Hanoi Bombing Believed Halted

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31383, 31 May 1967, Page 15

Hanoi Bombing Believed Halted

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

WASHINGTON, May 30.

The Johnson Administration has again declared Hanoi and Haiphong offlimits for American bombers, the “Washington Post” said last night. Pentagon officials declined to-comment on the report.

The newspaper said that it was not known when the directive became effective, but the last major raid on Haiphong took place on Friday.

Under the new restrictions, Washington will not approve targets within the city limits of Hanoi and Haiphong. One report from Saigon indicated that the restrictions would apply to areas within 10 miles of both cities, the “Post” said.

It is not clear whether the new directive reflects a move by the Administration to reduce the air war over North Vietnam, the "Post” reported. MiG Losses The North Vietnamese Air Force is losing its MiG jet fighters in combat considerably faster than replacements arrive from the Soviet Union or China, say United States defence sources. Figures available in Washington showed that Hanoi’s MiG strength was down to 82 planes at present—a net reduction of 32 aircraft from the force of 114 which the North Vietiamese were able to mount during January. South Vietnam’s Foreign Minister, Tran Van Do, yesterday proposed that North and South Vietnam end their war by reinstating the provisions of the armistice of 1954, the “New York Times” news service reported. According to reliable sources, Do worked out the proposal last March but had not previously made it public. The two principal points are the rewened recognition of the 17th parallel as the dividing line between the two Governments and an exchange of population. The South Vietnam National Liberation Front considered a coalition Gov-

ernment for South Vietnam under the present “puppet regime” was out of the question, a correspondent of the Japanese news agency, Kyodo, reported from Hanoi.