous consent that the article
by miss Marguerite Higgins entitled
".Saigon Summary" be inserted into-the.
RECORD at the conclusion of remarks.
My - I . - - ~
Byway 6i `histoi~i~al b'ac: k-ground, I also
Viet- , gon thought-out of the most idealistic and
-1 b "' "Ind- d-
ne*cofi!6~ to- e nam. n ee she has text of the series of. six articles~ on
t-gq t Euilly ev6r"' af they iv6re serving a
be un ry at vir nz4n which Misi Hi the, PiLtil6tic m6thi
wrote fo:
since Dienbit _phu. She ngw-y 06d cause in arousing world opinion against
0,171 IP, r i=,thqlast 9
-prKZUWJJU, , _Diem. Whether his strengths and faults were
XW the perlod'of crisis 3
week. of August 196
greater or less than those of his junta sue-
t P e e French puhllout and Me i urge. my colleagues to give Miss Hig- cessors remains to be seen.
pe&t I 't coun, try, w n Irt all~, gins'..a icle the-careful study which it ary junta,
11 ~ u I I '. _rt -It Is certain that under the milit.
all e tic, ]Department pundits merits, . I, hope, . too, that the Foreign ., V isyp been jailed for far less than
e of creating a 'viable govern- Relations Cominittee will be convened at was'necessary to send a person to prison
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SAIGON SUMMARY: OUR COUNTRY PLAYED AN
JUG
.LQ=V3-R
%9XZ-JN THE FINAL DAys or
THE DiEm REGIME
(By Marguerite Higgins)
(Miss Higgins, Pulitzer Prize winner, for-
in~r New York Herald Tribune bureau chief
in Berlin and Tokyo, has just returned from
S ei I oiky, She . now reports for-Newsdav, Gar-.
What is the meaning of the five tragic
self-immolations that took. place in. Vietnam
in the 6 weeks following the November coup
d'(5tat against Diem? How did it come to
pass that under the military junta, which
seized power in the name of an end to "per-
secution," there have been more suicides by
fire over a short period than had ever been
the case under President Diem and his broth-
er Ngo Ninh Nhu? Even though virtually
Ignored by the Western press, will this latest
spate of suicides by fire-without clearly
stated reason-destroy at last the false no-
tion that the repeated acts of self-immola-
tion in Vietnam were Indisputable proof of
massive persecution of the Buddhist religion
by President Diem, a Roman Catholic?
Will historians be more equitable with
President Diem than his conternporaries
were?
On two trips in Vietnam In 1963, one be-
fore and one after the coup d'6tat, this writ-
er was never able to find an instance of re-
pression on religious grounds. Under Diem,
there was repression on religious grounds.
Under Diem, there was repression of Bud-
dhtsts, Catholics, Confucianists, etc., when-
In defiance of clearly stated laws-they took
to the streets to demonstrate against the
Government. But Diem's repression was not
directed against a religion. It was tAmed at
overt political opposition. There were de-
plorable police excesses in Vietnam, but there
Is no sign that they were desired. or con-
doned by Diem any more than police ex-
cesses In Alabama are condoned or desired by
Washington.
There was, for a long time, a clear double
standard in Vietnam, in which accusations
against Diem gained, in most cases, giant
headlines, but attempted refutations re-
-celved only perfunctory notice. For In-
stance, last summer Thich Due Ng4iep, the
Xa Lot, pagoda spokesman, told reporters
dramatically that 365 persons in a Saigon
suburb had been arrested "because they were
Buddhists2' That figure was headlined
throughout the world. But when I went to
the suburb in question, I found that a rou-
tine check was being made of a neighbor-
hood.through which the Vietcong often In-
filtrated. I stayed for 2 hours to talk with
those rounded up as they emerged from the
police compound after questioning. I talked
to 20 persons-ancestor worshipers, Catho-
lics, Confucianists, Taoists, Caodalsts, etc.-
before I finally found a genuine Buddhist
among those picked up. So the charge of
persons arrested because of being Bud-
dhi " ww.14ve
.
Tliere Is no doubt that the overwhelming
 330
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE January 14
under Diem. Said a European observer:
"Under Diem, a Vietnamese had to do some-
thing specific against the regime to get into
trouble. Under the military junta, a Viet-
namese can be jailed without charge, simply
under the suspicion that he was loyal to the
Diem regime when it was the legally con-
stituted authority."
Sanche de Gramont, of the New York
Herald Tribune, has estimated the number
of arbitrary arrests right after the coup as
around 500. So far, Mr. de Gramont and
this reporter are the only ones who have
written with any detail about the junta's
reversion to some of the police-state tactics
the Saigon press corps so bitterly criticized in
Diem.
Nowadays, some of the most ardent anti-
Diem writers, such as David Halberstam, Sai-
gon correspondent of the New York Times,
acknowledge that the Buddhist agitation of
last summer and fall was politically moti-
vated. In an admiring magazine article writ-
ten by his close friend, George J. W. Good-
man, Mr. Halberstam is quoted as saying:
"I always said it. The Buddhist campaign
was political, * * * I thought I always em-
phasized that this was a political dispute
under a religious banner-the only place an
opposition had found to gather in an au-
thoritarian regime."
Whatever Mr. Halberstam's intentions, his
and other press dispatches last summer and
fall did create the impression in the outside
world that some kind of religious crisis was
going on inside Vietnam. And it was the
image of religious persecution-false as it
was--that paved the way for Diems down-
fall. Without the embarrassment Of being
the patron of a country suspected of battling
Buddhists, it is doubtful that the United
States would ever have reached the decision.
to try to get rid of Diem. The authorities in
Washington knew, of course, that the con-,
filet in Vietnam was political, not religious.
But they were reluctant to speak out lest, in
the process, they attract to Washington some
red-with hardly any
of the onus being Kern,
contradiction-on DiBy staying silent, Washington acted as if
it thought Diem guilty. And this helped to
complete the vicious circle.
Or as Roger Hillsman, Assistant Secretary
of State for Far Eastern Affairs, put it: "After
the closing of the pagodas on August 21, the
facts became irrelevant." So, evidently, did
a sense of perspective. What? for example,
about the fact that President Diem was far
more lenient to his political opposition than
President Sukarno of Indonesia orsPremier
Sarit Thanarat of Thailand, both recipients
of American aid? Whereas some 300 po-
litical prisoners, at most, were found in
Diem's jails, the prisons of Thailand, Indo-
nesia, and.Burma were filled--and are still
filled-with tens of thousands of political
victims.
"But," explained a pro-coup State Depart-
ment officer, "the world spotlight is not on
those countries, and it is on Vietnam."
At the State Department, there have been
some attempts to rationalize the coup d'etat
by describing it as necessary to save the Viet-
namese war efrort.from going to pieces. One
difficulty with this argument is that it makes
liars out of Secretary of Defense McNamara,
Chief of Staff Maxwell D, Taylor, and Gen.
Paul Harkins, who testified under oath to
Congress in October that the war was making
reasonable progress. If the State Depart-
ment ever took seriously the argument that
the disturbances in the cities would affect
morale in the countryside, it betrays a re-
grettable lack of understanding of the struc-
ture of Vietnam and of the gap between the
countryside, where the war will be won or
lost, and the cities, where less than 10 percent
of the Vietnamese live.
For the Buddhists, intellectuals and stu-
dents who marched the streets in anti-Diem
demonstrations could not have cared less
about the war-before the coup, or after the a Voice of America broadcast that virtually
coup, Vietnamese students in particular called on the Vietnamese military to take
tell you quite frankly that one reason they over. At the same time, Ambassador Lodge
prize admission to a university is that it en- asked the CIA to poll the Vietnamese gen-
ables them to avoid the draft. Vietnam's erals and lee hen and if they were ready
intellectuals have narrow horizons, are execs- to translate revolt talk into action.
sively inward-turning, and make constant Diem's shock at the Voice of America
and factional critic In their specialty. Ex-
cept for a handful of terribly militant lead-
ers, the Buddhist monks are rather passive.
If the success or failure of the war were to
depend on these groups, Vietnam would have
been lost from the st^rt. As to the effects
in the countryside of the critical clamoring
by Vietnam's spoiled young intellectuals in
the cities, it was virtually nil. The Ameri-
can attitude seem-d to be that if a Viet-
namese student demonstrates, virtue is on
his side and the government is wrong. But
in the countryside there were many peasants
and plain soldiers who disapproved of the
defiance of the regime-in those rare places
where anyone knew anything whatsoever of
what went on beyond the next village.
If there was any slowdown in the war in
September and October of 1963, it was be-
cause the Vietnamese generals-under
American prodding-were concentrating on
thoughts of a coup d'etat, while Diem and
Nhu, out of fear of America, were concen-
trating on how to prevent a coup.
It was not until after the coup d'etat that
the Vietnamese war took a decidedly down-
ward to-n. The military junta with its un-
certain leadership, after purges of key (and
scarce) officials, finally plunged much of the
countryside into the confusion from which
it purportedly was trying to save Vietnam.
No wonder the Vietcong took advantage of
the situation to seize the military initiative
for the fleet time in many months. No
wonder that, in the 2 months after the coup
d'etat, the military junta lost more real es-
tate, lives and weapons to the Vietcong than
at any previous time in the war.
It was precisely out of fear of such predict-
able consequences of trying to change re-
gimes in midway that Secretary of Defense
McNamara and Central Intelligence Director
John McCone oppose a coup acct ut
they were overruled by the pro-coup d'etat
faction led by Ambassador Henry Cabot
Lodge, Under Secretary of State Averell Har-
riman, and Assistant Secretary of State for
Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hillsman.
The Diem-must-go decision came shortly
after the temporary closing of about a dozen
(out of 4,000) pagodas on August 21, which
outraged Washington. Diem said that his
only aim was to get the Buddhist leaders out
of politics and back to religion. The Viet-
namese leader insisted that unless he shut
down the propaganda machinery of the pa-
godas and put a halt to the glorification of
suicide by burning, public disorder in the
cities would mount and world misunder-
standing would deepen. Washington dis-
agreed. Further, it felt that Diem had not
only humiliated it and flouted its advice, but
had broken a promise to be conciliatory.
Washington's anger was heightened by hor-
rendous stories of alleged killings and bru-
talities during the pagoda raids. (There
were no such killings, as the monks them-
selves later said.)
In any case, on August 24, the State De-
partment sent out word--without the
knowledge of Secretary McNamara or of CIA
Director John McCozie--instructing Ambas-
sador ge to 'unleash" the Vietnamese
generals with a view to toppling the Diem
government if they could. Plotting among
educated Vietnamese, including the gen-
erals, is a kind of national pastime, as chess
is to the Russians, Until lately it had been
a pretty harmless pastime, because every-
body knew that real action was dependent
on an Ameirican green light-and until Au-
gust such a green light had been withheld.
But on Sunday, August 25, Washington
publicly gave the generals a green light in
broadcast and the CIA poll of the Viet-
an only be imagined by
namese generals car!"
turning the tables around. Suppose the
United States were engaged in a war against
the Communists In which we depended al-
most totally on aid from Vietnam; suppose,
in the middle of that war, Vietnam issued
a broadcast calling for the American Joint
Chiefs of Staff to overthrow the American
Government?
The miracle is that the Diem regime sur-
vived as long as it did the virtual declaration
of political war served on it that August by
Washington.
What, after many months of hesitation,
finally decided the general (in mid-October)
to stage the coup? In separate interviews
with this correspondent, members of the
military junta spoke of these factors:
1. The late President Kennedy called, at
a press conference, for "changes of policy
and maybe personnel" in Vietnam.
2. Washington announced the withdrawal
of 1,000 American soldiers by` the end of
1963, and possible total withdrawal by 1965.
(Said one general: "That convinced us that
unless we got rid of Diem, you would aban-
don us.")
3. The economic aid was cut. Many gen-
erals agreed that this cut was physchologi-
cally the most decisive goad to a coup
d'etat. "It convinced us," a key plotter ex-
plained, "that the United States was serious
this time about getting rid of Diem. In any
case, this was a war we wanted to win. The
United States furnished us with the jeeps,
the bullets, the very guns that made the war
possible. In cutting economic aid, the United
States was forcing us to choose between your
country's help in the war and Diem. So we
--chose the United States."
Ironically, President Diem did make some
important concessions to the United States
in September and October. For example, in
mid-September President Diem agreed to
every pointput forward by the United States
in a program to reform and consolidate the
strategic hamlet program in the Mekong
Delta. Many'Arnericars had long felt that
this program had been overextended. At
last President Diem agreed with the diag-
nosis and decided to do something about it.
Why was this move toward the American
position never publicized? One Western
diplomat put it this way: "Ambassador Lodge
andhis deputy, William Truehart, were so
determined to get rid of Diem that they were
opposed to putting him in a conciliatory
light. They were afraid this would strength-
en the hands of those in Washington against
a coup d'etat."
Even at the 11th hour, Ambassador Lodge
could, of course, have turned off the revolt
if he had chosen to give the slightest sign
that the new frontier and President Diem
were even beginning to move to heal their
rent. As one member of the military junta
put it: "We would never have dared to act
if we had not been sure that the United
States was giving us its moral support."
In the last hours before his death, Presi-
dent Diem was stripped of any doubt what-
soever of Washington's hostility. Telephon-
ing the American Embassy from the Palace
at 4:30 p.m. on Novemb"r 1, after the bom-
bardment had started, President Diem asked
Ambassador Lodge: "What Is Washington's
atitude toward this?" Lodge replied: "I
don't know Washington's attitude. After
all, it is 4:30 in the morning there."
"But you must have some idea," Diem
said.
Whereupon Lodge turned the conversation
to the matter of Diem's safety, offering him
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1964 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE 331
an airplane to take him out of the country.
Could anything have indicated more clearly
th>It, jn,l)ye;cah eyes the., success of the
coup d'etat was a fait accompli?
The only certain thing about the murder
of President Diem and Counselor Nhu is
that they were shot in the back (Diem in
the neck, Nhu in the right side) with their
hands tied behind them. Nhu also had a
dagger or bayonet wound in the chest, which
was apparently indecisive.
These, facts were established beyond-all
doubt by this reporter through photographs
and through talks with military eyewit-
nesses, attendants at St. Paul's Hospital
(where the bodies were first taken) and from
information given by two relatives, a niece
and nephew who handled the preparations
for the burial.
In the light of the way Diem and Nhu
died, there is a strong possibility that the
shootings were ordered by some or all mem-
bers of the military junta. Would a junior
officer take such a responsibility on him-
self?
Now for the Buddhist leaders who Started
it all: have they got what they wanted? I
use the word "leaders" advisedly, for of the
Buddhists in Vietnam, who form about 30
percent of the population of 14 million peo-
ple, the overwhelming majority are largely
nonpolitical. Buddhist monks tend to be
somewhat passive. They would never have
dreamed of resorting to violent demonstra-
tions had they not be subjected to the skill-
ful and Inflammatory propaganda that
poured from the humming mimeograph ma-
chines of the Xa Loi pagoda. By the end of
last summer, the original grievances of the
Buddhist leaders in Hue--matters of property
rights, flag flying, etc.-had largely been met
by the Diem regime.
In the midst Of the anti-Diem,, ferment I
wrote an. article asking: "What do the Bud-
dhists want? They want Diem's head-not
on a silver platter, but wrapped in an Amer-
ican flag."
You have to hand it to ,the Buddhist lead-
ers that they got what they wanted. But
will this satisfy the more militant Buddhist
leaders? It is heady stuff, even for Bud
dhists, to have the attention of the entire
world focused of you, and to exercise the
kind of political power that can topple gov-
ernments. Will, for instance, the venerable
Thich Tri Quang, the mastermind of the
Buddhist campaign and by far the most in-
telligent and militant of all, be satisfied to
take a political back seat?
Thich Tri Quang is a Buddhist leader from
Hue who was granted asylum at the Amer-
ican Embassy even though his past is in
some controversy. According to records of
the French Colonial Office, he had twice
'been arrested during the postwar French
occupation of Indochina for dealings with
Ho Chi Minh. , By his awn admission, he was
a member of the Vietminh Communist lib-
eration front. He claims to have fallen out
with the, Communists later. Again accord-
ing to the French, who still have repre-
sentatives at Hanoi, Thich Tri Quang's
brother is currently working for Ho Chi Minh
in the Communist Vietnam's Ministry of the
Interior. The duties of Thich Tri Quang's
brother are the direction of subversion in
South Vietnam.
None of this, of course, proves anything
about Thich Tri Quang's current attitude
toward the Communist Vietcong. What does
seem clear Is that he learned a lot from
the Communists, about organization and
propaganda. He ran his emergency head-
quarters at the XaLoi pagoda like a com-
pany command post. Orders were barked
out, directing a demonstration here, a pro-
test meeting there. Messengers scurried in
and out, carrying banners with their newly
painted slogans. Respectful monks brought
in the. latest anti-Diem propaganda blast
for Thich Tri Quang to review word by
word.
In my discussion with Thich Tri Quang,
I was somewhat taken aback at his indif-
ference about the war against the Com-
munists. When I asked whether the oc-
casional outburst of turmoil might not of-
fer the Vietcong the opportunity to infil-
trate among the demonstrators, Thich Tri
Quang shrugged his shoulders and said: "It
is possible that the current disorders could
lead to Communist gains. But if this hap-
pens it will be Diem's fault, not ours."
In the same interview in the Xa Loi pa-
goda, Thich Tri Quang told me that his
preferred solution for Vietnam was "neu-
tralism," adding: "We cannot get an ar-
rangement with the North tmtil we get rid
of Diem and Nhu"
The Vietcong are suspected of having led
several of the attacks against property on
November 1, the day of the coup d'etat.
For instance, a small but violent gang of
young people attacked and demolished the
newly opened headquarters in Saigon of the
Asian Anti-Communist League. This league
had no connection, ' financial, or otherwise,
with Diem. Yet the coup day rioters sys-
tematically removed its anti-Communist
literature onto the streets, burned it, then
wrecked the headquarters.
Whether the new military junta's govern-
ment by committee can do any better than
Diem and Nhu remains in doubt. The junta
is ripe for further coups and countercoups.
In any case, it was not because he enjoyed
being condemned by world public opinion
that President Diem engaged in repressive
measures (mild as they were by Asian stand-
ards). The new Government will be faced
by similar problems, because the fundamen-
tal situation has not changed. For example,
the change of Government has .not altered
the tendency of Vietnam's citified intellec-
tuals to take to the streets.
Within 2 weeks after the coup d'etat, 10,000
students at Hue demonstrated noisily against
the military junta because it had not dis-
missed'several professors who had been loyal
to Diem. This is but one example of pressure
by mob. Can the military junta long tolerate
decisions enforced by street mobs, or justice
by demand of the newly freed and utterly
irresponsible Vietnamese press? Three Sai-
gon newspaper have closed-and righty-al-
ready. The smut and sheer mendacity of the
postcoup free press of Vietnam is one of
the blackest marks of recent months in the
annals of Vietnam's so-called intellectuals.
In view of the indiscipline, factionalism, and
irresponsibility of citified Vietnamese, can the
military junta long escape resorting to the
same tight rein held by President Diem?
The only sure thing in Vietnam today is
that the United States has set an extremely
controversial precedent by encouraging, for
the first time in our history, the overthrow
in time of war of a duly elected government
fighting loyally against the common Commu-
nist enemy.
[From the New York Herald-Tribune,
Aug. 26, 1963 ]
VIETNAM-FACT AND FICTION: FIRST OF A SE-
RIES ON THE ASIAN TROUBLE SPOT BY MAR-
GUERrrE HIOGINS
(Today's events in South Vietnam are con-
fused, uncertain and contradictory. Pulitzer
Prize-winning Herald Tribune correspondent
Marguerite Higgins,, in 4 hectic weeks in the
Vietnamese countryside, has spoken to the
rulers and the peasants, to the government
and its foes, studying the background to the
present crisis. This morning, she discusses
the general outline of the situation in the
country today. In five subsequent articles,
Miss Higgins will present the facts and an
interpretation of the Government-Buddhist
dispute; the United States-backed war
against the Communist Vietcong; the "new
breed" American adviser; the Vietcong de-
fectors; and the over-all opposition to the
Diem regime,)
(By Marguerite Higgins)
SAIGON.-The Montagnards, their spears at
their sides, stood at rigid attention in the
brand new village whose bamboo fence cut
into the vast sweep of jade-green plateaus
that stretches like a Shangri-la between the
shelter of northwest South Vietnam's soar-
ing 7,000-foot mountain peaks.
How do the Montagnards (non-Buddhist
mountain people) feel about the Communist
Vietcong guerrillas?
Their chieftain stepped forward mutely to
show a badly butchered hand and arm. It
was the cruelty of the Vietcong, he said, that
was bringing his people (nearly three quar-
ters of a million strong) away from their
beloved mountains and nomadic ways to the
villages in the lush, emerald plateaus.
South of Saigon, far back from the moun-
tain peaks and deep in the dull, flat muddy
delta, a wizened Buddhist monk, considered
a saint by the local villagers, shook his head
disapprovingly at the news from the capital.
"I would not kill a fly myself," he said, "I
do not believe in the taking of life in any
form-even by suicide. * * * All this talk of
discrimination has nothing to do with real-
ity as we know it here in our village. Our
village chief (a Buddhist) gives out pigs,
fertilizer and'i'ice seed without asking any-
body his religion. The Catholics don't get
more than we do, and we don't get more than
the Catholics."
Up north in the arid coastal plains of Phan
Rang Province, a Moslem leader of Vietnam's
Cham tribesmen (of Indonesian origin) stood
outside the mosque with its blue mosaic
dome and shook his head in puzzlement at
the stranger's question, as did the villagers
who crowded around.
"We know nothing about any religious
persecution," said the Moslem. "President
Ngo Dinh Diem was province chief here (be-
ginning in 1923). He helped our people
build mosques, and now he sends us rice,
seed and water. So we are grateful to Presi-
dent Diem."
This is a fragmentary picture of the sel-
dom told other side of the story: The atti-
tudes in the deep rural countryside where
the overwhelming majority of South Viet-
nam's 14 million people live. This story
contrasts violently with the tragic headlines
and anti-Diem ferment in the big cities of
Saigon and Hue, which have a combined
population of slightly more than a million,
but which have captured the bulk of the
world's attention.
And it is in the countryside-not the
cities-that the war will be won or lost.
Despite the strident antigovernment cam-
paign spread to provincial towns from hum-
ming mimeograph machines at the Xa Loi
pagoda in Saigon in the months before the
government's crackdown last week; despite
the tragic suicides by fire; despite the loss
of most citified intellectuals including uni-
versity students, President Diem's Vietna-
mese armies continued this summer to gain
in those areas of the countryside where the
war is fought the hardest.
Paradoxically, the blacker Vietnam's image
grew in the outside world, where President
Diem was widely assumed to be totally at
fault in the Buddhist affair, the greater grew
the momentum of the Vietnamese Army's
assaults on the Communist Vietcong.
Contrary to recent published reports that
the situation in the rich Mekong River delta
area has deteriorated, Gen. Paul Harkins,
chief of the American military mission here,
insists that the opposite is true. In a curi-
ous coincidence, the week that saw the great-
est number of suicides by fire also brought
the greatest decrease ever in Vietcong-initi-
ated action in the delta. The American mil-
itary, with few exceptions, are convinced
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE January 14
that after 18 months of buildup, setbacks
and false starts, the war in Vietnam is be-
ginning to be won. -
SAVAGERY
That is why the Buddhist affair and the
savagery of the political repression are dou-
bly tragic. They rivet world attention on
the dark and dismal side of a picture that
is by no means all black.
Why did the Diem Government institute
Its crackdown on the Buddhists last week
and declare martial law?
Not, certainly, for religious reasons. Rath-
er because Mr. Diem was bitterly convinced
that the leaders of the General Buddhist
Association were going for his political jug-
ular and that the conciliatory policies ad-
vocated by the United States were only
making them more thirsty for his political
blood.
President Diem stated this conviction in
the strongest terms during an interview even
though at the time he was still trying to
please the Americans by going along, albeit
Teluctantly, with the policy of conciliation.
This policy only allowed the Buddhists to
stage otherwise illegal antigovernment dem-
onstrations and to disseminate antigovern-
ment propaganda. It was a privilege not
extended to any other political or religious
organizations by Mr. Diem's authorization
regime, which always has pulled in the reins
harshly when it felt politically threatened.
U.S. officials in Saigon and in Washing-
ton agreed with Mr. Diem's assessment of
the Buddhist leaders' ambitions. But they
disagreed angrily and bitterly with the
brutal tactics with which he silenced his po-
litical opposition.
PRODS
Right up to the moment of the imposi-
tion of martial law, Americans had pleaded
with Mr. Diem to put some sense of personal
'conviction and dynamism into the policy of
conciliation. They argued that in this way
the Buddhists would be deprived of an
Issue and would in due time 1?e pacified by
the real concessions which the Americans
gradually and painfully had extracted from
President Diem.
But Mr. Diem, prodded by his more miI-
'ltant brother, Counselor Ngo Ninh Nhu, and
his brother's wife, Mrs. Nhu, could only see
that each concession brought new Buddhist
predictions of demonstrations and suicides
to come.
Or as a Buddhist spokesman told this
correspondent several weeks ago "when
Lodge gets here there will really be some
excitement."
Now that martial law has been imposed,
it seems impossible, In this reporter's judg-
ment, that President Diem, irrespective of
American pressure, would again permit the
Buddhists-or any other group-to set up
mimeograph machines and start back up
the road of anti-Government action.
In an authoritarian state, where there is
no outlet for political steam, anything can
happen.
No one is more aware of this than Mr.
Diem and, his family, especially Counselor
Nhu who is the President's closest political
adviser.
COUP
At an interview that took place prior to
martial law, Mr. Nhu said: "I do not think
that a coup d'etat could be successful with-
out American support. And I certainly do
not suspect the Americans of plotting to
overthrow us, especially at a point when
the war is beginning to go better. Still
people are not always rational. And so
somebody might be crazy enough to attempt
a, coup d'etat, especially in the present
atmosphere."
Counselor Nhu observed that he had called
army generals to a meeting to discuss the
Buddhist affair.
"The army does not like to have this mat-
ter dragged out," Mr. Nhu said. "They see
that the Government is successfully defied by
the Buddhists, and this is a dangerous prec-
edent. It could give ideas to others. So
the army is angry with us for letting the
Buddhists continue these demonstrations
and disorders.
STOP
"The Americans want us to sit by quietly
and, let a handful of Buddhist leaders tell
lies about us to the world and foment dis-
brders. We offer the Buddhists everything-
international investigation of every so-
called grievance; but the Buddhist leaders
refuse because it is their policy to rouse
opinion against us in hopes of overthrowing
this Government. * * * There is a point
where this must stop."
It is of note that Counselor Nhu, after
imposition of the martial law, gave army
impatience with the Buddhist situation as
a main reason for the regime's action against
the pagodas.
After martial law was imposed, the Viet-
namese Army made haste to assure the
Americans that the war against the Vietcong
would be prosecuted as vigorously as ever.
The American military mission has con-
firmed that the tempo has not been slowed
and that there has been no substantial
diversion of frontline troops.
Is there a contradiction between the steady
American optimism about the war against
the Vietcong and the ferment caused in the
cities by the Buddhist affair and the Indig-
nation of many Vietnamese over the Gov-
ernment's brutal methods?
The Impact of the Buddhist affair in the
rural countryside (the villages and hamlets
rather than the provincial towns) is far less
than Americans imagine for these reasons:
It is' demonstrably incorrect to give the
impression that the General Buddhist As-
sociation represents 80 percent, or even 70
percent, of Vietnam's population of 14 mil-
lion people.
RACE
In the first place the association, whose
member pagodas are largely in the coastal
towns, is but one of the many rival Budd-
hist sects in Vietnam. In a 1962 pamphlet,
the association claimed 1 million members
plus 3,000 monks and 300 nuns. One mil-
lion members Is less than 10 percent of the
population.
Anti even though reliablefigures are hard
to come by, it is clear that any percentage
must not overlook the many different races
as well as religions of Vietnam.
Thee Defense Department in its "Pocket
Guide to Vietnam" and the American Em-
bassy in Saigon gives the following as the
best estimate of the breakdown between
the various groups, although noting that in
Vietnam it is considered quite acceptable
to have more than one religion.
For instance, a special dispensation was
given several years agoto permit Vietnamese
Roman Catholics to engage in ancestor
worship. And President Diem, in his home
at Hue, has a shrine there to his ancestors.
Out of 14 million people in South Vietnam
there are:
One million five hundred thousand Catho-
lics.
Five hundred thousand other Christians,
including Baptists, Mennonites, Seventh
Day Adventists, and converts of the Chris-
tian and missionary alliance.
One million five hundred thousand Cao Dai
(believers in a mixture of Eastern and West-
ern religions and worshipping as saints di-
verse figures such as Joan of Are and Sun
Yet Ben).
POINT
Five hundred thousand Hoa Hao (a new
religion founded in 1939 containing ele-
ments of Buddhism and magic. Its founder,
Huynh Phu So, was famous as a teacher and
miracle healer and preached that temples,
rituals and priests were not necessary to the
worship of God.
Seven hundred "-d !'"t y t'zeurand Animists
(these are mainly the Montagnards, who
worship gods of the soil and river, and so
forth.)
Three million Confucianists and ancestor
worshipers (these include the nearly million
Chinese left over from the 900 long years in
which Peking, the larger dragon, ruled Viet
Nam, the smaller dragon.
Five hundred thousand Hindus and Mos-
lems (these include the Cham tribesmen
who are non-Mongol, and the many Pakis-
tanis in Vietnam.
Five hundred thousand Taoists (again a
heritage from the many years of Chinese
rule).
Add up all these figures and the result is
that 8.75 million people are not Buddhists.
This leaves 5.25 million Buddhists at most,
eliminating those who have no beliefs at all
beyonds vague superstitions. So 35 percent
would be indicated as a more realistic-
though still generous--estimate of the per-
centage of Buddhists in South Vietnam.
Rufus Phillips, head of the U.S. operations
mission that is helping create the strategic
hamlet system in the Vietnamese country-
side, gives his own well educated guess that
80 to 40 percent of Vietnam Is Buddhist in.
conviction, with perhaps 15 percent pagoda-
going Buddhists. Mr. Phillips has been in
Southeast Asia since 1954 and has visited.
literally thousands of Vietnamese villages.
PrCTVRE
Roger Hilsman, Assistant Secretary of
State for Par Eastern Affairs, states that the
number of Buddhists in Vietnam "has been
exaggerated" and says that the whole plc-'
ture is much misunderstood.
Additionally, events in Saigon don't seem
as compelling in the countryside as in Wash-
ington because there are thousands of ham-
lets that are so cut off from anything except'
-their district headquarters that they liter-
ally may hear nothing about suicides and
demonstrations for years, if then.
Of the more than three dozen hamlets
visited by this correspondent, there were
only two in which anybody could be found
who had even heard about the self-immola-
tion of Thich Quang Due, the first dramatic
suicide.
The steady loyalty of the Vietnamese
Army-so far at any rate-is in some part
related to the large numberof officers drawn
from the 2 million refugees who came south
from North Vietnam. These soldiers have
known Communist rule first hand and are
likely to look on President Diem's rule differ-
ently than those who have never had this
experience.
PRIDE
But a soldier's morale and a soldier's pride
have far more to do with success or failure
against the immediate enemy than with a
dispute that most of them sense has more to
do with political opposition to Mr. Diem
than with religion. And in talking with
many officers and men In three different
comps-areas, this reporter felt their excite-
ment at "seeing the light at the end of the
tunnel"-as one colonel put it.
Finally, former Ambassador Frederick G.
Nolting, Jr. was quite clear in saying recently
that there is no religious "persecution" in
Vietnam. There has been repression of
Buddhist leaders-not because of their reli-
gion but because they conducted anti-Gov-
ernment agitation. Many Vietnamese oppose
the repression, but they understand it to be
political, not religious.
There probably has been favoritism in the
bureaucracy, especially in towns like Hue
where the Catholic Archbishop Ngo Dinh
Thuc is one of President Diem's brothers.
Currying favor is a full time occupation
among some Vietnamese, and there are no
doubt Catholics who sought to use acquaint-
ance with powerful members of the Diem
family to advance themselves. The Catholics
are far better educated than the Buddhists.
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333
For, one thing a Catholic has to have at The police reacted in several instances But from a social point of view of clubs or
least a high school education to be qualified with rambunctious brutality, beating seated residential areas or education, no Vietnamese
to train for the priesthood in a seminary, monks and nuns savagely as they carted hag been socially handicapped by his religion
MONK them off to' concentretionareas outside the as still happens today in America to some
Under the Mahayana (greater vehicle) city. The government claims that those members of the Jewish faith and as used to
Buddhism of. the association, anyone can arrested were subsequently all released, happen to Irish Catholics in those days when
go into _ dhi a p the and atl me a monk for But in the meantime a tidal wave of world the Kennedy clan was in Boston.
B
however long he pleases. No educational cre- attention focused on the Buddhists of Viet- BIAS
dentials are needed. And Buddhists tend to nam who were soon making use of their un-
be more passive than the Cathntine who have expected ability to manipulate international Never in history has a Vietnamese paper
r ..s ??_ ~~_-,2 ment. r aw 6 ...- But as President Kennedy's father and moth-
leprasariums
In the view and ~ of schools. American officials on In the pagodas, the monks, exhilarated by er well remember, advertisements saying "No
scene, P residentDiem himself Is not guilty of the playbacks of U.S. press stories which were Irish need apply" were a fact of life not so a policy of religious discrimination. But in somehow copied from the U.S. Embassy file, very long ago.
permitting police brutality, he began talking of continuing their campaign More than half of the 40 province chiefs
addition to in Vietnam are Buddhists, ancestor wor-
is most, certainly guilty of political and pay- until Mr. Diem was overthrown. More and
chological ineptitude which are grave faults more in the weeks prior to martial law, the non-Catholic. Confucianists, Cao Dal, etc.-that is,
in a man trying to run a country by per- monks seemed to convince themselves that non-Catholic. Only 6 of President Diem's
Boned, unquestioned dictate. wthe oulde be Wshingt or, Henry Cabot Lodge, cabinet of negotiating a 17 truce are with Catholicsthe. The Buddhists task of
had
Said a high official in Saigon: "If Diem Washington's agent in overthrow- been assigned to Vietnam's Vice President,
had gone instantly to the microphone after ing the Diem regime.
the May 8 incident (in which eight by- Mimeograph machines, loudspeakers, and also a Buddhist,
standers to the Buddhist demonstration were English-speaking press spokesmen were The American mission here has had more
am sm. from Mw
killed) had deplored the tragedy and pledged brought to the pagodas to disseminate to the Diem's its share of troubles nresulting .
theGoverIlment`s best effort to see that such foreign press charges and demands that be- m's lack of political dynamism. No New
events did not happen again-irrespective of came tougher and tougher. Frontiersman he. The shock at police bru-
where the guilt lay-it would have been omR tality has been profound. But this is not
impossible for anyone to pin an anti-Bud- the first nation whose police have gotten out
dhist image or him. For instance, the Buddhist Association at of hand. And these days it is a bit delicate
"Instead he is ,.so preoccupied with saving first clamored for an investigation of the for an American to lecture because it is not
face that he resists admitting anything done Hue killings under credible conditions. But impossible for a Vietnamese simply to reply:
his appointees could be wrong. At first When Mr. Diem finally offered them an inter- "Remember Alabama."
by he his ad onteethen he nationally observed joint investigation of CHARGE
y gave way to each this and every other alleged grievance, the
Buddhist demand in such a grudging way Buddhists refused. But prior to martial law there had been
that it had little effect." As a price for joining the investigation a certain disenchantment among Americans
The dispute between the General Buddhist they demanded that Mr. Diem first admit at persistent Buddhist dissemination of un-
Associatiorl and the Government started out guilt for the Hue killings. proved charges. At one point, for instance,
as limited psychological warfare over limited In other words, the Buddhists demanded the Buddhists said flatly that the police had
and tocol and justified
property. objectives involving Buddhist adelmands that the regime admit-prior to investiga- outskirts of Saigon In a night raaiid. on the
p tion-that it was wrong. The admission of
that later the vastly amplified, Government permit pwere at first Buddhist flags hist primarily guilt was part of the five Buddhist demands hardOil ly c any of those arrested were Buddhists,
to be flown at pagodas and during religious issued in May. But it was not made a pre- that the raid was a routine one to check the
processions on special holy days. They also condition of an internationally observed in- identity cards of families in a district
asked that certain laws be amended to per- vestigation until midsummer. through which Vietcong frequently infiltrate
mit the Buddhists to have greater oppor- In American eyes, the desperate need re- Into Saigon, and finally that all except those
tunity to buy property. mains to establish the facts as to Buddhist without identity cards and criminal records
MISTAKE charges of persecution for religious reasons, were released. The Buddhists were accurate
which is quite a different matter than police on one point. The raid was at night.
According to Counselor Nhu, "the first repression for political reasons, although the There is not the slightest tendency among
mistake the Government made in this Bud- two are often confused. And the only way the Americans to gloss over the situation
dhist affairs was to make a fuss about flags. world opinion can be satisfied is for the -In' here. The Diem regime is authoritarian, ad-
advice Let them had fly been any asked, flags I they would want. never If have my vestigation to be carried out in a manner mite it and justifies this on grounds of being
that will make the results credible. engaged in a fight for its life.
permitted the local authorities to have en- After martial law, this reporter queried
forced ordinances against , flag flying." President Diem on this point with this ques- ACTION
President Diem has in fact yielded to all tion: "You recently told me in answer to a Because his regime is authoritarian, 'Presi-
but one of the Buddhist demands (that he question that a policy of conciliation was dent Diem cracks down on any opposition
publicly accept guilt for the May 8 incident) irreversible. Have you now reversed that that resorts to direct action. If Montagnards
but not until police ineptness and sheer policy? Or will you hold open the offer of or Cao Dais were to break the law and stage
brutality set in train events which neither an internationally observed investigation of anti-government street demonstrations such
the Buddhists nor the Government foresaw. Buddhist complaints? as those engineered by the Buddhists, they
Violence first erupted in the university ANSWER would be in trouble. Catholics are cer-
Coastal town of Hue where on May 8 two tainly not immune. A highly critical Catho-
exploding grenades killed eight people, in- The President replied that the offer was lic editor in a provincial town had his news-
eluding three children and one Catholic, still open, saying in his written answer: "My paper shut down not too long ago and was
The May 8 victims were watching a Buddhist government has never had a policy of re- sentenced to 18 months in jail.
protest march to the radio station where the li ious discrimination so why should we re- Americans-especially in the field-do feel
monks wanted to put on a bcon- fuse the help of inpartial and sincere frustrated that their efforts seem to
monk ng the Government, for broadcast oads ting to observers to make clear to the world our good nished in the eyes of their countrymen en tar-
just
prohibit flying the Buddhist flat even though And an internationall at a time when the day-to-day cooperation
the Catholics in a procession only 10 days be- y observed investiga- between Vietnamese and Americans has
fore had flown their, religious emblems. tion to establish and rectify any Buddhist reached an all-time smoothness. re-
The Buddhists. blamed the Vietnamese grievance seems the best way This
in American porter has not seen and seriously doubts
Army for the killings, while the Diem regime eyes to bring some understanding and order out of a confused and tragic situation. any anti-American feeling of any scope in
said It was the Vietcong who threw plastic Vietnam.
grenades into the watching crowds insisting The tragedy of the events set in motion
by the Hue killings is heightened by the fact
not come from In the vast countryside, the easant in the
that the autopsy showed the fragments did that never before last May 8 had there been myriad tiny hamlets lives far too too elemental
Government-type weapons, mention of a "religious issue" in Vietnam. a life to care about what is going on in
The late Thich ,Quang Duo considered the Most Vietnamese do not know the religions Saigon, even if he happened to be a Buddhist.
Government police to be guilty and through of their friends and coworkers and do not Tending riceflelds all day and defending
his tragic suicide by burning in Saigon's presume to ask it. hamlets by night does not leave much time
principal intersection imprinted the Bud- This reporter has heard a Buddhist bureau- for thoughts about Buddhist banners and
ddh
iistd'side, Of the story on the mind of the crat say that a Catholic got the promotion Buddhist property rights, which in any case
worl
instead of himself because President Diem is are not matters that touch his life.
.i?EFIANCE a Catholic. It happens that a Catholic will TOLL
It was then -for the first time that the say that the Buddhist got promoted instead The same is true of the foot soldier who
Buddhists began. courting arrest deliberately of himself because Mr. Diem is bending over has no time for such abstractions because
by staging demonstrations in defiance of backwards to please the Buddhists. No one he is deeply engaged in a war that is being
city ordinances that prohibit them (to all has accused Vietnam of suffering from a fought increasingly hard-so hard that the
religions) without, prior permission. shortage of human nature, Vietnamese, dead a,nd Injured are running
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE January 14
at 14,000 a year. Up in the coastal province
of Quong Nal, which only last year was Com-
munist controlled, this reporter asked a
Vietcong defector, a warrant officer of 9 years
service in Hanoi and elsewhere, who was
going to win the war.
The ex-Communist fighter seemed sur-
prised at the question. "Your side," he said,
"because we are hungry and tired. When
my battalion (the 80th Vietcong Battalion)
came down from Hanoi in February 1962 we
could get food and recruits from the villages.
Now the villages are fortified and it is risky
to go in. Life is very hard for us, but the
Nationalists (Diem party) get supplies from
the Americans. So that is why I think that
they are going to win. Don't you?"
[From the New York Herald Tribune, Aug,
27, 1963]
VIETNAM-FACT AND FICTION: WHY THE
BUDDHIST FURY
(A monk in flames started it. A bizarre
sacrifice in Saigon's main intersection, and
the world was shocked and stirred, Since
then the high stakes crisis in South Vietnam
has grown more Intense, and at the same time
more emotional, more complex more con-
fusing, But Buddhist discontent remains
the one constant factor in the swift march of
events. Pulitzer Prize-winning Herald Trib-
une Correspondent Marguerite Higgins, in the
Vietnamese countryside, cut through rumor
and contradiction in a search for the facts
of the Buddhist-Government dispute. Today,
in the second of a six-part series, she pre-
sents her surprising findings.)
(By Marguerite Higgins)
SAIGON.-The saffron-robed monk came
down the steep steps of the Xa Lot pagoda
looking much younger than his 24 years. In-
finitely, poised, he greeted the waiting jour-
nalists, each one by name.
From inside the ornate exotic pagoda,
whose peaks thrust three stories high, drifted
the mixed aroma of burning Joss sticks and
Jasmine. Ceremonial services were being
held for the late Thich Quang Due, who set
the tragic precedent of suicide by fire.
Outside the iron-grilled gates, another
monk harangued several thousand of the
faithful. He was standing, loudspeaker in
hand, on the roof of the pagoda souvenir
shop. It was doing a brisk business in post-
cards depicting photographs of the venerable
Quang Duo's self-immolation at a Saigon
intersection.
DRAFT
The older members of the crowd stood
impassively, but the youngsters seemed to be
visibly enjoying the excitement. They
roared back enthusiastically when the monk,
in modified cheerleader fashion, gave-the
signal to shout "Buddhism Forever" and
"Down With Madame Nhu."
Back at the inner steps of the pagoda, the
young monk-Thich Duc Nghiep, the assist-
ant secretary of the General Buddist Asso-
ciation'and spokesman for the pagoda ex-
pertly fielded in stilted but clear English,
the questions of 'the journalists.
As is happened, although a number of
reporters and photographers got to Hue the
next morning, there were no self-Immolations
(the word suicide is taboo among the Bud-
dhists) until a week later.
But the scene at the pagoda was typical
of the expertise in Buddhist press handling
that was a thorn in the side of the Govern-
ment.
This correspondent who had never before
passed much time in pagodas, was astonished
to be greeted on the first day at Ya Lot
with a query by Thich Duc Nghiep: "Ah,
you are from New York * * what kind of
a play are we getting?"
Not expecting the question, I asked, "Do
you mean is the Buddhist story still- getting
headlines?"
"Yes, yes," he nodded impatiently.
THE PAGODA PUBLICISTS
"It certainly is," I said. "That's why I'm
here."
And when Thich Due Nghiep learned that
my stay in Vietnam would be limited to
about 3/ weeks, he declared, "You are mak-
ing a great mistake, Mies Higgins. When
new U.S. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge
arrives, there will be many demonstaaions
that will make, what went before look like
nothing. And there will be many more self-
immolations ? ? ? 10, 15, maybe even 50."
Exactly what was the discrimination that
was causing all this tragedy, I asked young
Thich Due Nghiep.
"What we want," said the monk, "is for
the Government to fulfill the five Buddhist
demands in a just spirit."
(The five demands involve flying Buddhist
flags on certain ceremonial occasions, im-
proved chances to purchase property, free-
dom to propagate the Buddhist faith,
punishment of those guilty of throwing
grenades into a crowd of demonstrators May
8 in Hue, and an end to arrests and persecu-
tion of Buddhists.)
But what, I inquired, about the Govern-
ment's claim that it had met virtually all
these demands in an agreement signed June
15?
A SUMMONS
"That is just on paper," said Nghiep.
"Is it absolutely too late for the Govern-
ment to find agreement with the Buddhists?"
Nghiep: "We do not go in for political
questions. But it does seem too late to
reform."
Buddhist intentions became clearer to me
in one of the few amusing incidents of a sad
period.
I was lgaving the Hotel Caravelle an hour
before store closing time to pick up some
slacks for a dawn departure for the combat
zones the next morning. Excitedly, the
hotel telephone operator intercepted me to
any that "the very highest monk" at the Xa
Lot pagoda had summoned me to an audi-
ence, that I was to report instantly to the
pagoda, and that I was not to bring my
interpreter as this was to be "top secret."
At the pagoda I passed rows of politely
bowing monks in saffron robes and was
Then, as was routine, Thick Due Nghiep ushered into the innermost inner sanctum-
handed out mimeographed sheets of new a small cosily furnished room in the resi-
allegations about Government repressions dential wing of the Xa Loi.
against Buddhists. Almost as an after- There sat Thich Due Nghiep and an older,
thought, the monk remarked that it would alert-looking monk. This one was in grayish
be very interesting" for the journalist to go blue robes. He was lavishly introduced by
to Hue 4 hours flying time from Saigon) the young pagoda spokesman as "one of our
"right away." ? most important leaders and one who ordi-
"Is it another barbecue?" blurted out a narily never sees correspondents but since
photographer with typical irreverence. you represent the White House."
"Ahhh (drawing the word way out) I can- The light dawned.
not say," responded Thich Due Nghiep. "But THE MESSAGE TO KENNEDY
I recommend going to Hue and it would- I dug into my purse, got out the White- mitted to a correspondent, the five demands
be a good idea to take your cameras." House press card which I had used earlier no longer represent their aim. -
As he turned to go, the monk tossed back that day at the pagoda as identification, and "No matter what the Government may do,
over his shoulder the admonition "You ought said to the monks, "You don't understand. the leaders will find a new matter for com-
to try and be in Hue by 8 o'clock in the I am a reporter. I am only accredited to the plaint. Only the fall of the Government will
morning." White House." satisfy them."
"Precisely," answered Thich Due Nghiep,
triumphantly taking the White House card
and showing it proudly to Thich Trf Quang,
one of the leaders from Hue. "You are ac-
credited to the White House, and we have-a
message for President Kennedy."
Argument got me nowhere. Two -and a
half hours later, after the stores were closed
and the slacks irretrievable, I emerged with
the message to President Kennedy which
boiled down to this: -
"We the Buddhists have good information
that President Kennedy sympathizes with
our anti-Diem efforts and he no doubt had
to maintain a certain public posture. But
his last press conference wasmuch too favor-
able to Diem. The time is coming when
President Kennedy will have to be more out-
spoken because it would be hard to get rid-
of Diem without explicit American support."
In response to my rather astonished ques-
tions (I had only been there 2 days) Thich
Tri Quang indicated that the Buddhistsfelt
Mr. Diem would be inhibited by American
pressure from cracking down on them. So
they thought they had a good chance of con-
tinuing their agitation to the point where the
Americans would be embarrassed into with-
drawing their support of Mr. Diem or getting
rid of him. And the Buddhists had no ap-
parent doubt that "getting rid of Mr. Diem"
would be Washington's choice.
What did the Buddhists want? Diem's
head-and not on a silver platter but en-
veloped in an American flag.
It was Buddhist strategy, as a number of
their leaders openly told me, to keep agita-
tion-and publicity about it-at a high level
until Washington finally ordered new
Ambassador Lodge somehow to remove the
Diem family from power. A number of the
now jailed Buddhist leaders, in fact, asked
me point blank: "How much will it take to
force the United States to act against Mr.
Diem?"
Although they insisted that they had no
special candidate for the Presidency, the
Buddhists clearly expected that the power
and influence of their leaders would be en-
hanced under any successor to Mr. Diem. -
The political nature of the Buddhist aims
was evident to Westerners in Saigon despite
the worldwide acceptance of Buddhist claims
of religious persecution. The Buddhist lead-
ers are being persecuted all right-but for
daring to challenge Mr. Diem, not for their
religion.
Former Ambassador Frederick Nolting, Jr.,
is one among many diplomats who believe
that the Buddhist leaders deliberately ex-
panded some perfectly legitimate local griev-
ances about flying flags and property rights
into a misleading picture ofreligious strife
for political ends.
Father Patrick O'Connor-an Irishman, not
an American-wrote from the scene an arti-
cle thatappeared August 9 in the Catholic
Standard, stating:
. "The Buddhists in South Vietnam have
been selling the American public a bill of
goods. They sold it first to some of the for-
eign correspondents in Saigon. * * * 'The
militant intersect committee for the defense
of Buddhism has listed five demands. For
these five demands, the Buddhist association
is prepared to throw the country into dis-
order and defy the government in the mid-
dle of its life and death struggle with
communism."
THE POLITICAL ENDS
"For these it is prepared to let bonzes
(monks) burn to death-if the foreign press
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE
Although Pope Paul VI has personally in-
teroedea with an appeal for tolerance in
South Vietnam, the Vatican has also taken a
position that the conflict is not a religious
dispute, but a political o\ie. The Vatican
newspaper L'Osservatoie Romano, in a front-
page article last week, said that the cause of
the crisis was "the political judgment of the
Government-whether justified or not-as to
the ability of the Buddhist community to re-
sist and defend against communism."
How do the political aims of the Buddhist
leaders in Saigon square with five tragic
,suicides by fire of monks and nuns? In
every case the suicides left notes indicating
that their act was done in the belief that
Buddhism was being persecuted as a re-
ligion-a religion that In some interpreta-
tions approves self-sacrifice.,
It is a fact that monks i2n pagodas and
some Buddhist laymen would tend to accept
as correct the claims of persecution put out
by'Buddhist leaders in Saigon whether they
themselves or any one around them had ever
experienced religious persecution.
A _ MOTIVE
And outside Vietnam, the American pub-
lic-which has a hard time avoiding the
temptation of applying Western logic to
oriental situations-tends almost automati-
cally to assume that the tragic suicides are
proof in themselves of religious persecution.
Wi y would anyone, the Westerner reasons,
choose sueh a horrible death unless lie or she
had irrgfutable,proof that the Diem govern-
ment Was doing terrible things to Buddhists.
The unnecessary savagery of the Viet-
namese Army in smashing the pagodas can-
not help but deeply. tarnish Mr. Diem's re-
gime.. But police brutality, which had also
occtlrred'before the imposition of martial law,
was not the cause of the tragic spate of
suicides,,
Pox' example: At Phan Thiet the coastal
town where a 20-year-old Buddhist monk
burnt himself at high noon alone in the me-
morial park, the Buddhists were unable to
give this reporter any specific example of
their grievances except that they had been
compelled on Buddha's birthday to fly the
Vietnamese national flag alongside the
'Buddhist flag.
This reporter remarked that this hardly
seemed a grievance warranting suicide.
Agreeing, the Buddhist spokesman finally
said; "But whatever is the case here, we
know there is persecution because our lead-
ers in Saigon have told us so."
14 talking to monks in the smaller towns,
I found them kindly, credulous, and discon-
nected from reality. Most.had not had more
then a grammar school education, The
eifort 9f sorting out the facts in the maze of
charges and denials between the Buddhist
Association and the Government was beyohd
any desire of theirs. If the venerable elder
monks in Saigon's pagodas said Buddhism
wag, being persecuted-then it must be so.
No one will ever know, of course, just how
much the. suicides were.. influenced by the
emotional, powerfully written tracts sent out
from Xa LOi. Among the slogans lettered on
huge banners draped over the pagoda's outer
wall. were these; "We are, ready to sacrifice
ourselves for Vietnamese youth." * * *
"Resolutely in the footsteps of Quang Due"
(the first suicide)..
In the stormy seas of charge and counter-
charge, there are only a few steadfast islands
of incontrovertible truth..
The Diem government has had a history of
religious tolerance.
or many years President Diem's two clos-
est" advisers were ,members of the Jewish
faith: Volt. inky, land reform expert,
and Dr
.sV(tesley shel, head of the Michigan
n
te. V'niverslty advisory group to Vietnam.
Teo, 65
THE ISLANDS OF TRUTH
There is no record of the phrase "religious
issue" ever being used in South Vietnam
until after the May 8 incident.
..Catholics. Confucianists, and others have
joined the protest against the government
and in fact have faced punishment as the
result of their stand; among them, the Cath-
olic rector of Sue University, who was dis-
missed for his backing of demonstrations.
A U,S. military mission fact sheet prepared
in November 1962 had this to say:
"The religious atmosphere of Vietnam is
characterized by tolerance and acceptance of
various religious beliefs. Confucianism,
Buddhism, Taoism, and Christianity are
prevailing religions. To the Vietnamese
there is nothing wrong with holding several
religious beliefs at once."
It is also true that the Buddhists in the
weeks before the imposition of martial law
had become increasingly militant in their
anti-Diem propaganda. They were clearly
courting arrests by staging demonstrations
of larger and larger proportions even though
these are illegal under local ordinances which
apply equally to dat louts, students, or any
organized group.
President Diem, in a statement to this re-
porter, insisted that the recent action against
the Buddhists was not because of their re-
ligion, but because they turned their pago-
das into "hives of antigovernment political
activity."
AN ANGER
"Why do the American correspondents in-
sist on calling my government 'Diem's Catho-
lic regime'?" President Diem once flung out
angrily. "I notice they never say 'Kennedy's 11
Catholic regime.'
When this reporter interviewed Mr. Diem,
the President was clearly torn by his desire
to please the Americans and his inner con-
viction that the Buddhists were determined
to keep things stirred up and topple him.
And even to please the Americans, Mr.
Diem was not aboflt to take steps he felt
might weaken his personal power and so be-
gin the liquidation of his regime.
In this reporter's judgment, the Buddhists
overplayed them hand in thinking that the
Americans could indefinitely stay Mr. Diem
from reacting in the face 'of the rising tide
of demonstrations, suicides, and Thich Duc
Nghiep's open predictions of "much more ex-
citement when Lodge gets here."
And the Buddhist capacity.to keep things
stirred up stemmed directly from their pub-
lic relations skill. But while this skill sky-
rocketed the Buddhist cause to world atten-
tion, it was also part of the reason for their
current plight, including arrests during the
brutal police raid on the Xa Loi and other
pagodas. In equal measure to Mr. Diem's
fury at the Buddhist political agitation was
his fury at the world's attention it received.
For instance, a couple of Mondays ago at
10 p.m. on a rainy night in Saigon, an 18-
year-old girl was found on the steps of the
Xa Loi pagoda, her right arm bleeding pro-
fusely from her unsuccessful attempt to
chop it off at the wrist. (In some Buddhist
circles, detachment of limbs is an acceptable
religious gesture.)
THE DIEM DICHOTOMY
Within 10 to 20 minutes of the discovery,
American photographers and reporters were
at the macabre scene. They had been sum-
moned there by spokesman Thich Due
Nghlep, who rushed to pagoda phones that
kept in close touch with the American and
other .foreign correspondents. The Xa Loi
monks, made the, blend-drenched girl avail-
able for at least 40 minutes to photographers
and the press, for whom she tape recorded a
statement,, Only then was she finally taken
to the hospital.
335
And that is how the United States learned
of the incident within hours even though,
ironically, the villages of Vietnam would
probably not hear of it for months, and in
some cases years.
[From the New York Herald Tribune,
Aug. 28, 1963]
FACT AND FICTION-No. 3-VIETNAM BATTLE
IN THE FIELD AND THE GOVERNMENT
(American Death No. 106 in South Vietnam
came Monday-an Army reconnaissance
pilot, his plane shot down by Communist
fire. It was another tragedy of the lonely
war in which the United States has staked
the lives of 14,000 soldiers and more than $1
billion in aid, with the goal of defeating the
Communist Victconn guerrillas. ? President
Kennedy has pledged the United States will
stay in South Vietnam "until we win." The
Herald Tribune's Pulitzer Prize-winning
correspondent, Marguerite Higgins, touring
the Vietnamese countryside, reports today
on how close the West is to success in this
crucial cold war battleground.)
(By Marguerite Higgins)
SAIGON.-"The Vietcong are losing be-
cause we are steadily decreasing their areas
of maneuver and the terrain over which they
can move at will."
This judgment was rendered by U.S. four-
star Gen. Paul D. Harkins shortly before
President Ngo Dinh Diem instituted martial
law through South Vietnam. A tall blunt
soldier, General Harkins has been in charge
here since U.S. military advisory units began
to swing into action against the Communist
Vietcong guerrillas. Big-scale American
efforts got underway in February 1962.
General Harkins continued: "The fortified
villages are cutting the Vietcong lifeline to
the little people whom they used to tax to
get their piastres and their rice. It is harder
for them to get into the fortified areas to
kidnap youngsters and turn them into re-
cruits. Slowly, I grant you, but surely, the
Vietcong will find that there is no place to
hide."
The general's words reflected. the some-
what favorable turn the war had taken-
despite the Buddhist dispute with the Gov-
ernment-during the spring and summer.
How will the imposition of martial law
affect all this? It simply too early to tell.
The Diem regime has declared that there
will be no substantial diversion of troops
from the war zone. Whether this promise can
be kept obviously depends on the state of
law and order.
-But as of this moment, General Harkins
and his staff flatly contradict published re-
ports that South Vietnam's U.S.-backed fight
against the Communists--particularly in the
rice-rich delta-is "deteriorating" and that
a Vietcong buildup is taking place to the
point where the Communists will be able to
conduct mobile warfare with battalions as
well equipped as the Government's.
"What is mobility?" interjected one of
the general's corps advisers. "Mobility
means vehicles and aircraft. You have seen
the way our Vietnamese units are armed-
60 radios, 30 or 40 vehicles, rockets, mortars,
and airplanes. The Vietcong have no vehi-
clesand no airplanes, How can they be
mobile?
"Further," the American officer continued
"there has been no evidence of any increase
in the number of Vietcong units in the
delta even though we expected there would
be because our strategy is to sweep them
steadily southward and finally corner them.
As to weapons loss, a year ago our side was
losing 20 percent of its weapons. Now the
average for our side is 5 percent. Further,
the delta area under our control Is increas-
ing, not spectacularly, but steadily."
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -SENATE January 14
General Harkins frequently has been taken
to task by the resident American press corps
for overoptimism, but such criticism has
left him unmoved.
BREAKTHROUGH
The general and the key members of his
staff commanding 14,000 Americans, are con-
vinced that a military breakthrough has be-
gun this summer. At last they can see their
laborious preparations paying off as the
Vietnamese emerge in imposing numbers
from the training camps and the intelligence
and communications systems start function-
ing as they should. Most gratifying of all,
the peasants have abondoned their historic
and fear-enforced neutrality and have in-
creasingly come to the Vietnamese and
Americans to tip them off on Vietcong
whereabouts.
But it is when talk turns to the fortified
villages (the strategic hamlet program) that
the glint of anticipated victory-not this
year but not too many years away--really
comes to the eyes not only of General Harkins
but of most of the American and other dip-
lomatic missions here.
Unless something goes wrong unexpected-
ly, it is in the strategic hamlets that the
American taxpayer will get his $1-million-
a-day worth.
There is no question but that this pro-
gram-although it has a long way to go-
already has changed for the better the secu-
rity and-even more important-the psy-
chology of huge areas of South Vietnam.
The strategic hamlet plan wasdeveloped
by United States and Vietnamese leaders as a
bold, revolutionary method to halt Vietcong
control of the countryside.
Under the plan, peasants-who make up
851percent of Vietnam's 14 million people-
were grouped in rebuilt, fortified commu-
nities.
Previously, Vietcong harassment had re-
sulted in whole villages paying tribute to
the Communists to avoid extinction. But
in a strategic hamlet, the peasant is backed
up by a village militia and, if necessary, by
the regular army or militia from other vil-
lages, which maintain close communication.
Since February 5, 1962, 8,500 hamlets have
been established, In which 8 million Viet-
namese live. This means that more than
half of the nation has a measure of security
from Vietcong pressure that has never be-
fore been available.
The most convincing report of the suc-
cess of the strategic hamlet program comes
from those who should know best-the Com-
munists munists themselves.
In the amnesty camp near Quang Nai in
the northern coastal regions, a 28-year-old
master sergeant who defected told his story.
"I gave up because I was hungry and I
heard about the government's amnesty pro-
gram. It used to be easy to go into the
villages and obtain a bottleful of rice a day
from the people. Some were willing to give
it. Others we had to force. But after the
villagers were given guns and barricades It
became risky to try to go in even at night.
So life in the mountains became very hard."
sscnRrrv
Maj. John Kelly, the U.S. sector adviser at
Quang Nai said the reasons advanced by the
Communist sergeant were similar to those
given by nearly all of the 800 Vietcong
defectors who had come through the camp
since the amnesty program was launched in
the spring of 1963.
The strategic hamlets look like the stock-
ades the American pioneers built to defend
themselves against the Indians, except that
the Vietnamese use bamboo instead of logs.
Most peasants have not been physically
moved from their old homes. Rather, defense
works-bamboo and barbed wire fences and
sometimes moats-are erected around a group
of closely situated villages.
Under President Diem's concept that
democracy can best be learned at the . rice
paddy roots, hamlets are not declared a part
of the national network-which would qual-
ify them for a number of special health and
educational benefits-until after elections
have been held for the hamlet chief.
The hamlet program has gotten off the
ground despite an unfortunate psychologi-
cal start. The Vietnamese Army announced
the opening of the program in such a way
that it sounded as if hundreds of thousands
of families were going to be moved into the
fortified villages whether they liked it or not.
In actuality only those who volunteered were
moved.
The strategic hamlets are not completely
immune from attack. In American judg-
ment, the Diem regime has moved too quickly
in some areas in setting up strategic hamlets
and arming the village militia before the
surrounding area is sufficiently cleared of
Vietcong.
This reported visited in July the village
of Van Vien, which had been held for 30 hours
by the Vietcong. Although the village had
called for help when attacked, the regular
military forces normally stationed at the
province capital of nearby Mytho had been
diverted at the time to a major military op-
eration in another province.
In August, the Vietcong attacked and
burned a strategic hamlet only 20 miles from
Saigon. But occasional attacks on a few
strategic hamlets do not materially change
the picture of increased security for those
in the 8,500 -hamlets already established.
The majority of these, of course, are not suc-
cessfully overrun.
Deep in the Mekong delta, a few miles
from Ap Bac, where bloody battles have been
fought with the Vietcong, this reporter
talked with villagers whose huts had literally
been put aboard army trucks and transported
to a new strategic hamlet. The land around
the house seemed strangely bare because
the rice had been planted late. And the
villagers were not without their complaints.
One of the elders-greatly respected be-
cause he could read and write and had a
slight command of French-stalked frankly
as we sat on his tiny front porch. Under-
foot were muddy and naked children. Cur-
ious neighbors hurried over to stare at the
strangers. And a stone's throw away, a water
buffalo lumbered by guided by a tiny boy
astride its broad back.
"This village," said the elderly Vietnamese,
"is 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) from my rice
paddies. So I must bicycle and walk many
miles every day. The Government gave us
a thousand piastres with which to rebuild
this house. But it really is not-good-enough
to make the chicken roosts and pig -stye and
things for the animals as good as they were
In Ap Bac.
"When I go back to my old rice paddies, I
pass the Vietcong every morning, and they
are very polite to me and I am polite to them.
They do not bother old men. But before,
when my hut was at Ap Bac, the Vietcong
taxed me 200 piastres (about two and a half
dollars) and one bag of rice a year. Now that
we are In the strategic hamlet, the Vietcong
no longer collect taxes, and that is good. But
it is hard for an old man to travel so far each
day."
The old Vietnamese was asked whether, if
he had it to do over again, he would have
stayed in his old village at Ap Bac.
"No," he replied, "from the point of view
of security it is better here. Security Is es-
pecially important for the younger men.
The Vietcong do not dare to come this far
to kidnap them. The young people are very
frightened * * * for they know that the
Vietcong will cut their throats if they not
do what they say. In Ap Bac we all had to
believe in the Vietcong because they were
the strongest. Here we have a choice."
It was only in the fall of 1962 that the Viet-
namese Army, its buildup completed, was
ready to seize the initiative. During the pre-
ceding 0 months, the American advisory staff
of 700 had been expanded to 12,000, the stra-
tegic hamlets had been launched, 375 civil
guard companies totaling 100,000 men had
been formed and armed, and a village self-
defense corps numbering 60,000 had been
created.
Additionally, General Harkins likes to cite
these changes since the summer of 1962. A
year ago, the Vietnamese Air Force was flying
about 100 sorties a month and is now flying
about 1,000 monthly. The Vietnamese Navy,
which plays an important role patroling the
delta, was virtually nonexistent a year ago.
Now it has a junk fleet, a river force and
patrol ships at sea. -
Although the exact figure is classified, the
prevailing estimate of Vietnamese Army
strength is about 230,000 men.
But most signficant of all in the American
view are the figures concerning Vietcong at-
tacks. In the summer of 1962, these Com-
munist-initiated actions (including am-
bushes, kidnapings, terrorism, and propa-
ganda) totaled from 500 to 600 a week.
They now are down to somewhere between
200 and 250 a week.
- CASUALTIES
Vietnamese Army losses in dead and in-
jured have been running at the rate of 14,-
000 a year, which, as a top American officer
observed, "is testimony to the fact that this
Army is not holding back but fighting very
hard indeed." The Vietcong losses in dead
and wounded are estimated at about 30,000
a year. And in the week since martial law,
the losses on both sides were running close
to the weekly average.
More than 100 U.S. officers and men have
lost their lives, about half of these in com-
bat, the others- in accidents of various sorts.
One of the most stunning-and frankly
somewhat unexpected successes-was the
clearance of most of the Quong Nai area in
the northern part of the country. This
area had always been revolutionary in spirit
and until recently rather pro-Communist.
The progress in the highlands near Pleicu,
where the Montagnards prevail, has also
come quicker than any one had dared hope.
It is in the Mekong Delta that both the
war and the_ strategic hamlet programs are
meeting the most difficulty. The reason for
this, paradoxically, is that the delta is the
richest area. Because of the delta, and
despite all the war and turbulence, Vietnam,
a deficit rice area in 1962, will export 300:
000 tons this year. In the northern areas it
is possible to cut off the Vietcong from food
supplies from the peasants in the strategic
foraging the delta, even if he can't always
get rice, a guerrilla can pick coconuts or
pineapple off the trees.
Still, as one officer put it, "the important
thing is that village after village is being
taken from the Vietcong and they are
neither able to take them back nor take
any geogrhphy from our side. Roads are un-
safe but not as unsafe as last year."
This fact was confirmed by this reporter,
who drove 100 miles through the delta on
roads that last year were considered im-
passable because of Vietcong terrorists.
LODGE SEES DIEM AND NHU
TheDiem government tightened authori-
tarian rule in troubled South Vietnam yes-
terday, postponing indefinitely the National
Assembly election scheduled for Saturday.
The action came as new U.S. Ambassador
Henry Cabot Lodge continued conferences
with top Government leaders. Mr. Lodge,
who met twice with President Ngo Dinh
Diem Monday, conferred at length with the
President's brother and chief adviser, Ngo
Dinh Nhu, yesterday, in what was described
by diplomatic sources as a "very frank"
session.
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CONGRESSIONAL .RECORD -.SENATE
337
Mr. Nhu, who requested the meeting, is next to the Xa Lot pagoda when it Was raid- half-starving. We had to import rice, from
believed to have directed the savage crack- ed last Wednesday. the delta."
down on Buddhists, which brought mass ax- The Ambassador discussed the turn of But then the U.S.group went to work.
rests and martial law throughout the nation events with Mr: Diem in their second meet- "We started a rat-eradication program and
last week. Some sources assert that the ing Monday, after a brief ceremonial session a fertilizer program. The U.S. operational
President's brother-Who controls the police earlier In the day. The State Department mission came in and showed them how to
and several other paramilitary organiza- in Washington said the two men, in a 2- use the fertilizer," Major Kelly said.
tlons-has taken over action command of hour meeting, "reviewed In some detail the
the Government. Mr. Nhu denies this, but sERTILIZE
his meeting with Mr. Lodge hardly lacks in situation currently prevailing in South Viet- "We built pigsties and brought in pigs
his meeting nam," but declined to spell out details of the and lent them out for breeding. We showed
Mi Lodge task is crucial because of the conversation. them how to, make compost out of pig
high Lodge's ssakI (crucial
men, $1 of million There was no indication of what was said manure so they could make their own fer-14, a day) in South Vietnam's war against the between Mr. Lodge and Mr. Nhu yesterday. tilizer. Pretty soon, they will be close to
Communist Vietcong guerrillas. This war Meanwhile, the Saigon government re- self-sufficient in fertilizer and will be export-
was brought home grimly again yesterday ceived a not-unexpected blow from its neigh- ing pigs. And just take a look at those
with a report of the death of a U.S. Army bor, Cambodia, which cut off diplomatic beautiful green, thick, high stalks of rice."
pilot, the 106th American to die in Viet- relations. There has been longstanding . The major's arm pointed, toward the jade
nam. border frictiohbetween the ,two nations, and green fields where fragile. Vietnamese girls
U.S. policymakers are faced with the prob- addition,. largely Buddhist Cambodia con- in their straw bonnets were carrying buckets
the apparent implication that if the military (War In South Vietnam oringa quickly to Major Kelly, a holder of combat ribbons
ousted these responsible Mr. Nhu and jot Mr, mind the torturous campaigns against the for Korea and the New Guinea and Luzon
Diem-the United States would not be un- elusive Vietcong Communist guerrillas. But campaigns of World War II, was not alone.
happy, the war being fought there also is against There are more than 100 other advisers at-
Yesterday the U.S. foreign aid chief, David an older enemy: Poverty and the ignorance tached to this 25th Vietnamese Division area.
Bell, in a Washington interview, said the that nourishes it. Anew breed of Americans In addition, American agricultural, experts
United States desires to .Continue aiding Is helping the Vietnamese peasant to fight are doing a herculean job of helping to build
"the free people of Vietnam"against the both battles, which go hand-in-hand. Mar- the strategic hamlets that are increasingly
Communists, but added: guerite Higgins, Pulitzer Prize winner, takes giving the peasants protection from Viet-
"We don't support repression in any coon- a long look at how the wars are going in this cong harassment.
try," 4th article in her series.) ..The, lowest. rAn)iing advisers here are cap-
There 1s the further crucial. problem of (By Marguerite Higgins) tains, who are at the battalion level, All
how. tim iuartial law will affect the Vietcong QUANG NGAI, VIETNAM.-Here in the palm- these soldiers, including Major Kelly, go out
#ight, although the Diem government has dotted northern coastal plains you can tell on combat operations and are authorized to
Contended that the war , effort remains.un- where Americans are welcome-and the shoat if necessary to prevent their own death
egged, and in fact announced that 49 Viet- Viet Cong are absent-by the sight of the The or ceyure,
cong have been killed in the past week: . children who rush to the side of the road fighting y a do. war, not feel since that they no exactly
Nox}ethe,less, there were..uncRnilrmed re- and shout over and over, "Hello! OKI" they have no right of
t
ports_.that-Vietnamese Ranger units in three after the passing jeep. Wide smiles and Life But direct these over the often troops.
towns were fighting among themselves over Savers have been the GI's Passport But y t oen in combat
the recent actions. popularity. to because they accompany hisi ns into coon
action
laresident Diem called pfr the legislative And so far in this northern province, only bets that the Vietnamewill se a available.
election yesterday in an official. decree issued once did the Life Saver gambit boomerang. so that their advice where available.
through the Government-controlled Vietnam This was when a local farmer took Down in the lt,ta, the war d slowr-
Dress Agency. The statement gave no details translation of the trade name on the wrap- leand ans whore difficult, hl y impatient with the in-
on
m on the reason for the postponement or when per lit So one day he stormed p- icons o were highly l eir advice wwa the ed,
asked.
the vote would be rescheduled. The one- to a group oup of American advisers, up There frequecy with cwhich omplaints that the Vietnamese
house . 123-member National Assembly a is a badly broken arm before their horrified dangled Them ware comivints that the Vietnameso
aomin regimental and division commanders had, to
ally the legislative branch of the Re- eyes, and denounced the "American magic" refer too often to higher headquarters-cm-
public-but has little authority. The present as phony because he had swallowed a Life plaints that have threaded. through the early
assembly was elected in August 1959. Saver and It had obviously not healed his phases of the war for Vietnam.
. Despite certain outward signs of a relaxa- wounds.
tion of tension yesterday (easing of Saigon's But even in the delta, an American colonel
curfew, removal of some barbed wire barri- REWARDING remarked: "Part of the problem is that it
Lades, shifts of censorship from military To Maj. Robert J. Kelly, 39, of Allegan, simply takes time to establish acrapport be-
to civilian authority) , emclear Mich., a veteran of 20 years in the U.S. tween the Vietnamese and Americans. Judg-
to civil Government, th ) events ve brook made
0 ar An, the job of adviser to the province ments are proved or disproved in the test of
zit
hion. pp chief of Quang Ngal is "the most rewarding, operational decisions. Things used to be a
Among the developments; exciting end eye-opening experience that I bit sticky. But now, when we really get Into
Brig. Gen. Ton That Dinh, Saigon's mili- have ever had." a fight, I am not at all surprised to have the
tary governor, ordered security forces to Major Kelly is one of the thousands of a Vietnamese commander turn to me and ask:
shoot into "any group' of troublemakers who brandnew breed of military that is get- 'OK, what do we do now?' "
violate the state of martial law." He'also ting on-the-job training in a new kind of CIVIC ACTION
banned any labor strikes. struggle. In this war, winning the minds, In this connection, this reporter was mildly
Vu Van Mau, Vietnam's longtime Foreign hearts and trust of little people has equal surprised to hear quite a few officers remark
Minister until he resigned last week in pro- priority with winning military battles. that 1
test against the Buddhist crackdown, appar- year's tour is duty was not, really
just
In addition to such orthodox matters as enough, because "it is time to go home juently was under arrest, Mr. Diem had asked flanking maneuvers, firepower and keeping when things are getting organized."
Mr. Mau to take a vacation instead of quit- your carbine clean, the new breed must think Throughout South Vietnam, Americans
-ting, but the Foreign Minister vanished about pigsties, rat eradication and. psycho- of the new breed are taught to think in terms
shortly before he was supposed to take a logical warfare, of "civic action"-a dry-sounding term
plane to India over the weekend. "The reason this job gets a hold on you" which, however, means warm, human, easily
More than ,10,000 Government troops re- said Major Kelly, "is that you can see things understood acts of helpfulness by the soldiers
mined in Saigon alone. All school, pagodas, getting better before your very eyes. You to show the people that they are their friends
movie houses, and parks were closed. More can feel the Vietnamese trusting you more and protectors.
than. 2,000 students were arrested Sunday, each day. And you know you are really In this spirit, several small groups of'Sea-
and their whereabouts remained uncertain, doing all right when the start begging you Bees and Army engineers. are traveling from
There were some, reports the students were to extend. (The ordinary tour is 1 year.) village to village, and on a tiny budget of
being drafted,intg the army. Thousands of "When I first came here 8 months ago, $20,000 are performing what the Vietnamese
others have been- detained by police. the rice was yellow and sickly," he said, regard as small miracles.
It was reported that. Mr. Lodge has unoon- "There was only one crop a year. The rats There is a small village north of My 'rho in
ditio~llally rejected a deaiarid that the United were so fierce that they ate up 80 percent of the. delta, that will forever remember the
States turn over, two .Buddhist monks who the rice before it could be harvested. The Americans for building a wooden bridge over
took' refuge in the American aid mission people here were scared,and desperate and the canal that, so lgngasanyone could re-
f
eIn oY now to justify continued American emned the Diem crackdown. of-, precious water. from the canal to the
presence here in the face of the Govern- crops.
ment's repressive tactics. [From the New York Herald Tribune, Aug. And looking at those shimmering green
On Monday, the State Department indi- 29, . 1963) fields that were indeed beautiful, it was
caled that it absolved the Vietnamese mlli- impossible not to share Major Kelly's sense
VIETNAM: THE WAR ON Pn--
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338
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE January 1.4
member, had separated half the inhabitants guerrilla. Who tells her why he rejected the
from the others. Communists.)
It all began when the Americans asked the (By Marguerite Higgins)
hamlet chief to list three priority needs of r QUANG NGAI, VtrrNAM.-"T'here they are-
the village and then take a vote to see which real genuine bonaflde, 18-carat Communist
one the majority wanted to have done. After Vietcong."
the bridge was voted, three American engi- The U.B. Army captain waved his hand in
neers appeared, hired local labor to do the the direction of a schoolhouse where 60 de-
work (at 40 piastres or about 65 cents a day- serters from Vietcong were sitting in prim
high for the area) under their direction. rows, singing a patriotic Vietnamese song
MONEY that required rhythmic clapping. They
This brought in extra money to the corn looked amazingly young, fresh faced-and
munity and lots of extra excitement. Under bored.
the adoring eyes of hundreds of Life Saver- Thees Vietcong were among 800 who had
bloated ragamuffins, the engineers showed passed through this amnesty camp since
the Vietnamese how to pour concrete pilings April 1963 when President Ngo Dinh Diem
and other such mysteriesof bridge building. proclaimed a policy of forgiveness and reha-
The whole project probably cost only a few bilitation for those Communists who gave
hundred dollars, but it will surely be a high themselves up. Throughout the country,
point in the history of that village. the Chu Hoi (amnesty program) has brought
The Americans are seeking by example and in more than 10,000 Vietcong, far exceed-
prodding to encourage the Vietnamese Army ing expectations.
MESSAGE
to join the civic action movement. The idea
has now progressed to the point where every Here in Quang Ngai, the Vietnamese and
Vietnamese division "adopts" a strategic American psychological warfare officers have
hamlet and devotes some labor and materials worked out an ingenious program to take
to completing its defenses. the amnesty message to the many Vietcong
Quang Ngai had the highest morale of any battalions known to be hiding both in the
area I visited, and with good reason: the nearby foothills and in the forested high-
American advisers, the brand new Vietnam- lands of Vietnam's northwest frontier.
ese 25th Division (commanded by a Budd- Each morning light planes equipped with
hist) and the peasants defending the ham- loudspeakers fly low to broadcast the Gov-
lets had shared a rousing and genuine victory ernment's invitation. The broadcasts are in
over the Vietcong. Vietnamese and in the different dialects of
It happened on April 15 of this year, when the Montagnards (mountain people of non-
an entire Vietcong battalion attacked 12 Vietnamese origin). Each day thousands
strategic hamlets. When the 4-day battle and thousands of pamphlets are dropped in-
was over, the Vietcong had left 226 dead in to the foothills and mountains. These
the rice fields. The 2-weeks-old 25th Divi- amount to safe-conduct passes for any Viet-
sion had few casualties. ' tong who retrieves one.
"It was after that victory,". recalled Major In the Quang Ngai area, where food is
Kelly, "that everybody's self-confidence hard to come by, nearly every Vietcong has
seemed to return. The villagers, instead of
being neutral, started coming to us with in-
formation about the Communists. People
started flooding back into the province capi-
tal and, before you knew it, we were in the
middle of a building boom.
The Buddhist crisis In the cities seemed
from Quang Ngai, with its sanity and sense
of purpose, to be a terrible nightmare. Per-
haps the Government crackdown can affect
the morale of future Americans coming to
Vietnam if they believe that they are mak-
ried with us Chinese and Czech weapons that
are modified in North Vietnamese factories
so that they can fire ammunition manufac-
tured in Hanoi."
Why did Sergeant Iriem desert?
"I learned very gradually that the Hanoi
government was one that denied freedom,"
said the sergeant, "but in any case, I had
been unsure of my loyalty to the Commu-
nists for some titne before I came South. In
the North they told us that the Communist
system would bring a better life to the peo-
ple. They told us that the Russians and the
Chinese were coming to our country to help
raise the standard of living. But everybody
could see with their own eyes that in the
North that standard of living is going down
and the people are suffering."
RUSSIANS
The sergeant was asked whether the peo-
ple of North Vietnam preferred to get their
'assistance" from the Russians or the
Chinese:
"As a rule the Vietnamese don't like for-
eigners of any kind," said Sergeant Liem.
"But if they have to have them, they prefer
the Russians because they are more skillful
and prosperous than the Chinese. Every-
body knows that the Russians have succeeded
and the Chinese have failed. Everybody in
Hanoi follows very closely the situation in
China and knows all about the- terrible suf-
"
fering of the Chinese peasants."
The sergeant was asked to describe the life
and activities of his battalion in the moun-
tains.
"The first few months were spent," he said,
"in getting organized in the matter of food
and water and establishing liaison with the
other battalions. At first the Montagnards
gave us a bottleful of rice a day willingly.
Later we had to force them. We planted
some crops of our own (corn). In the fall
we had our first success. We attacked a
Vietnamese Army convoy near Khontum, and
we captured three cannons and lots of other
ammunition. But we had difficulty fulfilling
our assignment to capture and Indoctrinate
young men from the villages to fill our ranks
and fight on our side. By winter the village
defenses had been built up so that it was
risky, to go into them even at night to get
food."
The sergeant continued: "Life in the
mountains became very hard. Through at-
trition and battle losses my battalion lost 100
men in 1 year. We did not have enough to
eat. There was no medicine. I had been
thinking for some time of trying to get
away, though I could not speak of it, for
the Vietcong would have kiled me. Still
I was- afraid of how the Government would
treat me. Then I heard the broadcast from
the plane about the amnesty camps. And I
decided I would run away the first chance
The Communists blame their troubles on
the fortified village program, which has
made it harder and harder to get into popu-
lated areas and extort rice from the peasant.
"Which' one do you want to speak with
first?" asked the Vietnamese camp director
as 60 pairs of eyes looked up expectantly,
their owners clearly desiring to be liberated
from the usual routines and indoctrination
of the amnesty camp.
A Vietcong master sergeant who was one
of the most recent defectors was asked to
oause. join this reporter and her interpreter, an
But you couldn't tell Major Kelly that the American who speaks Vietnamese, in a far
people who had fought so bravely on April corner of the school's grounds where we
15 and who had made the rice so tall and could talk without interruption.
green were part of a cause not worth fight- The master sergeant, Vu Duy Liem, 28, was
ing for. He would fight you first. clad in the cotton pajamas that many Viet-
In point of fact, at the time of my visit, namese traditionally wear as outer garments.
there had never been any trouble in Quang They find it amusing to think that Ameri-
Ngai between Buddhists and the Govern- cans use them to sleep. in. The master ser-
ment. geant was slim, wiry, with a mind razor-
t t
l
d reac
How did the Americans in the e
o sharp. The peak infiltration of regular Vietcong
the preoccupation at home with the Bud- BIOGRAPHY such as Sergeant Liem's battalion oc-
dhists? There is a natural preference of His home was a village in the Quang Ngai units units according to American sources, dur-
American soldiers to have hometown at- curred,
area which has had a history of being very
tention focus on the accomplishments of revolutionary. His family were peasants and ing the summer and fall of 1961 and con-
which they, are so proud rather than on an tinued heavily through the spring and
issue that is not yet real to them. ancestor worshipers, as were most of the peo- summer of 1962.
As Major Kelly said, "When you can see pie in the village. He joined the Communist PRESIDENT
Viet Minh armies in 1953 to fight the French.
and feel every day how much has been done in 1954 the master sergeant was regrouped to As the U.S. military fact sheet on Vietnam
to make life better and the rice greener, it Hanoi in North Vietnam under the terms of puts it: "By 1980 the Communists realized
is a pretty good feeling in itself. But do you the Geneva agreement. that they had lost any chance to take over
suppose anybody at home ever hears about In July 1962 Sergeant Liem was among south Vietnam by political and propaganda
this sortof thing?" 450 men of the 80th Vietminh Battalion means alone." According to the fact sheet
as
th
k
[From the New York Herald Tribune, Aug.
30, 19631
A VIETCONG DESERTER SPEAKS
(South Vietnam is a testing ground. The
fate of southeast 'Asia is at stake, and that's
why the United States is there in force.
But in the Vietnamese countryside, great
cold war issues come down to a bloody fight.
Part of- that fight is to win over the enemy.
In this fifth article, Pulitzer Prize-winner
Marguerite Higgins interviews a Vietcong
new ere w
who completed an arduous journey south to the reason the Communists
the mountains near Pleiku with the assign- no chance for political victory was that Presi-
ment to join with other regular Viet'Minh dent Diem, who in 1954 had been given sur-
units that were infiltrating at the time in ? vival chances of 6 months, had defied the
peak numbers to "liberate South Vietnam." skeptics and in addition to establishing order
"We came through Laos over' a mountain out of chaos had achieved major social, eco-
pass that was so ste&p that one misstep nomic and, above all, agricultural gains.
would cause you to tumble to death in the "The economic progress made by the Re-
chasm below," said Sergeant Liem. "Fortu- public of Vietnam," " the fact sheet adds, "was
nately, we had excellent guides. For the seriously embarrassing to the North. Ac-
Communists, as you well know, prepare cordingly * * * the Communists launched
everything thoroughly in advance. We car- what they surely hoped would be an all-out
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6 CONGRESSIONAL RECQRJ T SEx
drive tQ gyertu]p the pig government by echoed by the British advisory mission and ing level has been astonishingly immune to
arni~ed.force ? ?.,,?." by most experienced foreign oservers with outside pressure up to and through the impo-
The .V,t@tcm,Ag organization in South Viet- whom this reporter spoke not only in Saigon, sition of martial law. But now the high
nam; is on three , -l$vels The _?olitical ma- but also at military headquarters in the field. officers are bewildered. You Americans have
ehinery consists of regional, provincial, and And fears of a setback In the war, which lectured them ad infinitum about civilian
district colnmjtt es that parallel the Gov- after many painful false starts is finally go- rule. Americans have lectured them ad in-
ermi nea own adminlatral4ye units, These ing better, explains why the United States flnitum about getting on with the war. And
committees operate secretly in areas con- has so long endured President Ngo Dinh they want to get on with the war. These
trolled ,1y the Government and openly in Diem, for all his authoritarian ways, his Vietnamese officers are truly dedicated.
those villages and districts still. held. by the stubbornness, and his failure to make his "But now the U.S. Government comes out
Vietcong, the majority of which are in the position clear to the world. 'with what amounts to a suggestion that the
Delta> U.S. policy has now wavered to the point Vienamese military try and take charge of
Thew. duties .of, the Communist . political where the Government this week decided to the country as well as. the war. The mili-
warriors are tQ disseminate Red propaganda, issue what amounted to an open invitation tary know that the jeeps they ride in, the
spread false rumors about the Government, to the Vietnamese military to take over the planes they fly, the very bullets in their guns
act as,iiirtelligence agents and informers for government in S
i
a
gon
the -if they could. come from the United States. What are
regular military units, earmark govern- The, change of policy has stirred an in- they to do? Forget about civilian rule, and
:rnen admiinstrators for assassination and terndl row in the U.S. Government, and the go the way of the Korean juntas? Are they
exploit trouble, outcome is in doubt. to risk chaos by trying to throw out Diem
Tile e u, military Vietcong units com- The proponents of getting rid of Diem ar- by force? So long as this uncertainty about
would have 00 25,, 00sme f At present, This ghe tthhantchis political repression has reached American policy exists, Washington will be
prise 2 ,
it
has
qu
. - _. a
e enough on its? hands fight-
''he Cgrntnuniei, military units have con- ing the Communist Viet Cong guerrillas, So far the Vietnamese army has on the ac-
centr ze d a tacks past and C OM.- that one war at a time is enough. Finally, Cepting ulleresto Diem ponsibility the extent of law
pay- g this group argues that the greatest threat
regimental-size actions (combining two bat- to the soldier's morale is not Diem's au- and events in the pagodas. It is possible hat the Vietnamese talions that ordinarily operate independent- thoritarian approach but the confusion and the Diem family to accept this publicerespon-
lly) are ucrative ndertak n e Thwhen us the t s em s dismay created by Washington's unsubtle sibility. But one thing is certain. Presi-
g attempts to pit the army against his regime dent Diem and his family are not about to
battalion. joined with the Vietcong 60th and the hints that U.S. aid may be curtailed. go quietly. Diem's head is not for the tak-
Bg nion, to at aaSouth Vietnamese con-.. In light of this clash of views inside the ing. He is bound. to fight back.
voy
Ian addition toPthe, regular military there anKennedy adm ything can ihappenion Only thinnext, e Washington's current reappraisal port
are est ted q [ze nore Wan 00,000 pp en. things are toward ward South Vietnam m are re in n
t guer- clear: part
rillas, who are arrrier .by day and soldiers by 1. The State Department's apparent at- thattivated
Diem's anti Buddhist Image might rub
night. They engage in terroristic actions tempt to set the Vietnamese army at the off on America and endanger relations with
such a0, hrowing grenades blindly into a throat of the Diem regime in the middle of Buddhist nations. The irony here is that
divlslol~, O?baikd post or a hospital or a a war will be the subject of bitter contro- Washington is perfectly well aware that
movie ,theatgr, to.confuse ai_d_frighten the versy both inside this Government and Diem himself is not guilty of persecution
populat ion They also stage ambushes, around the world for an unpredictable pe- of any religion, but rather pulled in the
mine roads And, the like, riod of time.
Actor pg to Sergeant Liem, "Quite a few 2. New U.S. Ambassador Henry Cabot reins harshly on the leaders of.the Buddhist
more piny battalion will try and come to Lodge has been Association because they were waging an
the annxlesty camp-lf they hear he broad- diplomatic position.t in a terribly difficult increasingly loud and effective
political cam-
cam-
casts .,and .if the, Vietcong don't catch them And Mr. Lodge, it can be stated on good paign against his regime.
trying to ,escape." authority, has protested at least some of the owho tsiwho to want Diem regime i llectu-
What.,k"Tad Of ltfe,.did the. sergeant want the State Department's publicity tactics in le outs n In, the citified the
after lea. jug the _,camp, which he will be the sharpest terms, me to the bureaucracy, -eq l the tthe
allowed to do after a few months of observe- The most controversial train of events military, and-equally important ncestoConfu-
tion a ic1 indoctrination? ms
began last Sunday-before Mr. Lodge had shipers, Cagdaists' Taoists, ancestor wor-
' I would like tQ work, for tahe. Vietnamese even had a chance to present his credentials Buddhists Hoa Hao and Catholics as well as
with er Vi co go for methin g meet ven n to Di m. (He Monday.) did so at 11:30 a.m. Saigon President Diem does not tolerate real politi-
Liem, Sunday night, the Voice of America broad- stand a cal opposition
chance of of the senses mily- that
Theo lie added? proudly "I have already cast a news roundup which among other regime ushering h South on two misetons with the 25th Divi- g hated eetrap out of a dem. South elected
s1on. , Ilea them fro our old outpost and we things said that the United States might has the trappings of a democracy, an elected
captured three weapons, four Vietcong Vietnam unless Diem punished the special elections are to some degree fair. But the
Biers.and g% pounds of documents, and we Vietnamese troops allegedly responsible for catch is that hardly anybody is ruled eligible
destroyed two supply dumps. And next attacks on the pagodas and arrest of the for election unless he is acceptable to Presi-
week I 7, 1r, 111 lead tlfem to the cornfields and Buddhists. The Voice broadcast also for the wi dent Diem and family. Diem is, by Western
we ll destroy them, and that will make first time stated the American Government's standards, a dictator who holds the reins
the Vietooig even hungrier ' ew.that the army was innocent of res onsi-
P loosely when things are going well and can
[From the}New Yoirk Iieral bilitp for. the pagoda raids. tighten them up cruelly when he feels
Trill
d
, une,, Sept. The Voice based Its broadcast on a news threatened.
1963] agency story from Washington. Roger Hile- Today's k'AC'r;,, AND.p7ox;or-A.MI;RIcAN
Y's secret political e
tion to the
P man, Assistant Secretary of State for F
P
L
y
ar
O
ed.ICY D A TX-HE DIEM GQVFJrNM$NT, Eastern Affairs, told a Voice employee that Diems still appears splintered. It has no
Pao AND CON the story was good known national following.
Y guidance and that the
South Still the rumors this summer of possible
( Vietnm s_ present crisis has .re- Voice could go ahead with the information,
fam11 e Seut;af President of Togo Dinh Diem, And as Hilsman and the Department an- Scoup aigon ems have tbeen more peot one t than
y ticipated, the part of the Voice broadcast 20 osin South There ' not one who has
and h broths;,, No Dinh Nhu, were to o, generals th Vietnam's army who has
g referring to the U.S. absolution of the Viet- not been reported to be a
who would take over? The Herald. Tribune's namese military was Instantly interpreted in potential
Diem strong s
Pulitzer ePrize-win ,ing Marguerite Higgins, Saigon about to oust President Diem and his
who he&, jus? returned from._Saigon, reports god as a sign that Washington was en- family.
couraging the military-with its cleaned-up Why are so many Vietnamese intellectuals
on the strepgth-and weaknesses-oaf the op- image-to take charge.
position ato Mir Dim in tile. Seal article of disenchanted? One re
i
ason
s that President
ber, si art series he As to aid, it is certain, as the State Diem, although himself an intellectual, has
a .a1 t-disGlisses the Depart-
cirlryerit policy battle-in Washington and
ment says, that no decision on future cuts nonetheless displayed an attitude of disin-
tt , has been taken It is
y Ar rite Hi warns a .ouch cuts are has given them a sense of being left out.
r Higgins ) likely if he is not responsive to American The only real common denominator be-
WASxrrroy'ore e "A successful coup d'etat wishes.
a
gainst Diexlr v~ouldbbl tweed thplite opoi
proay set the ware snrpstion groups is a
back i rir4.,a The Vietnamese military are in an agoniz- steady soaring hatred for the fiery Mme. Ngo
ng dilemma. As a European diplomat in Dinh Nhu, the, President's sister-in-law,
The speaker?was a top American diplomat Saigon put at in a message to this correspon- whose talk of "barbecued monks" revolted
on the ecene,in. wagon. His estimate was dent "Tile snQraie A tli , army atthe fight-`w th$tq hl, -19.4 personal interview,,the beau-
- ) `
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339
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340
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD SENATE January 1.4
tiful Madame Nhu struck this reporter as a to provide for"increased participation by has not gone below 4 percent, the term
woman of bad judgment in the sense of in= the United States in the Inter-American of repayment has averaged around 20
sensitivity to the rest of the world, and error- Development Bank, and for other pur- years, and a number of the loans are
moos courage. And this quality of courage poses, upon which there is a limitation of repayable in hard currency. It should
just. makes matters worse so far as Madame debate and a control of time. be noted, in addition, that the Bank in
's is NNhuless ,pact she concerned. If she had a bi s The Senate resumed the consideration another separate account has adminis-
openly, , and of the bill (H.R. 7406) to provide for in- tered the social progress trust fund re-
openly, less Insistently.. might s speak her mind less
A close second in unpopularity is. her hue- creased participation by the, United sources on behalf of the United States;
band, Ngo Dinh Nhu, who is feared because States In the Inter-American Develop- these are not involved at all in H.R.
of the power he wields as close adviser to the ment Bank, and for other purposes. ' 7406.
President. Counselor Nhu is also disliked in Mr. FULBRIGHT obtained the floor. I think we need not belabor the obvious
large part because it is widely assumed that Mr. MANSFIELD. Madam President, point that the Bank is a central factor in
Madame Nhu is merely stating what her hue- will the Senator yield, without his losing the provision of loans and guidance for
band really thinks. his right to the floor? desperately needed economic and social
There have been some suggestions in Mr. FULBRIGHT. I yield. development in Latin America. Nor do
American circles that relations with South
Vietnam would improve posthaste if Diem Mr. MANSFIELD. I suggest the ab- we have to argue that such activities are
would only fire Nhu and silence Madame sense of a quorum. the hemisphere's best defense against
Nhu. In this reporter's judgment, it is un- The PRESIDING OFFICER. How is thedangerous tendencies summed up in
realistic to seek to split off Counselor Nhu the time to be charged? the word "Castroism." There are, on the
from the President. President Dlem gave Mr. MANSFIELD. The time is to be other hand, two aspects of the Bank's
this reporter the impression of trusting and charged on the bill. operations which may not have received
needing his brother, indeed of being ex- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The adequate notice; namely, the Bank's role
tremely proud of him for the strategic ham- clerk. will call the roll. as a catalyst in mobilizing other financial
letprogram a program driving in force. which Counselor Nhu has The legislative clerk proceeded to call resources, and its vital educational func-
Opponents of Diem usually claim that his the roll. tions.
first count, it should be noted
war and national reconstruction efforts Mr. MANSFIELD. Madam President, On the
that the Bank, through should be noted
would be carried onundej any successor, but I ask unanimous consent that the order August of 1963,
more democratically. In intellectual circles, for the quorum call be rescinded. had used its own resources-including the
there is the conviction that more civil social progress trust fund-for only about
liberties would and could be offered if Diem The PRESIDING OFFICER. With- 40 percent of the total cost of over $1.9
were toppled. ' out objection, it is so ordered. billion for the projects in which it par-
THE IRONY Mr. FULBRIGHT. Madam President, ticipated. Bank loans amounted to
The tragic irony of South Vietnam today at this time I wish to make a second roughly $775 million, while more than
is that its worldwide image is being tar- introductory statement in support of $1.1 billion was mobilized from other
nished at a period when the war is going R. 7406, a bill to provide for increased sources-primarily domestic resources in
better than ever. Its little people are more participation by the United States in Latin America. The record has been es-
secure from Vietcong attack and better fed the inter-American Development Bank. pecially good with respect to the Bank's
than at any time since the assault in 1961. While the proposed legislation was dis- ordinary operations: about $300 million
leashed t any cruel military go going to jeopardize pardize ze cussed in_ this Chamber in mid-Decem-
Is the United States of Bank funds have been accompanied by
these real accomplishments in exchange for a ber, -I am sure my colleagues will almost $540 million of outside financing.
coup d'etat and military dictatorship that appreciate having a brief summary of In this connection, the Bank has been
may or may not supply the image that wash- the issues at stake in the bill. making special efforts to obtain greater
in.gton desires? Is it already perhaps too The Inter-American Bank, established participation of European capital in
late to put a halt to a train of unpredictable toward the end of 1959, has been con- Latin America. It has been forming co-
and chaotic events? These are, the issues ducting its lending operations for a operative arrangements with the Devel-,
that are being battled out behind the scenes period of 3 years. These activities for opment Assistance Committee of the
le; rghington and Saigon we our top from policy y 1>
leaddeers try to decide where eh go fohere the most part have been patterned after OECD and with the agencies of the
in Vietnam. those of the highly successful World European Economic Community; in the
Bank. There has been wide agreement private sector, an Atlantic Community
ORDER OF BUSINESS on the vital need for such operations- Development Group for Latin America
especially - in connection with the Alli- was established last April to form a
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there ante for Progress-and little or no criti- multinational private corporation to en.-
further morning business? If not, morn- cism of the manner in which they have gage in operations of venture capital
ing business Is closed. been conducted. Because the Latin investmennt in companies undertaking
American countries together contribute important activities in Latin America.
MSAGB P'ROM THE HOUSE over 50 percent of the resources avail- On the second count, the Bank has
able to the Bank, they have an equal made available from its own resources
A maessage from the House of Repre- interest with us in efficient management close to $16 million in technical assist-
sentatives, by Mr. Hackney, one of its which carries out the developmental ance in less than a 3-year period, with
reading clerks, announced that the purposes set forth in the Bank's char- the major aim of expanding the capacity
House had disagreed to the amendments ter. - of member countries to absorb foreign
of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 82) to Now even a brief description of the capital and to use investment funds more
amend the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, Bank's activities to date first calls for efficiently. Feasibility studies and proj-
in order to provide for the reimburse- differentiating between two distinct ects in the field of general planning
ment of certain vessel' construction ex- types of operations. The ordinary op- have accounted for the major portion of
penses; asked a conference with the Sen- orations, virtually identical with those the funds made available. But the value
ate on the disagreeing votes of the two of the World Bank, are based upon of Bank training programs cannot be
Houses thereon, and that Mr. BoNxeER, roughly 85 percent of the Inter-Amerl- measured in terms of money. The same
Mr. AsnLxy, Mr. DowNING, Mr. ToLLEF- can Bank's resources; these are so-called is true of Bank assistance in establishing
sox, and Mr. VAN PELT were appointed ,hard loans" administered on customary local development institutions through
managers on the part of the House at banking terms. Only about 15 percent which to channel resources to meet the
the conference. ' of the Bank's resources are devoted to needs of small private-enterprise con-
the separate Fund for Special Opera-. terns. The Bank has also played a very
INCREASED PARTICIPATION BY tions, which was established to provide significant role in cooperation with the
THE UNITED STATES IN THE loans on more flexible terms for projects activities of United Nations and OAS
I -AMERICAN TIEVELOPMEN"T with less immediate economic returns agencies, designed to help the Latin
NTER than those financed with ordinary cap- American countries with their economic
BANE ital. In fact, however, these special and social planning. Finally, It should
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under fund loans have only partially' taken the be pointed out that the Bank has
the order of December 16,1963, the Chair form of what we are accustomed to con- financed its grant technical assistance
lays before the Senate H.R. 7406, a bill sider as "soft loans": the interest rate from its own net earnings.
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 1964 Approved For R Ji /I1 fX fL 790R 0170023-6
Slandering Congress Is Slandering Our
System of Government
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
HON. OLIN E. TEAGUE
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Tueshai, December 24, 1963
Mr. TEAGUE of Texas, Mr. Speaker,
perhaps the most widely played indoor
game in the United States is that of
slandering the Congress. It is not a new
game. It has been played with great
fervor and spirit ever since we became
a nation.
Usually, but not always, the tide of
slander arises because Congress has re-
fused to act as a rubberstamp for a
popular President.
The torrent of abuse that is being
poured out against the Congress today
Is not unprecedented, but it is serious
and it is growing in its intensity. News-
paper cartoonists delight in picturing
Members of the legislative branch either
as egocentric clowns or as mindless slug-
gards. National columnists, ridicule the
Congress unmercifully because we do not
throw our, doubts and our convictions
out the window and vote instantly for
measures of which the columnists per-
sonally approve. Since most newspaper-
men are somewhat more liberal in their
politics than the average American, their
scorn usually falls heaviest on legisla-
tors whom they consider to be conserva-
tive.
There is a dangerous tendency to judge
a Congress merely by the amount of
legislation it passes. Too many commen-
tators are interested in quantity, not
quality. If a Congress refuses to pass
a flock of laws, regardless of their merit,
it is inevitably tagged with the "do noth-
ing" label, and the inference is that its
leaders are weaklings and its Members
timewasters.
Such people confuse progress with
mere motion. When a man spins around
in a revolving door, Mr. Speaker, he is
not making progress. Neither is he mak-
ing progress when he falls down a flight
of stairs.
Because we have moved with delibera-
tion in areas, of enormous importance
to the Nation and to the fregworld we
have been accused of weakness. Our
procedures have been a sign, not of
weakness, but of strength. The Con-
gress is a continuing body with roots
sunk deep in every corner of the land.
The Members of Congress collectively
know far better than anyone else what
the people of the country think and
what they want and what they are say-
ing. It is my considered opinion that
the average American citizen is less lib-
eral in his thinking than most of the
columnists and commentators would like
him to be. And I am absolutely certain
that the average American citizen does
not want his Congress to plunge the
Nation swiftly into vast and continuing
programs as a result of hysterical snap
decisions made at the behest of the ex-
ecutive branch.
As we all know, our Government was
founded- on a system of checks and bal-
ances. The executive branch some-
times acts as a check on the impulsive-
ness of the legislative branch, and vice
versa. During the past 2 years the 88th
Congress has been a wholesome and re-
straining influence upon Executive ex-
uberance.
By acting with thoughtful delibera-
tion we are making certain that human
rights,.are being preserved; that prop-
erty is being properly protected, and
that individual liberty is not being im-
periled by expediency.
,Over the centuries, Congress has built
a structure of laws upon a foundation
of precedence. Because we have built
this structure with thoughtful delibera-
tion, it is the soundest legislative struc-
ture in the world today.
Our critics, Mr. Speaker, make the
claim that our refusal to act impulsively
is proof that our legislative processes
are not efficient. Although I deny the
allegation, I also maintain that bloodless
efficiency is not the sole aim, or even the
principal aim, of Government. A rep-
resentative democracy, such as ours, is
not nearly as efficient according to your
definition of efficient, as a Fascist or a
Communist despotism, where the merest
whims of the dictator have the iron ef-
fect of law. But who would exchange
the comparatively inefficient freedom of
this land of ours for the prisonlike ef-
ficiency of the slave state?
I repeat, Mr. Speaker, that the value
of a Congress should not be measured
merely by the number of bills it passes.
In many cases, as we all know, it takes
harder work and a great deal more cour-
age to resist legislation than it does to
ride complacently with the tide. It also
takes courage to insist upon the
thoughtful shaping and refinement of
legislation so that it will achieve the
maximum good for the maximum num-
ber of people, when the strident voices of
the propagandists are demanding that
we pass it instantly, without debate or
deliberation. It takes courage, in short,
"to keep one's head when all about are
losing theirs, and blaming it on you."
This is not the spectacular brand of
courage, but it is something immensely
valuable to the Nation. It is the brand
of courage that the 88th Congress has
exhibited in abundance.
The fact that we have been able to
do so, Mr. Speaker, is a tribute to your
own firm and understanding leadership.
I am proud of being a Member of the
88th Congress and I deeply resent the
libels and slanders that the irrespon-
sible propagandists for instant legisla-
tion have been throwing at us.
And, Mr. Speaker, it is heartening to
know that there is a growing segment of
the Nation's press that is beginning to
appreciate the value of the 88th Con-
gress. Under unanimous consent, I in-
sert in the RECORD two recent examples
of such constructive thinking:
[From the Dallas (Tex.) . Morning News,
Jan. 3, 1964]
IN DEFENSE OF CONGRESS
Barely 30 hours before the end of the old
year, Congress adjourned-if that's what you
can call it. 3t migh? be-inore correct to say
A135
that Congress has recessed, since the 1st
session of the 88th Congress set a peacetime
longevity record and allowed only 8 days of
vacation for the legislators before the 2d
session is called to order January 7.
There has been a tremendous amount of
criticism leveled against Congress lately for
being slow and failing to enact legislation.
Most of this criticism is unfair.
Americans for Democratic Action refers to
Congress as the "iceberg on Capitol Hill,"
charging that it is run by a "reactionary-
conservative" coalition. Roy Wilkins of the
NAACP says Negroes are "disenchanted"
with the whole legislative process.
Walter Lippmann, in a recent column, goes
so far as to charge that the "88th Congress
has been paralyzed by * * * a conspiracy to
suspend representative government." He
adds, referring to efforts by Congress to
prohibit credit guarantees for sale of wheat
to Red nations, that the legislative branch
has been attempting to usurp the Presi-
dent's constitutional power to conduct our
foreign relations."
Such charges are not altogether valid.
With respect to the wheat deal, as one of
our readers pointed out in a letter on this
page Wednesday, article I, section 8 of the
Constitution grants Congress the power "to
regulate commerce with foreign nations."
How can Congress be engaged in "a con-
spiracy to suspend representative govern-
ment" when it is essentially the most repre-
sentative branch of government?
Congress is closer to the people than the
President or the Court can ever be.
The fact that Congress has refused to grant
certain Presidential requests or failed to act
on others does not mean that we have a "do-
nothing" Congress, as frequently charged.
It might, and often does, mean that Con-
gress thinks some of these requests are not in
the best interest of the Nation. Or it might
mean simply there have been too many
requests.
Every year the President asks more of
Congress, and in the last session the admin-
istration kept coming back with the same
requests for second and third tries after
initial attempts to win congressional approv-
al failed.
Most of the people who attack the con-
gressional seniority system, the power of
committees and the rules of Congress have
been extremely hypocritical.
When seniority, committee power, and the
rules are used to promote liberal legislation,
the liberal critics are not loud with their
complaints. They make noise usually when
these factors work against legislation they
would like to have passed.
One thing is sure: The next session will be
shorter. Though the number of requests in
the President's program may be greater than
ever before-with a civil rights bill and tax
cut proposals left over, plus a revival of medi-
care and other issues to come up-Congress-
men from both parties, both liberals and
conservatives, will be anxious to adjourn
early to go home for the primaries, the con-
ventions and the politicking for next No-
vember.
CONGRESS AND THE AID PROGRAM-PASSMAN'S
BATTLES BELIEVED REFLECTIONS OF PUBLIC
REACTION TO WASTE SPENDING
(By Richard Wilson)
OTTO ERNEST PASSMAN, 63, is a Congress-
man from Louisiana. Annually, Mr. PASS-
MAN gets into a fight with the White House
over spending for foreign aid. He is chair-
Titan of the House Appropriations Subcom-
mittee which handles this troublesome item.
It is usually said that Mr. PASSMAN is try-
ing to superimpose his judgment on that of
four Presidents of the United States and any
number of other outstanding personalities.
This devastating remark is supposed to crush
Mr. PAssMAN and hold him up to public
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 A136
`CONGRESSIONAL' RECORD - APPENDIX January 14
scorn as the wrecker of the foreign aid pro-
gram.
The truth seems to be, however, that Mr.
PASSMAx knows more about the foreign aid
program than any President has had an op-
portunity to know for the simple reason that
he has studied it longer and in more detail.
He has handled the foreign aid appropria-
tion for 9 consecutive years. Mr. PASSMAN
is not a liberal; he is a conventional Lout-
sianian, but with a flair for rather rakish at-
tire and an endless patience in coping with
one of the really big practical problems of
modern government.
It is only a slight exaggeration to say that
officials of the foreign aid program would
much prefer it if neither Congress nor the
public knew much about its activities, ex-
cept the puff Stories on its great achieve-
ments which are not inconsiderable.
The official attitude about foreign aid is
that it is an instrument of foreign policy
used by the President under his constitu-
tional authority to direct this policy. What
flows from that conception is that Congress
should not, indeed cannot under the Con-
stitution, interfere.
This is an impractical concept, which Mr.
PAsssAN annually demonstrates to be faulty.
However, much of what is done under the
foreign aid program is hidden from the pub-
lic. There was a time when it was a secret
how the money was divided up between vari-
ous countries. Even now the secrecy label
is so widely used that "it looks like a ticker
tape parade when you see us lifting secret
and classified stuff to the hearings."
Every now and then a little something
leaks out, like Lebanese bulls with nine stalls
apiece or extra wives for Kenyan Govern-
ment officials, or air-conditioned Cadillacs
for Middle Eastern potentates. A suffering
public has become more or less conditioned
to this kind of thing and would not aban-
don foreign aid for this alone. Nor is it
likely that the public as a whole would end
all foreign aid, however much annoyed it
may become over waste and incomprehensible
spending abroad when there is So much that
needs improvement in this country. .
But it is clear that a majority in Congress
believes that the country wants to go slower
on foreign aid, be more selective, be more
certain that definite policy alms are being
pursued toward a useful conclusion.
Every year for 9 years the clamor has
come from the White House and the Depart-
ment of State that any cutback will wreck
our foreign policy. And any time there is a
cut our foreign policy never seems to be de-
monstrably better or worse off.
A ,few facts are usful in this connection.
In the last 8 years Congress has reduced
the 'White House budget requests by more
than $6.5 billion. Yet every year more money
was appropriated than foreign aid officials
could use. The so-called pipeline funds
from past years which are committed to
continuing projects now amount to more
than $7 billion. Foreign aid could go on
for several years without another penny of
appropriation.
It is not uncommon for officials to make
huge allocations of their funds in the last
2 or.3 days of a fiscal year so that they
won't have any uncommitted money left,
and can claim they are emptyhanded in
meeting the world's challenges.
Last year the White House, the State De-
partment, and the Defense Department all
said our foreign policy was being wrecked
by a billion-dollar cut. Yet these `agencies
finished the fiscal year with a total of $744
million of unobligated funds on their hands.
Basically, the facts do not support any
contention that Congress, has either wrecked
the foreign aid program or really harmed it.
Nor does the contention hold water any
longer that the Russians are rushing in
where We pull out. The Russians have had
their own serious problems with foreign aid.
This appears to be one case where instinc-
tive public reactions are right; that we have
been spending too much on foreign aid and
not getting enough out of it.
` CIA Needs Watchdog Committee
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
HON. CLEMENT J. ZABLOCKI
or WISCONSIN
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Tuesday, January 14, 1964
Mr. ZABLOCKI. Mr. Speaker, day
by day the evidence mounts that a con-
gressional watchdog committee on the
Central Intelligence Agency is needed;
and day by day public support grows for
the creation of such a committee.
Created as a central agency to gather
and analyze intelligence information, the
CIA has, all too often, been guilty of
formulating foreign policy.
Recently, former President Truman,
under whom the CIA was first organized,
expressed his belief that the CIA had
strayed off course and should be made
to adhere to the original purpose for
which it was created.
I could not agree more. For the rea-
sons set forth by President Truman and
other constructive critics of the CIA, I
have introduced legislation into every
Congress since 1953 calling for the crea-
tion of a Joint Congressional Committee
on the CIA.
My bill, House Concurrent Resolution
2, currently is pending before the House
Rules Committee. I urge my colleagues
on that committee to consider this res-
olution and companion bills as soon as
possible.
Further, under permission granted, I
include an editorial from the January 4
issue of the Milwaukee Journal calling
on Congress to approve a committee
such as that proposed in House Concur-
rent Resolution 2.
TRumAN: CIA OFF Tancx
Former President Truman has added his
doubts to many others about the operations
of the Central Intelligence Agency. And he
speaks with authority, for the CIA was or-
ganized during his presidency to serve the
needs of his office.
As organized, Truman says, the CIA was to
bring together intelligence information avail-
able to all branches of Government, valuate
and interpret it for the President. It was
never meant, Truman says, to "be injected
into peacetime cloak and dagger operations."
It was never meant to make policy.
CIA activities have frequently been em-
barrassing to this country in the last decade.
In numerous instances the Agency actually
has worked counter to our foreign policy.
Certainly we need no agency to work to sub-
vert foreign governments-yet the record
indicates that the CIA has done that very
thing.
Truman is quick to acknowledge the pa-
triotism and the dedication of CIA officials.
He just thinks they have been off the track.
The Agency, he says, should return to its
basic job of gathering and assessing intelli-
gence for the use of the policymakers.
In connection with this, the proposal that
the CIA be audited by a special committee of
Congress, just as the Atomic Energy Com-
mission is, deserves congressional approval.
The CIA is too much a law unto itself. For
its own good, and the country's, it should be
curbed and put under constant check.
No Compromise on Canal
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
or
HON. DONALD RUMSFELD
Or ILLINOIS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Tuesday, January 14, 1964
Mr. RUMSFELD. Mr. Speaker, I wish
to insert in the RECORD the following
Chicago Daily News editorial of January
13, which briefly but concisely analyzes
the background of the Panama crisis and
recommends a firm stand by the United
States:
No COMPROMISE ON CANAL
Facing the first international crisis of his
administration, President Johnson was un-
derstandably eager to fill the role of peace-
maker in Panama. We have some qualms,
however, that his eagerness led him to con-
cessions he may regret.
It was essential to seek an end to violence
and bloodshed. It was also essential to deal
with the political overtones that quickly
came to the fore. But neither howling mobs
nor demagogic politicians are likely to be
deterred by weakness, and in Panama the
United States has exhibited more weakness
than strength.
Why should we adopt an almost apologetic
attitude either in the United Nations or in
the organization of American States for try-
ing to protect Americans from Panamanian
attack? Nothing more than self-defense was
involved, and the loss of American lives and
the extensive destruction of U.S. property
are ample evidence that we were more timid
in exercising that right than the circum-
stances justified.
The mobs that stormed the U.S.-controlled
Canal Zone were organized too well and too
quickly to qualify as an accident. The Gov-
ernment of Panama has aroused the people
against Americans in the Canal Zone year
after year, for its own political. benefit, and
this is its harvest. There is good reason to
believe that Castro-Communists joined the
attacks, if they did not help instigate them
in the first place.
Panama's quick break in diplomatic rela-
tions, and the immediate demand for control
of the canal, seemed well rehearsed. And, as
might have been predicted, the Soviet bloc
plus the anti-American claque in the Latin
republics joined in the howls against-Ameri-
can "imperialism."
It is clearly true that the history of the
Panama Canal is somewhat checkered, and
that conditions have changed since the
United States engineered both the canal and
the creation of the Republic of Panama. But
it is also true that in recent years the United
States has made many concessions to appease
the Panamanians.
If there are other negotiable grievances,
they can be settled around the conference
table when things quiet down again. But
nothing should be conceded in an atmos-
phere of bloodshed and blackmail, for to do
so is to invite more of the same not only in
Panama but elsewhere.
In particular, U.S. ownership and control
of the Panama Canal must not be regarded
as negotiable. If it takes a show of strength
to shut off the threats to the canal, let
strength be shown. That, at least, is some-
thing everybody understands-and it is more
likely to win respect than a willingness to be
everybody's doormat.
Approved For Release 2003/10/15 : CIA-RDP67B00446R000300170023-6