Strategy Talks Continue

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32118, 14 October 1969, Page 17

Strategy Talks Continue

/N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, October 13, President Nixon is continuing talks on Vietnam war strategy with his senior advisers in a bid to take some of the heat out of the nationwi d e demonstrations planned for Wednesday against the war. A strong appeal for public endorsement of Mr Nixon’s policies was made yesterday by the Secretary of State (Mr William Rogers), who said in a nationally-televised interview that criticism of those policies was spoiling the chances of negotiating an end to the conflict. Mr Rogers said he doubted whether there would be any progress at the Paps talks until it became clear to the Viet Cong and North Vietnam that the President had the support of the American people. The appeal came a few hours after the publication of a Gallup Poll survey which showed that 57 per cent of Americans wanted to see all United States troops out of Vietnam by the end of next year. This finding gave credence to predictions by the organisers of the demonstrations, who say that millions of Americans will take part in the protest. Lodge Called In Mr Nixon has arranged a White House meeting today with Mr Henry Cabot Lodge, his chief peace negotiator, who was called back from Paris “for consultations and instructions,” but, in spite of the use of the word “instructions,” Mr Rogers said that the meeting had no particular significance.

President Nixon has also conferred in the last few days with the United States Ambassador to Saigon (Mr Ellsworth Bunker) and with General Earle Wheeler, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The high level of this week-end activity, while evidently aimed, in part, at reducing the impact of the demonstrations, has given rise to speculation that Mr Nixon may be considering another withdrawal of troops to add to the 60,000 he has ordered out of Vietnam so far. Protest Call In Stockholm yesterday the International Stockholm Conference on Vietnam ended with a call for world-wide demonstrations on November 15, “International Mobilisation Day,” against United States involvement in the war.

Mr Irving Sarnoff, of Los Angeles, a member of the Peace Union Council of Southern California, told a press conference that there would be mass protests in Washington and San Francisco on November 13,14 and 15.

Mrs Peggy Duff, of the Lon-don-based International Confederation for Disarmament and Peace, who was one of the 40 delegates from 20 countries who attended the two-day Stockholm meeting, said that demonstrations were planned for London on November 15, ending outside the American Embassy. Mr Sarnoff said that the United States demonstrations would be the largest organised since the beginning of the Vietnam war, and had the support of 64 Congressmen, including 17 senators, and religious organisations. The demonstrations in Washington would begin on N'vember 13, with 45,000 people walking in a single file through the city in a “march against death.” The marchers would carry lists of names of all the Americans killed in Vietnam,

and these would be dropped into coffins outside the White House. March On Base In New Jersey yesterday, military policemen used teargas to disperse a crowd of about 5000 demonstrators against the war who marched on the Fort Dix Army base. About 800 military policemen, wearing gas masks and carrying- rifles with bayonets fixed, herded the demonstrators off the base after they had penetrated about 400 yards into it. The demonstration was sponsored by the Committee to Free the Fort Dix 38. The organisers allege that the military authorities have detained 38 soldiers who took part in a riot at the base’s stockade (military prison) on June 5.

The Army says that 35 men were arrested, but charges against 20 of them have already been dropped. The demonstrators had declared that they would try to

march to the stockade and free the soldiers imprisoned there. The military policemen sprayed tear-gas into the ranks of the demonstrators, who retreated, chanting: “We’re on your side and you gas us.” Troops with bayonets forced the demonstrators back on to the public highway running along the side of the base. The demonstrators had begun their march from a coffee house run for soldiers in Wrightstown, about a mile and a quarter from the base.