“Unpopularity” Of Vietnam War

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31981, 7 May 1969, Page 18

“Unpopularity” Of Vietnam War

The Vietnam war was now highly unpopular, not because of a newfound morality but because of the grim facts of the conflict itself, said Professor H. Schiller at a meeting organised by the Christchurch branch of the Joint Council on Vietnam last evening. Professor Schiller, who has been attached to the Communications Institute at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, is now associated with the University of Illinois. He was speaking with Professor U. Whitaker, who is professor of international relations at the San Franetaeo State College, California. Outspoken critics of the war, they have just completed a five-week tour of Australian cities. Professor Whitaker was a candidate for Congress in the elections last year and was an active supporter of Senator Eugene McCarthy’s attempt to gain the Democratic nomination for the Presidvncy. Both men have published books on international politics and law and Professor Whitaker is a radio broadcaster on international affairs.

Professor Schiller said that 35,000 had been killed and 200,000 wounded in Vietnam, and for Americans the war casualties now eame after the two World Wars and the Civil War. For the people at home the economic costs were perhaps more apparent, Professor Schiller said. Rising prices and inflation made the greatest impart. Because of this, decisions on the war could be expected to be taken by the Congressional elections of 1970 or the Presidential flections of 1972. The United States was a highly productive society but as the natural resources at home became exhausted the corporations would turn to other countries as sources of material. Businessmen were very susceptible to changes in the attitudes of these countries and tended to see the restriction of business enterprise as a threat to personal liberty. Professor Schiller said that as well as the civil-military complex there was a cultural front at work. Most of the news media was diversionary and based on trivia. It was designed to make the people forget the unpleasant facts round them. The Vietnam war was ille-

gal, immoral and Impractical said Professor Whitaker. H had opposed it from the star and still did. It appearei that in New Zealand then was a “germ theory” of con munism—if it was close b; one would catch it.

It was very difficult to talk about opposing the Vietnam war, said Professor Whitaker. When he had been in Auckland he had beep twice interviewed for television and both times he could sense the incomprehension of the interviewers because he opposed the war. He said that in Australia his group had been followed by members of the security forces and when he had attempted to take a photograph of them jp Brisbane he had been told that this was technical assault on a police officer. Professor Whitaker said that the insurance theory that New Zealand should gain good will by helping the United States was nonsense because if New Zealand was attacked by Communist China the United States would help it whether it liked it or not.

il, came from inside that counie try and from nowhere else, rt Professor Whitaker said sd that although the militaryre political complex had trapped n- many Americans, the United jy States would get out of Vietnam because of the pressure

of domestic politics, because of world opinion and because of the Tet offensive. “We lost” he said. The United States could get oqt of Vietnam with a coalition government as a face saver. This would last for a while and then the forces of Ho Chi Minh would take over and Vietnam would become a kind of Jugoslavia in Asia. The United States, Which bad always taken the attitude that Asian countries conducted their politics on the principles of saving face, was now thinking of following this attitude, said Professor Whitaker.

More than 100 attended the meeting which is part of a series of addresses to be given by the professors. Today they will moot with the Canterbury District Trades Council for morning tea and after that they will give a luncheon address to the Junior Chamber. They will then leave for the North Island.

The domino theory that the: Communist hordes would overwhelm Asia if Vietnam was “lost” was also nonsense. The Communists in Vietnam