U.S. AIDE, GOODWIN DEBATE WAR POLICY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000100280005-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 1, 1999
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: August 15, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

WASHINGTON
Sanitized - Approved For Release ClA,P7
0
FOIAb3b
WILLIAM P. BUNDY
"Reasonable Fairness"
else the leaders have misled
themselves and the American
people."
Goodwin said he "senses"
there will be some change in the
administration's escalation
f
o
the
war "io the p
ear fttnt c,"
1~
did
Aid
GO
d
h
3
not elaborate.
o
e,
o
w
He noted that Johnson would
Debte in an election campaign next
year, and commented:
"The President cannot
i
w
n
J this election unless he resolves
By LYLE DENNISTON_ this war."
Star Staff Writer Bundy's remarks about the
nadministration o icia today cautioned Sept. 3 balloting for a South
American people not to expect - the coming elections in Sout I Vietnamese president and sen-
~ Vietnam to be as fair as a United States election. ate indicated' that the adminis-
William P. Bundy, assistant secretary of state for Asi tration was making an effort to
said the balloting scheduled for Sept. 3 would probably achiev head off criticism in, this, coup-
; only "a reasonable standard of fairness." ~"-" -~ -
He likened the election there I ^^---4
conauctea in the united states
in the late 19th century, thus
indicating that it would not con-
form to present-day American
standards.
Bundy made his remarks
about the much-criticized South
Vietnamese election during a
debate in College Park with
Richard N. Goodwin, a former
speechwriter and assistant to
both - Presidents Kennedy and
Johnson.
They debated U.S. involve-
ment in the Vietnam war in an
appearance before. the National
> ~_ ..._.
Student Association's 20th na-I:
CPYRGHT .
"Widesarend Deception"
Sanitized -Approved For Relea
tional meeting 'on the Univer
sity of Maryland campus.
G odwin, now an author an
resehrch fellow at Wesleya
University, bitterly criticize
U.S. policy in Vietnam now
saying:
"I believe there has neve
been such intent and widesprea
deception and confusion as sur
rounds this war."
He said the Johnson adminis
tration had either made "a tr
mendous miscalculation" abou
military action In Vietnam, "o
e : CIA-'RDP75-00001 R
try of the Vietnam campaign as
"a fraud."
Bundy said "there is very free
expression during this cam-
paign," adding that South Viet-
nam was inexperienced in free
elections and was trying to con-
duct an election amid a "war
situation."
The administration, he said,
is exerting "all of our influence
to see that this election will be
conducted according to a reason-
able, standard of fairness, so
that the average fellow feels
he's had a chance to express
himself."
"The possibility for a really
free determination" by all the
people of South Vietnam, includ-
ing the Viet Cong, would have
to. be postponed until the future,
"when external interference has
been removed," Bundy said.
On the overall U.S. effort in
South Vietnam, Bundy was gen-
erally optimistic. "If we pro.
for an avenue to peace, the pros.
pects for a peaceful and secure
Southeast Asia now appear
brighter than they have been at
any time since the nations of
the area were established on an
independent basis."
He seemed to discount any
suggestion that the administra-
tion was ready now to stop the
bombing of North Vietnam to
get negotiations started, saying
coed on our present course, with
measured military action, and
with every.possible nonmilitary
measure, and searching always
that 'without any meaningful
move on the North Vietnam side
it would not be a. fruitful
path to peace."
Goodwin called the war an
American "blunder, a mistake
of costly and bloody dimen-
sions," and rejected any sug-
gestion that the Kennedy ad-
ministrati#80 had. taken steps
oe GQU.S. in-
vo vemen