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Associated Press HARRY ASHMORE WILLIAM C. BAGGS . . . report on frustrated peace overtures to Hanoi. Johnson Accused of Duplicity On Peace Overture to Hanoi

mands. By Murrey Marder Washington Post Staff Writer Issue Very Much Alive A prominent former newspa- The issue is still very much tion's Center Magazine, said per editor charged yesterday alive in current national and the trip was undertaken with that the Johnson Administra- international debate over secret recognition by the Ad- tion joined in and then "effec- terms for halting the bombing ministration that it also might tively and brutally canceled" and initiating negotiations. "open up a useful channel of a previously undisclosed peace Ashmore, formerly the Pul- communication with the North overture to Hanoi last Febru- itzer Prize-winning editor of Vietnamese." ary. the Arkansas Gazette of Little Newsman Departs The disclosure plus accusa- Rock,. Art, met with North Vietnamese President Ho in At the State Department, he tions of "double-dealing" and said, "we were asked to keep an "almost total absence of Hanoi last Jan. 12. With Ash- candor" on the part of Presi- more were William C. Baggs, the trip secret as long as possi- editor of the Miami (Fla.) ble . ," They entered Hanoi dent Johnson and the State on Jan. 6, the day that Harri- Department were made by News and also, a director of the Santa Barbara Center, and son Salisbury of The New Harry S. Ashmore, executive York Times was departing on vice president of the Center Luis Quintanilla, former Mexi- can Ambassador to the United the International Control for the Study of Democratic Commission plane that carried Institutions at Santa Barbara, States. Their meetings with North them to North Vietnam from Calif. Cambodia, and the news of the He charged that the Admin- Vietnamese leaders were des- cribed at the time only as an Ashmore - Beggs - Quinanilla istration, after collaborating in visit became known. drafting a secret "concilia- effort to solicit North Viet- nam's attendance at an unoffi- They saw President Ho for tory" letter to North Viet- about two hours on Jan. 12. namese President Ho Chi cial peace convocation spon- Minh to exchange a halt in the sored by the California-based bombing of North Vietnam for Center at Geneva, last May. peace talks, deliberately nulli- Ashmore, in a lengthy arti- fied that offer with stiffer de- cle written for his organiza- By the time Ashmore and tion with the eclipsed Adlai tion," Ashmore continued, pro- Stevenson wing of the Demo- duced a meeting with the "De- Baggs returned to Los Angeles partment's upper hierarchy on Tan. 15, Ashmore wrote, the cratic Party and by a long per- sonal association with the (minus Secretary Rusk)," and Salisbury articles about civil- Johnson Administration's lead- Fulbright, "plus a silent White; ian casualties caused by bomb- ing bete noire, .(Sen.) J. Wil- House observer as witness." ing North Vietnam had "creat- liam Fulbright." Added Ash- Ashmore said last night that ed a national furore," with a more, "Finally, we represented "concerted effort" in Washing- the Center, an unconventional, ton "to discredit Mr. Salisbury and therefore automatically . . ." Ashmore said "our re- suspect, institution." ports were a Complete vindica- Ashmore wrote that "we tion of Mr. Salisbury," but he soon began to feel that we and Baggs avoided any com- were confronted by two dis- ment about their attempts to tinct State Departments." open private communications "One, which obviously with Hanoi. regarded us with profound dis-I "At the State Department's trust,' apparently was headed t request," said Ashmore, he by Secretary Rusk," said Ash- and Baggs "managed to hide more, "who never saw us or out for three days after our re- otherwise acknowledged our turn, and to meet secretly in presence. Washington with the Depart- "The other (State) Depart- ment's top echelon." ment," said Ashmore, "which Departmental Briefings appeared to be seriously inter- ested in negotiations with "The briefings (at State) Hanoi, included Under went on intermittently for a Secretary Nicholas deB. Kat- day and a half," said Ashmore, zenbach, Averell Harriman, and covered the conversation the elder statesman who with Ho in great detail. speaks with the authority of a "We had not brought back personal representative of the any hard proposal from Ho President, and Assistant Sec- Chi Minh," Ashmore contin- retary William Bundy, who is ued, "beyond the reiteration of immediately in charge of NICHOLAS KATZENBACH WILLIAM P. BUNDY his unqualified commitment to Southetst Asian Affairs." • enter into negotiations if the United States halted the Invitations Rejected they met in Under Secretary suspend the bombing and in- bombing of North Vietnam. At the State Department's Katzenbach's office on the itiate negotiations, without This could not on its face be request, said Ashmore, he and morning and afternoon of specific concessions beyond an said to meet the stated Ameri- Baggs rejected invitations to Feb. 4. The principals there, agreement that neither side can requirement of a 'recipro- testify before either Senate or he said, also included, William would use the occasion to im- cal gesture of reduced military Bundy and Harriman. prove its military position." "When Sen. Fulbright had "The letter also was to sug- action by Hanoi. House committees, and to stay finished" outlining his views, gest that Mr. Baggs and I "But Mr. Baggs and I," Ash- out of the news as much as Ashmore wrote, "and the air- could return to Hanoi for fur- more said, "could offer our possible during "the next few - conditioning h a d whisked ther informal discussions, or judgment that the tone of the weeks, while our report pre- away the last traces of brim- that arrangements could be made to phase us out if it conversation had been deliber- sumably bounced back and stone, the decision was taken ately conciliatory and that Ho to dispatch a reply to. Ho Chi were desired that the matter' seemed prepared to consider a forth between the two (State) Minh ..." proceed directly to the official' specific proposal based on a Departments." In it, Ashmore, it was agreed level." 1 formula of mutual de-escala- Finally, he said, Sen. Ful- that Baggs and he "would ex- The composition of a page-' tion. br 1 gh t expressed surprise press the Department's view and-whalf letter, to be 'sent "Moreover, no real risk was that it might be possible to over Ashmore's signature, entailed in finding out when he asked Baggs if they whether this was so. Ho had had reported their conversa- understood that we would re- tion with Ho to President port our conversation to the Johnson personally, and was State Department and had made arrangements to have told no. Fulbright raised that any response sent directly to with the President at a White him." House function, said Ashmore, "and thereby pinked the nerve `Schizoid Quality' that activates the President's Ashmore and Baggs then consensus reflex." left Washington. Ashmore said Ashmore related that the "our dealings with the Depart- President said he thought it ment had begun to take on a unwise to see Ashmore and pronounced schizoid quality." Baggs personally and start Baggs, he said, had done speculation, but wanted Ful- some confidential diplomatic bright "to be absolutely satis- errands for the late President fied that we were being taken Kennedy in the Caribbean seriously and treated proper- and "was on fairly intimate ly." The President, Ashmore terms with a good many" top said, suggested that the Sena- State Department officials. tor sit in at the next session Ashmore described himself at the State Department. as "encumbered by identifica- "The President's interven- "consumed most of a Saturday interest in your suggestion to nam) and an ostentatious two- NLF" (N ational Liberation afternoon," he said. "It was us that private talks could day extension beyond the orig- Front, the political arm of the inally announced termination, Vietcong guerrillas in South allowed to simmer overnight, begin provided the U.S. stop- ped bombing your country, the aerial attack on North Vietnam.) was reconsidered without our and ceased introducing addi- Vietnam was resumed and es- "Under date of Feb. 14," . presence at an upper-echelon tional U.S. troops into Viet- calated." Ashmore charged, "Mr. John- meeting on Sunday after- nam. They expressed the opin- But it was not until after- son got from Ho Chi Minh the noon," said Ashmore, and "the ion that some reciprocal re- ward that Ashmore and Baggs sharp, negative reply he must final version was delivered in straint to indicate that neither learned, apparently when the have expected." a plain manila envelope to the side intended to use the occa- rest of the world did, that a "Ours came a little later," residence of Sen. Fulbright, sion of the talks for military presidential letter considerably said Ashmore, "the simple, un- where Mr. Beggs and I had advantage would provide tan- different than the one they exceptionable statement that gone for luncheon," gible evidence of the good collaborated on, was written there did not seem to be any "I mailed it myself that faith of all parties in the even before theirs was, on Feb. point in Messrs. Ashmore and afternoon, Feb. 5," said Ash- prospects for a negotiated set- 2. Beggs coming back to Hanoi more, "under the perhaps pro- at that time." tlement . . ." "Later (on March 21, 1967) .Y phetic postmark of the John The key phrase here was it was revealed in Hanoi, and 'Necessarily Subjective' '.. Foster Dulles International the' call for "reciprocal re- confirmed in Washington, that Ashmore said he could only. . Airport. By prior arrange- straint," sources on the Ash- the President, under date of offer a "necessarily subjec- ment, the letter was to be more-Baggs side of the issue Feb. 2, had already dispatched tive" account of "what actu- mailed to Cambodia by regu- stressed last night. These an offsetting message," said ally went on in the upper lar mail and forwarded from sources said it was emphasized Ashmore, "to Ho Chi Minh reaches of the Administration" there to Hanoi." in the discussions in the State over his own signature. to account for the diverse let- Ashmore said: Department that this termi- "This was transmitted from ters. "The key passages in our nology would leave open many Moscow on Feb. 8, the day the "From beginning to end of letter (to Ho) read: options, without setting out bombing was suspended and our dealings with the Depart- " 'In our several discussions any, specific demand for what received In Hanoi on Feb. 10. ment," he charged, "there was ... with senior officials of the would be termed adequate "re- It was certainly in Ho's hands an almost total absence of.„; State Department . . . they ciprocal restraint" on either when ours arrived." candor on the official side.” emphasized that the U.S. re- side's military actions. "— . We never got a sat's,: mains prepared for secret dis- That letter from the Presi- Said Ashmore: dent, Ashmore contended, "set factory answer," he - said, ,. cussions at any time, without "This conciliatory feeler was "whether the Administration conditions, and that such dis- effectively and brutally can- forth . . . the most stringent demands yet made for advance was really willing to negotiate cussions might cover the whole celled before there was any a compromise settlement in range of topics relevant to a chance to determine what re- assurance that Hanoi would assurance that Hanoi would Vietnam or was committed to `- peaceful settlement. They re- sponse Hanoi might have a military victory." iterated that the Geneva Ac- made. halt infiltration of troops to the South. The uncompromis- When Fulbright, at one of cords (of 1954 and 1962 on the State Department meet—, Southeast Asia) might be the Cessation for Holiday ing tone of the presidential message thoroughly disposed ings, "bluntly stated his view framework for a peaceful solu- "On Feb. 14, after a tempor- that the latter was the case," 7". tion. ary cessation of the bombing of the careful tampering we said Ashmore, ". . . the dis- sq " 'They expressed particular for the Tet holiday (in Viet- had undertaken in those long claimers consisted of no more fly-specking sessions" in the than assurance that those he State Department. was addressing, at least, were The key language in the sincerely seeking a settle- President's message was: ment." "I am prepared to order a Ashmore said "the credibil- cessation of bombing against ity gap .. . may be less a case -- your country and the stopping of deliberate dissembling than , of further augmentation of of pervasive ignorance of ulti- United States forces in South mate policy that goes right to Vietnam as soon as I am as- the top of the Cabinet." He sured that infiltration Into said: South Vietnam by land and "A President who insists — sea has stopped." on keeping his options open Extending Truce as long as possible, and per- . . , sonally revealing his choices, President Johnson also told leaves even his own most ex- Ho that the proposal "would alted associates embarrassing- ;k be greatly strengthened if ly mute in regard to large af- your military authorities and fairs for which they are nom- those of the Government of inally responsible." South Vietnam could promptly negotiate an extension of the Tet (lunar New Year holiday) truce," then under way. Hanoi, however, always had adamantly refused any nego- tiations with the regime in Saigon. Ashmore said that "William Bundy and the others who labored over our draft letter had insisted that It would be a mistake to tie any proposal to the Tet bombing pause, since this would be inter- preted by Ho as an effort to force his hand without ade- quate opportunity to consult with his own people and the Chronology of the Ashrnore-Baggs Peace By Chalmers M. Roberts rived in Hanoi the day there could be talks between letter did not specify the Washington Post Staff Writer Salisbury left. the DRV and the U.S." "reciprocal restraint" al- The record indicates that Jan. 12 — Ashmore and Feb. 2—President Johnson though the President's letter the Ashmore-Baggs peace ef- Baggs met Ho Chi Minh who prepared a letter to Ho. in of three days earlier had which he took up the Bur- specified an end to North fort ran afoul of a change stressed an end to the bomb- ing Ashmore now writes chett interview points, Mr. Vietnamese infiltration into in American policy which oc- that "we had not brought Johnson said he would "or- the South. curred at the moment they back" from this interview der a cessation of bombing" In addition, on the day were involved In Vietnam di- "any hard proposal" from and also 'halt "further aug- (Feb. 2) the Administration plomacy. Ho "beyond the reiteration mentation of U.S. forces in said the Presidential letter This is the record, as far , of his unqualified commit- South Vietnam as soon as I was drafted, Mr. Johnson as it is now known, of the ment to enter into negotia- am assured that infiltration told a press conference that pertinent events: tions" if the U.S. halted the into South Vietnam by land "just almost any step" would DEC. 4, 1966—Poland re- bombing. and sea has stopped." These be a suitable response from ported to the United States Ashmore reported to State "acts of restraint," he said, Hanoi. He also had said that that North Vietnam was pre- Department officials that he "would make possible se- "we would be glad to ex- pared to send a man to War- and Baggs felt that "Ho rious-p r iv ate discussions." plore any reciprocal action." saw to meet an American seemed prepared to consider This letter, however, was not Sometime between Feb. 2 representative and to do so a specific proposal based on turned over to Hanoi's man and 9 the official American without demanding as a pre- a formula of mutual de- in Moscow until Feb. 8 and terms were hardened. condition an end to the escalation" of the fighting. the delay has never been ex- Feb. 8 — Soviet Premier. Alexei Kosygin, who was in American bombing of the Early January to. early plained. Feb. 4---A sh rn or e and London Feb. 6-13. said at a North. February — The 'IT nit e press conference that the American officials subse- States secretly sent four Baggs met at the 'State() De- partment with Undersecre- Trinh interview with Bur- quently contended that in- memoranda to Hanoi de- chett "boils down" to say- dependent checks showed scribing, officials say, possi- tary Nicholas deB. Katzen- bash and other top officials ing that if the U.S. uncon- this to be a Polish view, ble methods of deescalation. ditionally stopped the bomb- not that of North Vietnam. These messages, yet to be but not including Secretary Dean Rusk. ing, "then it would be POS- Dec. 13-14—A me ric an made public, were handed 'sible" to open talks. Kosygin planes raid near. Hanoi. Po- by an American embassy of- A letter from Ashmore to thus - ,pub 11 c 1 y changed land later privately blamed ficial in Moscow to a North Ho was drafted with Assist- Trinh's crucial word "could" the raids for ending chances Vietnamese representative. ant Secretary William into "would." He was never for a meeting. After the Jan. 27 —Hanoi's man in Bundy, whose area includes contradicted by Hanoi on raids Hanoi began. to stress Moscow gave a reply to the Vietnam, as the -chief de- this. Furthermore, Kosygin the demand that bombing American official. Later the partmental draftsman. passed the word to Wash- must cease unconditionally State Departmnt described The key sentence in the ington, which had inquired before there could be talks. the reply as "a diatribe letter stated that "senior as to when talks would be- Dec. 26-Jan. 6, 1967—Har- against the United States." officials" at State "expressed gin, that their could start in rison Salisbury of the New Jan. 28—North Vietnamese opinion that some reciprocal three or four weeks. York Times created a furor Foreign Minister Nguyen restraint" w a s necessary ' Feb. 9 — Secretary Rusk, with dispatches from Hanoi Duy Trinh in, an interview along with a halt to the at a press conference which picturing civilian destruc- with Australian Communist bombing and an end to the had been announced by the tion from the American journalist Wilfred Burchett influx of American troops White House, said that `Tor raids. Officials here said said that "it is only after if talks were to take place. some time now there has , Hanoi had let Salisbury in the unconditional cessation Feb. 5—The draft letter been evident a systematic as part of a campaign to of U.S. bombing and all was delivered to Ashmore at campaign by the Commu- force an end to the bomb- other acts of war against the Fulbright's house. Ashmore nist side to bring about an ing. Ashmore and Baggs ar- DRV (North Vietnam) that mailed it that afternoon. The unconditional and perman- EffortznVietnam

ent cessation of the bombing it arrived before his own of North Vietnam without letter with the less specific any corresponding military request on the point of action on their side, in ex- reciprocity. - change for the 'possibility ,this period, Feb., of talks— talks which are 8.14, there was a pause in thus far formless and with- the, bombing over the Tot out nontent." holiday In Vietnam, includ- Wilk also distinguished" ing Presidentially ordered between a "pause in the .. short extension. bombing (here he seemed to Feb. 13—Ho in a letter to indicate he would agree to a . Pope Paul VI assailed the pause in exchange for talks) U.S. He coupled an =con- and a "permanent cessa- ditional end to the 'bombing tion." For the latter to take_ with the withdrawal of place, he said, "we must American forces and the know the military conse- recognition od the National quences." The U.S., he said, Liberation Front, the politi- cannot stop the bombing cal arm of the Vietcong. In without reciprocity for that Washington this was taken would be "closing off one- as a reply to the President half of the war while the . Besumption of the bombing rest of it goes on full force."' was ordered. _ In short, Rusk was eurfae-, Feb. 10—Ho replied to the ing the central point of the President "inin Words similar President's letter to Ho, the- to the Pope. "A little later," contents of will& were not writes Ashmore, he and made public ,until Hanoi Beggs received' a reply to broadcast it March 21. the Ashmore letter toying Feb. 10—Ho said he re- there did not seem to be ' ' ceived'the Johnson letter on any point to their making a this day. Ashmore assumes second visit to Hanoi.