U.S. Plans More Aid To S. Vietnam

Press, Volume C, Issue 29673, 17 November 1961, Page 15

U.S. Plans More Aid To S. Vietnam

(N.ZJ’.A.-Reuter— Copyright) WASHINGTON, November 16. The United States has told Britain and France of new plans to help South Vietnam crush the mounting Communist guerrilla offensive, United States officials reported last night.

They declined to reveal the nature of the moves arising from the still-secret report of President Kennedy’s special military adviser, General Maxwell Taylor. The general recently made an on-the-spot survey of the South Vietnamese war to give the President “an educated guess’’ on how the United States could improve help to its Asian ally. Officials said the United States Secretary of State (Mr Rusk) had given an outline of proposed American measures in recent talks with the British Ambassador (Sir David Ormsby-Gore) and the French Ambassador (Mr Herve Alphand). They said that the Secretary of State had been in constant touch with the two major Western allies. The Washington “Post” today reported that Mr Rusk in yesterday’s meeting gave the two diplomats an outline of present and future steps which had been decided on by President Kennedy at a meeting of the super-secret National Security Council yesterday morning. “The indications are that the new steps will mean a further build-up of American manpower and equipment, especially aircraft,” the "Post” said. “But United States officials say that the aid is ‘opera-

tional’ rather than of a ‘combat’ nature. “That is, there will be no American troops to join in combat with the Communist Viet Cong troops controlled by Ho Chi Minh’s North Vietnam. “The indications in recent days are that American planes are being used for reconnaissance, probably with United States airmen aboard,” it said.