T. SORENSEN GIVES VIEWS ON U.S. IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-01089R000100050013-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2005
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: January 25, 1968
• Content Type: TRANS

L~e'7l7K-
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T. SORENSEN GIVES VIEWS ON U.S. IN VIETNAM
Mosocw LITERARY GAZETTE 10 Jan 68 pp 14-15 A
[Theodore Sorenson interview given to OleL, Prutkov, LITERARY GAZETTE special
correspcadent: "Populous America: Meetings and impressions"]
[Excerpts] I would like to describe one meeting which, properly speaking, began
in Moscow when Theodore Sorensen, a friend and collaborator of John Kennedy,
visited the LITERARY GAZETTE, and which was continued in New York, in his office
on the 24th floor of 575 Madison Avenue.
Altogether we conversed for several hours in Moscow and in New York. Naturally,
many things will remain outside this. newspaper article. I shall try to transmit
what appears to me to be the main, fundamental things. The discussion primarily
concerned the Vietnam problem: '
f
Question: The escalation of the war is accompanied by an escalation.of the
criticism of official government policy. Public opinion polls have shown that
more than one-half of Americans condemn Johnson's policy. James Reston wrote
in the INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: "People are now searching for new concepts,
and if they do not find them they will later search for new leaders."
Answer: It is fully obvious that the discontent with the course of the war in
Vietnam entails discontent with the activities of President Johnson's
administration. One circumstance, however, escapes your attention when you study
public opinion polls or articles such as those by James Reston. What matters
is that the discontent with the government policy is being expressed by people
who cherish opposite views. One group constitutes those who are opposed to the
escalation; they demand that the airraids be stopped and the earliest possible
withdrawal from the war, and they criticize Johnson for continuing the bombings
and for increasing the troop contingents sent to Vietnam.
Another group, on the other hand, believes that the President is not militant
enough. In their opinion, the United States possesses a power which would
enable it to wipe Vietnam off the surface of the earth. These people advocate
an intensification of the bombings and the blockade or mining of the Port of
Haiphong.
I believe that President. Johnson, no matter how severely he may be criticized
in your country, deserves a certain approval because he has shown restraint and
has not yielded to the influence and pressure of those people who would like to
unleash an even bigger war.
"Restraint?" About what manifestation of "restraint" can one speak when Hanoi
is being subjected to most cruel and barbaric bombings? A "certain approval?"
But the President is being criticized literally in all countries of the world.
and the protests are growing. How is it possible'to explain such assessments
of-Sbrensen which do not agree with the actual state of affairs and-with his
own reasonable approach? Earlier, during our conversation in Moscow, Sorensen
noted: "When I am in the United States I do not belong to the partisans of
the war in Vietnam. At the ama time, however, it seems to me that when I an
abroad it is inappropriate for me toact as a critic of the foreign policy of
my country.."
Naturally I understand that a Soviet journalist is not an altogether suitable
conversational partner to discuss intraparty differences.
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And it is absolutely obvious to me that pre-election considerations and the desire
not to deepen the contradictions within the Democratic Party play the main role
in this respect. The Washington POST recently devoted an article to the opinions
of former Kennedy advisers. This article referred to differences between them
and the White House. But they believe that an open clash with the present
President would only lead to a'split in the party and would open the road for a
Republican candidate in the forthcoming elections.
it must be pointed out that there does not prevail a complete identity of'views
within this group either. Some colleagues of Sorenson from the ':Kennedy teaxs'
have made more definite statements. Thus, for example, Arthur Schlesinger, the
former assistant of the late president, sharply criticized Johnson in a speech
and predicted the end of Johnson's political career. I told Sorenson that in the
almost unanimous opinion of commentators, many 'of the aggressive demdnds of the
military circles are being satisfied. Sorenson agreed with this and noted that
they have achieved certain success in Washington. ...The conversation touched on
his article which had just appeared in the press.
Question: You advocated the cessation of bombings in the SATURDAY REVIEW
magazine?
Answer: We must now openly admit that a continuation of the bombings will not
help us to stop the war... stubbornness in pursuing the present course will cost
us more than stopping the bombings. It must also be admitted that sooner or
later we will have to stop the bombings, and the longer we postpone this the
more difficult it is for both sides to conclude a reasonable agreement.
And the road toward this agreement? Sorenson writes about returning to the
Geneva agreement; about discontinuing military actions and the withdrawal of all
foreign troops and the elimination of foreign bases; about the creation of a
neutral, peaceful, and independent Vietnam which, through new elections, could
select the political, economic, and social system it desires and solve the
problems of its mutual relations or reunification with the North by means of a
free manifestation of its will; about the forming of a government--in case of
necessity a coalition government which includes all parties--in a. manner similar
to that used in Laos in 1962.
Thus, Sorenson is for stopping the bombings and for a realistic view of the Vietnam
problem. It is not difficult to note that this Is contraiy to the official -policy
of Washington and to the course pursued by Johnson.. As Theodore Sorenson aptly
noted in characterizing U.S. policy,in South Vietnam in the same article:
"When it became clear that two doses of penicillin were not enough to help the
patient, we gave him four, then six, and now eight doses. It is high time to..
understand that penicillin is by no means what our patient needs and that if we
continue to increase the doses we will simply cause him to leave this world."
Question: How will the urgent problems of today of which we.-have just spoken
influence the coming elections?
Answer: In American history not a single president who was in power has ever
suffered defeat in the national convention of his party over the presentation of
his nomination for another term.
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Question: And if Johnson wants to withdraw from nomination?
Answer: I do not consider this likely.
Question: Considering the successes of the Republicans in the midterm elections
of 1966, could 'a Republican candidate defeat the Democrats?
Answer: I think that the most difficult man for the Democrats to defeat would
be Rockefeller, even though within the Republican Party itself, Rockefeller"s chances
of being nominated are smaller than those of'any other candidate.
Question: How do you assess the prospects of the group of Democrats who have
created a committee for putting forward the candidacies of R. Kennedy and
W. Fulbright for this year's forthcoming presidential elections? And also the
appeal by 50 Democrats to Johnson to abandon his attempt at a second term?
Answer: So far this -committee has no influence on the development of events,
and I do not think that there will be any changes.
(I note parenthetically: Recently another committee has been organized in New
York "for an alternative policy for Democrats." The discontent is growing.
The November polls showed that 52 percent of Americans would like.to see. Kennedy
as a. presidential candidate, while only 12 percent spoke for`Lyndon Johnson.)
Question: What is the status of Senator Robert Kennedy?
Answer: I wish to stress that Robert Kennedy will not oppose Johnsonthe
presidential elections. However-,'"'f'fo some unforseen reason, President
Johnson shoi;ld want to withdraw from the battle, it could happen that Robert
Kennedy could be put forward as the presidential nominee by the Democratic Party.
Sorensen stressed that Johnson will hardly suffer?a defeat during the national
convention ofhis party. At the same time, one detects a certain identity of his
concept with the viewpoI.nt of Senator Eugene 'McCarthy, who recently threw his
challenge to Johnson and announced his intention of seeking the Democratic Party
nomination as candidate for president. According to observers, McCarthy
will hardly achieve serious success. But this step by McCarthy supported by
Robert Kennedy caused considerable alarm in the camp of the current president;
One cannot exclude the possibility that McCarthy's actions constitute a "trial
balloon" launched by supporters of Robert Kennedy.
KKOSYG D INDIA VISIT AIDS FRIENDLY RELATIONS
Moscow Domestic Service in Russian 1030 GMT 24+ Jan 58 L
[Yuriy Soltan commentary]
[Excerpts] The Soviet Union is in riably supporting the aspirations of all
peoples to strengthen their national independence, economic development and social
progress. This is one of the basic p inciples of Soviet foreign policy. In the
Soviet Union the peoples of the young Iliberated countries see a bulwark of their
independence. In it they find a friend vho understands them, a reliable partner
who cooperates with them. In this respect-the history and development of Soviet-
Indian relations are illustrative.
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