ENVOY IN CLASH WITH HOUSE UNIT ON PACIFICATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000200220004-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 24, 1998
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: October 4, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

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ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
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nnvoy y ,:use with souse unit on Pacification
_3y RICHARD DUDMAN
A Washington Correspondent
Of the Post-Dispatch
Limited Inquiry
Kottltrlwrote to Moss Aug. 29
that heF4as nonplused at the
dispute between Ambassador mittee ;:ad staff were able to
Robert W. Komer nice undertake only a very limited
e ctor in investigation of pacification be-
rates paciricatio
Rrr
South Vietnam, and members cause of their many other in-
cf the House foreign operations visit to during their recent brief
subcommittee came to light to- visit to Vietnam."
day. "It is only fair to say that
Komer, a former St. Louisan
whom friends and critics alike
sometimes call "the blowtorch"
becauseof his direct speech
and action, took offense at
H o u s e members' observation
that the pacification program
was "lagging and floundering."
Chairman John E. Moss of
the House committee told Ko-
mer that his letter was offen-
sive and that a note Komer had
sent to another committee
member, Representative Ogden
R. Reid (Rep.),?New York, was
insulting.
Moss, a California Democrat,
forwarded it he correspondence
to Secretary of State Dean
Rusk, saying, "I thought these
letters might be of some inter-
?est to you."
Moss and Reid said they con-
sidered the correspondence with
Homer personal and unofficial
and would not make any direct
comment.
Calls Time Too Short
' Moss said he had not evaluat-
ed Komer's performance in Sai-
gon. He said K o m e is five
months there were not enough
basis for a judgment as to his
competence in directing what
now is called the program of
Civil Operations and Revolu-
tionary Development Support.
.,If I had considered this an
official exchange, I would have,
you and the staff did not ex-
press such vigorous reserva-
tions about the pacification to
us out here during your stay,"
Komer wrote.
He told Moss that Ambassa-
dor Ellsworth B u n k e r, Gen.
William C. Westmoreland and
himself were "all increasingly
pleased with the slowly growing
momentum i n pacification."
Conceding some flaws, he said
the program in 1967 was far su-
perior to 1966, when it got un-
der way.
In a short note to Reid, Ko-
mer wrote: "It is really quite
hard on us out here who are
trying to do a job which needs
doing to get whacked about
'lagging and floundering.' You
didn't come along on the last
trip, but I can assure you that
in their all too brief time in
Vietnam the chairman and staff
had mighty little time available
to spend on pacification, and
heard little to warrant such a
slam. What happened?"
Moss replied, that K o m e r's!
letter to him was offensive and
that the note to Read was insult-
ing.
Lack of Understanding
"Both of these communica-
tions reveal a lack of under-
standing. of the role of a
congressional investigating
committee," Moss said.
made it public," Moss said. "If;; He took "strong and vigorous
n''Tt ',press vigorous reservations to
The Post-Dispatch obtained Komer when they were in Viet-
copies of the letters froni',a non- nam. He said he and the staff
congressional source. ., had detailed discussions of paci-
Moss and Reid had written to 1' fication with many officials.
Rusk in A u g u s t, transmitting ' "Mr. Ambassador, throughout
three subcommittee reports, on alit my meetings I expressed my
"Illicit practices affecting the. i strong objections to the recent
U.S. economic program in Viet-. ' changes as well as my grave
nam," "The port situation In'! concern for the lack- of mean-
Vietnam" and "The commercial', ingful progress in this area,"
(commodity) import programI' : Moss wrote. ?
for Vietnam." -hough you cite the fact of I
In that letter, the Representa-
elections in 1037 villages and
trues said the
y were deeply
concerned about the lack of
meaningful progress a n d re-
form in the lagging and flound-
e r i n g pacification program."
They referred specifically to
revolutions
land refer -
progress, may I rem f n d -you
there are over 2500 villages and,
He said he had consistently;
questioned the need for creating
the CORDS organization, be-
fice of Civil Operations, seemed
to be making progress.
-I have stated my views in
unequivocal t e r m s that U.S.
representatives and officials in
Vietnam should take a firmer
stand in order to convince the
government of V I e t n a m that
they must vigorously press for
necessary social and economic
reforms and that the co-
operation of that government is
essential if the confidence of
the people of the United States
in U.S. involvement in Vietnam
Is to be retained!'
Moss wrote that he was not
charging total lack of progress.
He noted that Kamer had re-
p o r t e d that additional cadre
teams in the field meant a fa-
vorable trend.
"if I am hesitant to accept
`,.this statement as being factuai-
able, since the program through
the years has been constantly
changed and new and glowing
j promises predicted for its suc-
cess. The progress I look for
should be on a more broadly
based record than can be pres-
ently substantiated."
Reid told the, Post-Dispatch
that he did not .belive .in com-
menting- on U.S. officials serv-
ing overseas, because he had
been an ambassador himself.
He said his readooncern was
that South Vietnam was not
? doing enough and had made no
,major commitmme?nt to read re-
farm He said US.'officials, In-
namese go;verameatto do;
more, were concerned a b o u t
"not roc]dng the boat,"; ::?: ; ;.,
Release 1999/09/07: CIA-RDP75-00001 ROOg200220004-8