ROGERS ANGRILY HITS BACK AT DEMOCRATS ON MINING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01601R000300350053-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 13, 2000
• Sequence Number: 53
• Publication Date: May 16, 1972
• Content Type: NSPR

NEr.' 7U.tM. J IMLtD
Approved For Release 10'0ffi_10"4, 2 CIA-RQPT8OTN&1
Rogers Angrily Hits Back
emocrats on Mining
By BERNARD GWERTZMAN.
Special to The New York Times
WASHINGTON, May 15-Sec-'in -1962 during the Kennedy
retary of State William P. Rog- IAdministration. "This is the
ers, his voice rising in angers time we must stand behind our
today defended the mining of,President," he said.
North Vietnam's harbors and
said that if the Johnson Admin-
Istration had taken the ' step
earlier, the war might have end- the Russians "understand the
ed long ago. language of naked power-the
l P ident
res
u
d
In a sharp, highly political ex-
change with Senator William
Proxmire, Democrat of Wiscon- Rogers C. D. Morton, in "' direct Sviet or Chinese inter- ing of the wars
srn, is Rogers said that the Lhe eRepreparn e for BoosterseClub 'venton in the war on the sde Henry A.-Kissinger, the Pres-
Administration was confident to New York, said that in con- of the North Vietnamese. ident's'adviser on national se-
that the Presidents latest moves trast to the majority of Amer As a memorandum in 1967 by curity, soughty advice from
Robert S. McNamara, the De-
would not lead to a showdown icans, most Ddmocrats in the various stGover art of' mment agencies
at the start the Nixon Ad-
with either the Russians or the Congress have not supported A fense Secretary, indicated, the
Administration was concerned ministration avid received con-
dhinese, The moves, he said, the President." He went on, "I that Hanoi would fall increas-1 lead to a negotiated set- am saddened by the vicious ingly nder Peking's nfluence The Joint flitting views.
Chiefs of Staff and
element with the North Viet- partisan reaction of"those who if ihad to rely onI C
should know better. y y the State Deelieent'to a i;rn-
namese. . rail shpments. At that tine, the ited extent believed that min
Mr. Proxmire, in questioning. Administration believed that
Meanwhile the Pentagon dis- Mr. Rogers, said that he was , I ing of the earl gars, in conjunc-
Peking was the most 1>clligercnt lion with heav r bombing encouraged by the latest battle- Communist power and mght jn- r en raids,
cl~waysosed in that North the Vietnam mined water-included.i field developments in. South, tensify the power I could hurt North Vietnam sig-
rivers and canals. [Page 14.] Vietnam, but asked why it was Recent developments in Pc-1 nifi But Ole. Central
gene Ily
Secretary Rogers testifying necessary for the President to king-Washington relations, how-gooanence Agennc cy . The
before such action. The
y ' , take the extraordinary action ever, have convinced the Nixon !
in Nation-
before Mr. Proxmire s foreign ,that could cause a confronta- iAdministrator that Chna does views were tudy Mdedemorandum
operations subcorninitte of the lion with the Soviet Union and lal Security
not seek a broadening of the , Study
Senate Appropriations Com- ships of other countries-an war, liewhich recently became pub-
,?mitte, was clearly leading an (action which was resisted by l.
h 1 Ad 'nistration~" 'ProbaUly a Turning Point' Last week Mr;Nixon and Mr.
mi
f
her
Administration counteratack t e o
said th~tt the decision
Mr. Rogers, who called Mr. He said that "predictions of Kissinger
against Democrats who had cri !Nixon's speech last Monday, in catastrophe are not coming to to lay the mines was the only
ticized the mine-laying as aniwhich the mining and other pass."' The latest Nixon war aiternative left to the United
act of brinkmanship. Two more moves were announced, one of (moves "may well lead to the State to keep south Vietnam
Cabinet members joined in the the "great statements" of the failure of the invasion of the from being defeated. And last
counterattack today war, said that Mr. 'Proxmire's South and the other side may week, when it vas not known
. ,
, Mr, if the action would lead to a
statement was not logical. He negotiate a settlement"
Mr. Rogers said that the said: "If the other Administra- Rogers asserted. "I don't be. showdown with the Soviet Un-
American people had "over- tion took this action, the war lieve it is a mistake and don't ion,. Administration officials
whelmingly" supported Mr. would not have lasted as long believe it will lead to a con- were much less outspoken than
Nixon's moves and that mem- as it has." frontalion. It is probably a turn- Mr. Rogers was today.
"The logic is faulty," Mr.'ing point" In his testimony, Mr. Rogers
hers of Congress should rally Rogers said. "Pennle who made Mr Rogers was not asked hv.lalso said Vietnalnization was
off criticism "until the cam- was wrong," he continued, re- other Senators at the hearing, and that the South Vietnamese
paign begins," jetting the premise that tbe- Hiram L. Fong, Republican oflwould be able to defend their
w...': tration had decided not to mine Republican of Oregon, why the issue vu both counts. He said
hnmhiing of North.'Opposed the'lharbors s Mr. Nixon should have Nixon Administration had not that the heavy use of American
late >.u -- u~~n,,n we ~? ~> ?, ?- --???-???o - .,?-^ peel of ending the war more dubious that he'1 South Vlet-
stmoves.
Two other Cabinet officers, He said that "predictions of quickly. namese North could Vietnamese titre back the
catastrophe are not coming to The secret Defense Depart- ,
!who ha
l
ve rare
y Spoken out onh li
pass." Teatest nxon war meet history of the Vietnam
current foreign policy issues, moves "may well lead to the war through 1968-the Penta-
also joined in the attack on failure fo the invasion of the gon papers-contained several
democrats today. South and the other side may references to discussions in the
Secretary of Agriculture Earl negoaite a settlement," Mr. Johnson Administration on min-
t. Butz', in a speech to the( Rogers asserted. "I don't be- ing the North Vietnamese ear-.
-American Advertising Federa-I lieve it is a mistake and don't born.
Lion here, said that domestic believe it will lead to a con? in the years that such
criticism of Mr. Nixon should frontaton. It s probably a strategy was discussed, from
be halted for several weeks. Hel tuning point." 1966 to 1968, the Johnson Ad-
likened the situation in Viet-I Mr. Rogers was not asked by ministration rejected the pro-
ham to the Cuban missile crisis
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP8O-01601 R000300350
Referring to his recent trip
to Moscow, Dr. Rutz said that
Mr. Proxmire or by the two' provoke vdirectSoviet or Chi
other Senators at the hearing, nese intervention in the war
Hawaii, and ark 0. Hatfield, on the side of the North Viet-
Republican of Oregon; why the, namese.
Nixon Administration had not Asa memorandum in 1967
Inmed. the harbors sooner if
such action held out the pros-
pect of ending the car more
quickly.
The secret Defense Depart-
ment history of the Vietnam
war through 1968 - the Pent
gon papers -- contained se -
eral references to discussions
in the Johnson Adminitration
on minng the North Vetnamese,
harbors.
In the years that such strate11king - Washington relations,
was discussed, from 1966 to
age
of ang
kin
.1
th 1968, the Johnon Administra- (however, have( convinced the
Nixon is now speaking. ' tion rejected the propoal out Nixon Admi:aistration that
T
r,.,.....,-
f e Interior ;
he
ary o
by Robert S. McNamara, the
Defense Secretary, indicated,
the Administration was con-
cerned that Hanoi would fall
increasingly under-Peking's in-
fluence if it had to rely increas-
ingly on rail shipments. At that
time, the Administration be-
lieved that Peking was the most)
belligerent Communist power
hand might intensify the war.
Recent deveilopments in Pe-