Vietnam

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30763, 29 May 1965, Page 14

Vietnam

Sir,—My congratulations on your editorial this morning, “Troops for Vietnam.” We are sending a mere token force, a battery of gunners, all due respect to them, some of the best in the world. New Zealand can afford, and I am sure would support, a brigade group in our forward defence lines. —Yours, etc. K. STOTHARD BROWN. May 28, 1965.

Sir, —Those who are concerned with the plight of the Vietnamese people will welcome the Government’s announcement of a donation of £lO,OOO (pitifully small though this is) towards the relief of suffering in Vietnam. It is, however, far from clear that the refugees are, as the Prime Minister puts it, “trying to escape from Vietcong terrorism.” Indeed, evidence suggests that they are refugees frorh the intensified mass bombing which has followed the American abandonment of “the myth of pacification.” The policy, as explained to the French correspondent, Max Clos, is that “terror must succeed where propaganda has failed.” A South Vietnamese observer, in the “Far Eastern Economic Review,” comments: ‘‘As civilian casualties increase I have noted the mounting resentment, almost hatred and fear, of the American troops’ disregard of Vietnamese suffering. Whole villages have been destroyed; there are at least a thousand civilian casualties a day. . . .” —Yours, etc., KEITH BUCHANAN. Wellington, May 28, 1965.

Sir,—Persons who disagree with the idea of sending New Zealand troops to South Vietnam are often vociferous in the expression of their views. Consequently, from the number of letters published, many people might invalidly infer that any disproportionate volume of correspondence in favour of objectors necessarily implies an equivalent proportion of such views throughout the country. I, for one, approve of our Government's decision to commit artillery to South Vietnam. — Yours, etc., MICHAEL A. MCCARTHY. May 27, 1965.

Sir. —Anyone who has studied the history of Vietnam since the withdrawal of the French armies cannot help feeling disgusted at the Government’s decision to commit New Zealand troops against the Vietnamese people. Three very sad facts emerge from this decision. The majority of public opinion has been flagrantly disregarded by the Government. The action only serves to press the United States further into the mire of the Vietnamese civil war and for which she is now desperately trying to win approval. Third, our name will be damned by the Asiatics on whom in Hie future we shall be relying for trade.—Yours, etc ” RUSSELL SQUIRES. May 27, 1965.