Ho’s Invitation To Johnson

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31277, 25 January 1967, Page 13

Ho’s Invitation To Johnson

(N.Z J>.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, January 24.

The White House said today that President Johnson had received no invitation to visit Hanoi but it pledged that any North Vietnamese proposals for reaching a peaceful settlement of the Vietnam war would be carefully evaluated.

But the Presidential spokesman did not comment directly on the statement by Rabbi Abraham Feinberg, of Toronto, who told a press conference in London today that President Ho Chi Minh if North Vietnam had invited President Johnson to visit Hanoi for talks. Diplomatic observers were sceptical about the possibility of a meeting between the two Presidents in the foreseeable future.

Other United States officials said President Ho’s reported invitation appeared to contain preconditions unacceptable to the United States. The State Department said

Rabbi Feinberg, a United States citizen, faced possible revocation of his passport for having made an unauthorised trip to North Vietnam. Rabbi Feinberg said President Ho had said: “Let Mr Johnson come with his wife and daughters; his secretary, his doctor, his cook. But let him not come with a gun at his hip. Let him not bring his admirals and generals. “As an old revolutionary 1 pledge my honour that Mr Johnson will have complete security.” Rabbi Feinberg said he and the former Bishop of Johannesburg, Dr. Ambrose Reeves, thought it a “most significant” passage in a halfhour talk with President Ho.

He emphasised that President Ho, who spoke in English, was not joking and specifically authorised publication of the invitation—which the Rabbi today pledged would be passed by him to Washington.