THE EXPERT . . . MRS. HICKS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000400030007-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 10, 1998
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: April 28, 1977
• Content Type: NSPR

FOIAb3b
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00
CPYRGHT
BOSTON, MASS.
'APR 2 8 ,
bt - 237,967
S - 56.6,377
GLOBE
t_ BUD COLLINS
Tit ~, -
getting entirely too
much publicity, telling
us ? what a burden it
was slaughtering Viet-
namese, . and how it
bothered - and still
bothers-our gang over
in Nam.
Fortunately one of
other than the Southeast Asia authority
from South Boston-Louise Day Hicks-
has just come back from. Vietnam to rebut
such nonsense as the weekend in Washing-
ton and the carryings-on of Kerry and
other "negative activists."
As forthrightly refreshing as ever, she
has returned from. the VIP briefings in
Saigon with new insights: ".. . the dis-
grace of this war is not in our being in
Vietnam, but rather in those who oppose
ur boys. while they are there."
Take that, John Kerry!
Thoroughly Modern Mrs. Hicks, taking
few days off from Congress to see what
s really going on in Vietnam, developed
he most up-to-date outlook on the situa-
ion since L. Baines Johnson. It was a
orthwhile trip because, contrary to what
ou't'e heard, she is able to tell us that
roop morale is high and most of the
runts "are convinced that the place to
top tyrannical Communist brutality is
ietnam and not America's shores."
Take that, Fulbright, McGovern,
cCloskey and the rest of you "instant
xperts"! And look out -- because Mrs.
licks says the troops told her "they would
a!ce care. of matters in Vietnam if I would'
ke care of Congress with its instant ex-.
er ts." .
This is the kind of straight talk we
Bud Collins is,a Globe Staff cohu arid.
need to hear in the midst of all the
peacemongering and chicken talk of with-
drawal by people like John Kerry. It
blended nicely with the statement the
same day, Sunday, by two men dug up in
Pleiku by the CIA or somebody else on
our side. Introduced as North Vietnamese
defectors, Bui Nogoc Chieu and Ila Xuan
Phang, said tl ere is an anti-war cam-
paign "deep in the hearts and minds" of
their countrymen. They said North Viet-
nam is tired of the war, and Ha Xuan
Phang remarked, that Hanoi government
has a credibility gap between itself and
the people.
Now wait a minute. Just because
they've won the war are they supposed to
be stealing our rhetoric, too? "Credibility
Gap" is a copyrighted American knock,
and if the North Vietnamese begin using
it, that should make us mad enough to re-
reescalate,
The war itself was not all that Mrs.
Hicks puts in proper perspective. She
learned why there is a GI drug problem:
"American boys lean on drugs because
they haven't been able to depend on sup-
port of people back home ... the task of
defending freedom is never easy, but
when this is compounded by nihilistic ap-
athy at home, the boys turn to drugs to
maintain their morale."
Take that, you nihilists!
In her role of congresswoman moon-
lighting as Asian troubleshooter,. Mrs.
Hicks has performed a valuable service to
all of us-including Mr. Nixon, President
moonlighting as Quaker. Neither will be
swayed by the shrill cries of Kerry and
the rest of the "negative activists."
As a reward for completing her mis-
sion successfully, I suggest the President
appoint Mrs. Hicks ambassador. to South
Vietnam where she can deal with the
-problems first hand. All of us would sleep
sounder with Louise in Saigon.
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149R000400030007-1