PEACE TALKS DEADLOCK President May Ask Nixon To Mediate

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31832, 9 November 1968, Page 15

PEACE TALKS DEADLOCK President May Ask Nixon To Mediate

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, November 8. Diplomats said today there seemed a “50*50 chance” that President Johnson might encourage the President-elect, Mr Richard Nixon, to visit Saigon to help break a United States-South Vietnamese deadlock over peace negotiations.

The possibility was opened by a cabled invitation to Mr Nixon from President Nguyen Van Thieu, of South Vietnam, and by a guarded response hinting that the Republican leader was ready to go—provided Mr Johnson gave this his approval.

The White House declined immediate comment, but diplomats and Government officials found the idea intriguing—a post-elec-tion political dilemma for Mr Johnson, as well as a potential chance to nudge Saigon into meaningful negotiations.

Some officials saw it as an opportunity to make use of Mr Nixon's known popularity with the South Vietnamese to try to persuade them to end their boycott of the stalled Vietnam talks in Paris. A spokesman for the Presi-den-elect, who is relaxing at

Key Biscayne, Florida, said Mr Nixon had np plans for foreign travel “unless President Johnson suggests it would be helpful in furthering negotiations towards peace.” This was interpreted by some as an open bid for President Johnson's approval. Official sources doubted Mr Johnson would discourage his successor from making the trip. The question, they said, was whether he would actively encourage it.

National Unity Some Washington analysts believed there was a likelihood Mr Johnson might seek to make use of Mr Nixon’s goof offices. This would be in line with the outgoing President’s repeated emphasis on

the need for national unity, particularly over the crucial question of Vietnam. Mr Nixon was seen likely to gain in any case. If he succeeded in budging Saigon, he could claim it as a statesmanlike contribution even before taking office. Officials believed the Saigon Government would eventually agree to attend the Paris talks whatever happened. They said the chances of Mr Nixon’s trip ending as a personal failure seemed to be minimal.

Mr Nixon said on Sunday, two days before winning the United States Presidential election, that he was ready to go to Saigon or Paris to help “get the negotiations off dead centre” before moving in to the White House on January 20.

Package Plan The Paris talks have been stalled because of South Vietnam’s refusal to send a delegation to join four-sided negotiations with the United States, North Vietnam and the Viet Cong. The broadened talks were part of a packaged plan announced by President Johnson last week, when he halted all bombing of North Vietnam. Saigon refused to attend a planned Paris meeting on Wednesday, after rejecting participation with the Viet Cong as an equal partner.

Observers said Mr Nixon’s intervention could be a problem for Mr Johnson for domestic political reasons, and because it could be misconstrued by Hanoi. The Communists were thought to have accepted the package deal because they wanted to make a start with serious negotiations before Mr Nixon’s takeover. Personal Affect Mr Johnson would have to consider whether a “breakthrough” success with the South Vietnamese by the Republican leader would detract in any way from his own action in halting the bombing. Generally, officials doubted Mr Johnson would let domestic politics stand in the way if he thought Mr Nixon could make a useful contribution. South Vietnam’s apparent delight over Mr Nixon’s victory, as reported from Saigon, appeared to make him a suitable go-between.