‘HANOI-PEKING SPLIT ON WAR’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31316, 11 March 1967, Page 13

‘HANOI-PEKING SPLIT ON WAR’

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

MOSCOW, March 10.

The Soviet President, Mr Nikolai Podgorny, charged yesterday that Hanoi and Peking are split over war

and peace in Vietnam, United Press International reported.

The agency said that the speech was an attempt to split North Vietnam from Chinese influence. Mr Podgorny accused Mao Tse-tung of opposing Hanoi’s bid for peace talks in exchange for an unconditional end to U.S. bombing of the North

“The Mao group is against the proposal,” he said. “Its intentions over the Vietnam war do not accord with the views of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.” Mr Podgorny linked Leftwing Chinese and Right-wing Americans together. He accused them of considering a world nuclear war to achieve their different ends.

But he warned that the Communist bloc would “retaliate” against any U.S. attempt to escalate the Vietnamese war.

Mr Podgorny said that American leaders were deceiving the U.S. people with their manoeuvring on Vietnam. Mr Podgorny said it would be impossible to overcome the Communist cause in Vietnam.

American leaders were

> cheating the electors by hold- : ing out hope for an anti- , Communist victory. Mr Podgorny accused Washington of “hypocrisy and i falsehood” in statements says ing that the U.S. wanted ■ peace.