^ WASHINGTON (AP) — President Johnson Said Sunday, "I Shall Not Seek and I Wiil Not Accept the Nom- Ination for Another T
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^ WASHINGTON (AP) — President PACIFIC Johnson said Sunday, "I shall not seek and I wiil not accept the nom- ination for another term as presi- AN AUTHORIZED PUBLICATION 1 U.S, ARMED FORCES IN THE FAR dent/ (88^034^4 ft 21 BS 3ifiSii*K5i.g'iiJ) He said he does not believe that Vol. 24, No. 91 Tuesday, April 2, 1968 with war in Vietnam he should "de- vote an hour or a day of my time" to any partisan cause, Johnson made his dramatic with- drawal at the end of a nationally broadcast speech in which he dis- closed he is ordering a halt in nearly all air and sea action against North Vietnam in a move to bring peace talks. Johnson recalled that 52 months and 10 days ago he came into the Presidency through the tragic death of President John F. Kennedy. Now he said there is divssiveness in the country and made an appeal for unity. "I would ask all Americans to guard against divisiversess and its ugly consequences/' In announcing the AP Radlophoto moves, Johnson said there will be a CAPT. ROBB KISSES WIFE LYNDA GOODBY AT NORTON AF8, CALIF. pause in asr attacks on North Viet- nam, except in the area near the de- militarized zone. He called this "the first step to de-escalate" the war, say'mq the U.S. NORTON AFB, Calif. (AP)— to be there a full 13 months," December. They stayed in the ' / vj President J o h n s o n's eldest said the tall, handsome former San Clemente, Calif., area while wiil substantially reduce "the present daughter, Lynda Bird, stood White House aide. he underwent four days of inten- composed Saturday as her hus- He asked for a moment alone sive training for combat that level of hostilities." band, Marine Capt. Charles S. with Lynda and they embraced ended Friday at Camp Pendle- Robb, departed for 13 months' each oilier, saying nothing. ton, Calif. Johnson appealed anew for im- duty in Vietnam. Again they headed for the Meanwhile in Da Nang, South After embracing her husband, gate, Robb was dressed smartly Vietnam, Marine Corps officials mediate peace talks, saying: "There Lynda Bird told a wife of anoth- in his greens. He carried no said Capt. Robb will be assigned er departing Marine, "I hope I baggage. to the 1st Marine Div. can be as brave as the rest of Neither offered any comment, is no need to delay the talks that yoii women here." but when asked Lynda Bird said Robb, arrived in Naha Oki- The couple arrived at the base she planned to return to Wash- nawa, early Monday. He will could brinq%f an end to this lonq%j and shortly before 6 and stayed to- ington "on the next commercial spend two or three days at gether in a room separate from flight." Camp Butler getting processed bloody war." the rest of the departing service- Robb, an infantry officer, for Vietnam, officials said. men. boarded the jet liner with 165 He is expected to arrive in Da The chief executive called on the They emerged from a hall other Marines. Nang in two or three clays. On leading to the gate, faced news- The plane lifted off the ground. arrival he will be interviewed by Soviet Union and Great Britain, as men silently arid then walked to Lynda watched, her face com- the division's personnel section, the gate. posed and then turned on her then assigned according to the co-chairmen of the Geneva confer* "I do not know what duty I heel for a waiting limousine. "needs and availability in his wiil have in Vietnam, I expect The Robbs were married in field," Marine officials said. ((.'oniimu'd on Buck Page, Co!. I) w , Thfeu fyts Genera/ A/!obi//zafion SpoTVC ^K f •^^ • ~~ ' f\CuMtJE jJHk. jtf*tf uJUffl V^Mi Ok SAl&ON (UPI) -* South Viet* nam's President Nguyen Van Thieu threatened Sunday to decrees a general mobilization By SPEC, 5 a'nd towed his nation would con- MClLtlANEY tinue fighting the Communists S&S Staff CSrfespbnctent even if the United States should SONG BE, Vietnam withdraw its support. The Viet Cong have quiet- . Thieu said nothing could force ly built 34 miles of road his government into accepting through Phuoc Long Pro- a coalition with the Communists and denied rumors that the vince heading toward Sai- United States was pressuring gon. him to make such a move. Complete with fuel dumps foi* the heavy equipment being used "Even if the allies were to to build it and two bridges, it say if you don't accept a coali- discreetly bypasses allied mili- tion, we'll leave the country, tary bases. we'll cut off aid; even if our It Was discovered in early allies should no longer be wilt- March by Mai Glenn L. Adams, ing to assist us, we will make Air Force liaison officer to the -sufficient sacrifices to carry on 5th ARVN Div. here. our struggle and achieve our "We figure we caught the aims," the Vietnamese president road before they moved more declared. than a dozen vehicles," Adams In an impromptu speech to said. "Shortly afterwards we 2;000 cheering university stu- received a 15-hour mortar at* dents, Thieu said that if the tack." Communists keep fighting after Since then traffic has inten- the government carries out its sified, deeply rutting the road. current plan to mobilize 135,000 A Vietnamese recon team re- fresh troops, he will declare a ported sighting ' six trucks and general mobilization next Octo- two bulldozers at work. There b.er. This would put all able-bodied is also a footpath running par- Vietnamese between the ages of allel to the road. 18 and 40 in the armed forces, Air strikes have destroyed six he said. Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu in- weeks of military training. About 2,000 students trucks, one fuel dump and a .Thieu spoke at ceremonies spects students who have just completed two heard Thieu speak in Saigon. (AP Radiophoto) bridge along the road. marking completion of a mili- tary training course for Saigon university students. U.S. Am- Jefs Pound bassador Ellsworth Bunker at- tended the session. Recent Operations Increase '"There are students through- Hanoi Port out the world who don't believe S8.S Vietnam Bureau our struggle is legitimate," SAIGON — Target areas in Thieu told the students. "Our Allies' 6-1 Kill Ratio Over Foe answer to them will be the North Vietnam were pounded blood you shed when you rise by 118 U.S. air missions Satur- SAIGON (AP) — Allied forces gunships have been used exten- weeks in the last part of Feb- up to defend our country." day despite continued overcast in South Vietnam are killing an sively in the Quyet Thang offen- ruary and early March, just af- He was loudly cheered. weather. average of six enemy troops for sive. W h i 1 e some observers ter the Viet Cong's Lunar Now It was Thieu's first public ap- every man they lose in overall question the high number of Year offensive, the ratio in- pearance since Bui Diem, the Air Force Phantoms and combat, military officials said enemy claimed killed, Sidle in- creased to 8 to 1 and 10 to 1. Vietnamese ambassador Thunderchiefs bombed storage Sunday. sisted that all figures on enemy "We do not consider this sig- to Washington, returned to Sai- areas in the Dong Hoi area, the casualties are obtained by a nificant," Sidle said. "It is a Chuc Son Army Barracks near But some operations in recent normal fluctuation, The 8-to-l gon to brief him on the political weeks have been producing dou- body count. situation in the United States. Hanoi plus communications "Armor, air or catching them ratio has been standard for lines throughout the panhandle. ble and even triple that ratio some time, even before the Viet Bunker was given an enthu- in favor of the allies if the U.S. running in the open always siastic reception by students iii Intruder jets from the carrier adds up to a high kill," Sidle Cong's Lunar New Year offen- and South Vietnamese reporting sive." the crowd after Thieu's speech Enterprise braved heavy flak system is accurate. said. "Firepower makes the dif- was over. and SAMs to hit the Hanoi port ference on our side." Sidle emphasized that the kill facility and intercept convoys The most prominent example Sidle said that for the past ratio is a fluctuating figure that between Vinh and Thanh Hoa. is Operation Quyet Thang (Re- several months the overall kill varies weekly, but that the Bridges at Thanh Hoa and Hai- solved to Win), a thrust by 50,- ratio has remained on the aver- overall average has remained More Firings phong were bombed. 000 American and South Viet- age of 6 to 1. But during some about 6 to 1. namese troops to clear five USS Ticonderoga pilots struck provinces around Saigon of Viet Hinted in Viet at fortified positions and troop Cong. SAIGON (AP) — Reports cir- concentrations in and north of cuiated widely in Saigon Sunday the DMZ. It was launched March 11. Reefs May Be Quitting of a nidjor South Vietnamese Since then, the U.S. command Raids by Marine Corps, In- says 2,147 enemy have been government' reshuffle within the truders touched off explosions killed compared to 206 allied next two weeks. in a convoy above Con Thien Khe Sanh Baffle Site Informed government sources soldiers killed.