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L,BJ's Vietnam Timetable

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L,BJ's Vietnam Timetable AUGUST, 1967 @Copyright 1967 by Vol. '111, No. 8 The Ripon Society, Inc. :r L,BJ's Vietnam Timetable An unreliable but hitherto amusing source has On election eve, November 4, television viewers leaked to the FORUM the following Vietnatn titne­ are interrupted during prime evening time to hear the table, which President Johnson will follow during the following urgent message from the President: "We cotning election year: have won! Won! Won! Vietnam is free! I have just Following the September eleaionshi~Sa'\on, there received confirmation of the news in this victory tele­ are charges from spoilsports in the !r~.,#ttd Congress gram from President Ky in Monte Carlo!" He waves ~~elc:.ctiQes were ludicrous an~.t~~. President the dispatch triumphantly. JohnsOO.~rs an-itbs\vet tb- these ~ous attacks until a more opportune moment. In December the White Housethumbs its nose at the critics. The new government in Saigon is "taking root," it announces. "Reports of defections to the Viet­ cong by members of the Constituent Assembly.have been grossly exaggerated." In March Dean Rusk says, "we SUNNY have turned yet another comer SAM in Vietnam," in a special cere- mony in which he tenders his resignation. His replace­ ment: Sunny Sam Smyles, 32 year-old disk jockey from station KTBC, Austin, Texas. Sunny Sam's youth is justified by White House aides as an attempt "to bridge the generation gap." In May Secretary Smyles calls a special press con­ ference: "We are now winning in South Vietnam." He The next night President Johnson is reelected by a announces that the war is going so well that 5000 troops large margin. He tells reporters: "My victory is con­ can be withdrawn in time for the Democratic nomin­ firmation of the faith of the American people in my ating convention. policies in Vietnam. It is a mandate to fi1lish the work Immediately following the nominating convention we have begun." the President makes .. almost weekly reports to the Am­ POST. Thanksgiving Day the Presi- erican people on Vietnam. "We are in our final push!" dent addresses the American he'rroClaiJIls on September 3, 1968 and withdraws an ELECTION people in a fireside chat: "We additional 5000 tl"oops. have much to be thankful for. Our bounteous land has "Victory is almost ours!" he rejoices on September been able to seCure. victory, freedom and democracy for 15 and transfers 15,000 Green Berets to Highway Beau­ the people of South Vietnam. To consolidate these gains tification programs in the Mekong Delta as proof of and perform the final moppin~ up operations I have his confidence. asked Secretary of DefensePatnck Nugent (McN~ "Democracy has won in South Vietnam," he an­ having' taken vows as a Buddhist monk) to send an nounces on October 1, while pinning a Freedom Medal additional 350,000 troops." on President Ky (President Thieu having been assas­ On December 25 a sober Lyndon Baines Johnson sinated). delivers his annual message: "My fellow Americans, I "My fellow Americans," he reports on October 9, come to you this Christmas with a heavy heart...• " "I have just learned from General Abrams (General -MAHOUT Westmoreland having been kidnapped) that the Ameri­ can troop commitment in South Vietnam can now be substantially reduced. The boys will soon be home." THE GOVERNORS' CONFERENCES ANOTHER "Dearly belove4," he sa}'$ to the American people on October 7, Republican Governor's Association ......... ......... 3 "I have today created a special COMMISSION The Governors Face Omaha ............................ 4 Presidential Commission on Repatriation, Integration and Occupational Training of Soldiers." H. Rap Brown Republican Governors Talk 1968 .................... 4 and Cyrus Vance are named co-chairmen. Democratic Governors Organize ...... .................. 11 .ByHallowe'en the President is euphoric~ He dis­ Republican' Governors' Urban Action Plan ....... 11 misses the blowing up of the American Embassy' in Saigon as a' "trick-or-treat prank." It was just a bunch VIETNAM ELECTIONS .;>0 •••••••••••••••••••••••••• ; •••• ;.... 7 of kids," he tells reporters. Theory, is valid, hasn't the spread of Communism taken THE R.IPON SOCIETY, INC. place more effectively in the Carribean now that the C~1ro government has been in power for almost ten NatIonal Governing Board years? If the Domino Theory is valid, then why, with Josiah Lee Auspltz Lee W. Huebner" the apparent success of the Communists in Viet N~ Christopher W. Beal· Edward J. MeAniff have they had such little success in Indonesia, such Robert L. Beal J. Eugene Marans Robert D. Behn W. Stuart Parsons little success that the Communists were overthrown do­ Melvin A. Bernstein Thomas E. Petri·· mestically without any intervention by the United States? Thomas A. Brown John R. Price· Edward S. Cabot John S. Saloma III What about South Korea, the Phillipines, Formosa? In Robert D. Fall8lv, Jr. Michael C. Smith all of these United States successes in resisting Com­ Howard F. Gillette, Jr. Peter J. Wallison munist armies, we have been able to isolate the battle­ Richard A. Zimmer • Officers field by sea power. Island and peninsulas can be blockaded, •• National Executive Dirsctor tough as it was in Korea. In Viet Nam our position is as though China had a military foothold in Acapulco, The Ripon fORUM clear across the Pacific, while we kept supplying the Editorial Board Josiah Lee Auspltz Lee W. Huebner Mexicans with North American-made supplies, delivered Thomas E. Petri undetected at night and through the jungle. I don't see Editor how they could win in that circumstance, and I don't Ralph B. Earle, Jr. see how we can in the situation we are in. I have heard one or two people remark, thank good­ Political Nates Editor Economies Editor ness, not very seriously, that "what we ought to do is to Robert S. Gulick Dunesn It foley drop the bomb and clean that place out-that'll stop em!" Technical Editor Business Mllllllller In both instances I said, "Well, who are we going to RustY Bellows Gerald E. Bellows drop the, bomb on," and got the answers, vaguely, Hanoi Correspondents and Haiphong, where the supplies are supposedly entering. Teranca Dwyer, Michigan and Iowa William Harding, Nebraska Of course, that leaves the South Vietnamse Communists, Donald Fowler, MaIne John R. Lazarek, Southern stetas James L. Robertson, Mlaslsslppl W. Stuart Parsons; WIsconsin the Viet Cong, whose activities and successes, a few years Christopher T. Bayley, Weablngton Maggie Nichols, California ago, were the verY reason we went there in the :first Stanley M. Pottinger, California John A. Bross, Jr., illinois place. It doesn't seem appropriate that you're going to J. T. Moore, Kansas Michael McCrery, Idaho Dr. Arthur f. McClure II, Missouri. Cullen Hammond, Georgia be able to drop the bomb on them without also destroying Stanford M. Adelstein, Soutb Dakota Eric R. Blackledge, Oregon the friendly people of South Vietnam who are on our Mrs. Normen W. Osher, Artzona Charles O. Ingraham, North Carolina side - or let's say are anti-Communist. John Evans, Missouri Richard Olson, Messachusetta Maybe the whole thing can be summarized in this THE RIPON SOCIETY Is a Republican rasearch and policy organization whose manner - 1. We are in a war of attrition on the Asian members are young business, academic and professional men and women. It has national headquarters In Cambridge, Massachusetta, with chapters In Continent. 2. We do have an extremely vulnerable supply Boston, Los Angeles, New Haven and New York, and Netlonal Assoclata line. 3. We have committed so many troops that we can­ members throughout the fifty etetes. The Ripon fORUM Is published not adequately fight, even though more favorable mili­ monthly by the Society application to mall et second·class postage rates Is pending at Boston, Massachusetts. To those who wish to subscribe to tarily, in another part of the world without calling up Its publications and support Its programs the Society offers the following the reserves and going into an all-out military situation. options for annuel contribution: fORUM, $10; FORUM (stodent), $5; Con· In other words, the bottom of our barrel is being scraped tributor, $25 or more; Sustalner, $100; founder, $1000. Correspondence as far as our regular militil.ry establishment is concerned. addressed to the Editor Is welcomed. 4. THE RIPON SOCIETY We are ostensibly protecting a country which has an 1430 Massachusetta Avenue. almost entirely agrarian economy. I don't see that we Cambridge, Massachusetta 02138 have much to offer rice farmers or shop keepers in the way of politics or economics. This seems to me to be a terrific Republican oppor­ tunity - similar to 1952 when Eisenhower promised a solution to the Korean War. Which reminds me that this LETTERS: The War might be construed as a "no-win" situation too. But in Korea in the last 15 years, there have been two countries Dear Sir: operating peaceably, a few border incidents to the con­ I had a nice chat with my father about 10 days ago - trary. At least that war did get settled. The U.S. with­ and during the course of conversation asked him what he drew, and with no loss of prestige. thought of the Viet Nam war. To my surprise he said, Another reason why it is such a terrific Republican "Get the hell out." Now here's a guy who retired in 1950 opportunity is .that the present so-called "Viet-niks" after 30 years in the Marine Corps and wouldn't be make it so darned hard for the "Middle-of-the-Roaders" expected to take a dove line in this thing. I expressed to side with their position. They appear to be irresponsible my surprise and asked him to explain further.
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