Site Compromise Urged By Thant

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31658, 19 April 1968, Page 13

Site Compromise Urged By Thant

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, April 18. The United Nations Secretary-General (U Thant) continued his private efforts today to persuade the United States and North Vietnam to agree on a compromise venue—probably Paris—for preliminary Vietnam peace talks. U Thant conferred in the French capital last week with the North Vietnamese representative there (Mai Van Bo) and it is thought that he may fly back again in the next few days. Informed sources in New York say the United Nations chief strongly favours Paris as a venue and could call there on his way to or from Teheran, where he is due to address the Human Rights Conference next Monday.

The sources say the United States has been encouraging U Thant to try to break the deadlock between Washington and Hanoi, in spite of the fact that his previous suggestion of Geneva was turned down by North Vietnam. Hanoi today demanded that the United States agree “without delay” to accept Phnom Penh or Warsaw as sites for the talks according to the Associated Press. The demand was issued by the official North Vietnamese Communist Party daily,. “Nhan Dan,” which, however did not set a time limit or say what would happen if Washington continued to reject the two Communist-pro-posed cities. The newspaper repeated Communist charges that the United States is insincere in efforts to attain peace in Vietnam. In its final paragraph, “Nh’ i Dan” says: “Once again, we demand that the United States Government drop its attitude showing a lack of good will, and agree without delay to either Phnom Penh or Warsaw for the site of talks contacts. “We demand also that the United States stop definitely and unconditionally its bombing and other acts of war on the whole territory of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. so that talks may begin." At a State banquet in his honour in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, the Soviet Prime Minister (Mr Alexei Kosygin) urged America to accept the North Vietnamese proposals “immediately”. Resignation Call In Pittsburgh today, Senator Eugene McCarthy again called for the resignation of the Secretary of State (Mr Dean Rusk) to show that the United States was willing to change its position on the Vietnam issue. This was the first time since he decided to seek the Democratic Presidential nomination that Senator McCarthy had called for Mr Rusk’s resignation, though he had done so earlier. Sei.ator McCarthy said President Johnson's decision to withdraw from the election race and make a new peace overture to North Vietnam might have been a turningpoint in the war. “On the basis of recent events, however, there is less reason to believe that our Vietnam policy has changd,” he added. ‘No Coalition’ The South Vietnamese Prime Minister (Mr Nguyen Van Loc) today reminded South Vietnam’s allies that only Saigon and Hanoi could decide Vietnam’s fate. In a strongly-worded speech at the dedication of a bridge at the logistics port of Cam Ranh, Mr Loc repeated his Government’s rejection of the idea of a coalition government and negotiations with the National Liberation Front as a separate body. “No-one can force the Vietnamese people to accept any unfair solutions likely to lead them to self-destruction in the near future or ultimately, such as a coalition government with the Communists or recognition of the Viet Cong as a separate element from

the North Vietnamese Communists whose disguised tool it actually is,” Mr Loc said. His remarks were apparently directed towards a large number of United States, South Korean, Philippine and South Vietnamese officials present for the bridge dedication. Workers of the four nations built the bridge. Mr Loc said his people were thankful for the sacrifices the allies had made on South Vietnam’s behalf. “But,” he added, “for the survival of a free Vietnam, the Vietnamese people will continue to make their sacrifices until the nation attains complete victory, even though our allies may, for whatever reason, limit or withdraw their assistance. “Since Vietnam is discharging its duty against communism with patience and courage, she has the right to expect from her allies that they keep the promises they made at Manila with a view to halting Communist inroads.” In Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian Prime. Minister (Tunku Abdul Rahman) again expressed concern about a possible United States withdrawal from Vietnam. He told a visiting West German journalist that the United States must make sure it is not preparing the ground for a future Communist offensive in Asia. “America must make sure

before she signs any pact that she is not signing away the rights of South Vietnam,” he added. In Saigon a call for the mobilisation of every South Vietnamese male between 10 years of age and 70 was made by Senator Nguyen Van Chuan, a former zone commander in the northern part of South Vietnam. He was quoted by the official South Vietnam news agency as saying that the recent proposals to extend the call-up to men between 18 and 45 was not enough to win a guerrilla war. At present, the call-up is of men between 18 and 33. But the Defence Committee of South Vietnam’s House of Representatives has presented President Nguyen Van Thieu with another setback, by rejecting the genera) mobilisation bill on which he had requested urgent action. The committee’s chairman (Duong Van Thuy) told reporters the committee members thought the bill would give unlimited powers to President Thieu. The measure has still to be considered by the full House and the Senate, and observers say it is likely that both Houses will write their own bills, approving general .mobilisation but setting out in detail limits for its impleI mentation.