Thieu in high spirits

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33062, 1 November 1972, Page 17

Thieu in high spirits

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter —Copyright)

SAIGON, Oct 31.

President Thieu of South Vietnam appeared pleased today by Washington’s refusal to sign, by today, the draft peace agreement reached with North Vietnam. Mr Thieu had a one-hour meeting with the U.S. Ambassador (Mr Ellsworth Bunker) at the Presidential Palace, and later told reporters that the question of a cease-fire was entirely dependent upon the Communists. “I hope that peace will come soon, but I don’t know when it will,” he said. Mr Thieu, who strongly opposes the political provi-. sions of the agreement, did not refer to the deadline imposed by the North Vietnamese for the United States to sign the peace accord. He was, however, in high spirits as he viewed with Mr

Bunker a display of captured Communist weapons. The North Vietnamese Foreign Minister (Mr Nguyen Duy Trinh) had earlier said that if the United States continued to delay the signing of the agreement to end the war, then a settlement would never be reached. Washington insists that another session of negotiations is needed to settle a few points holding up the cease-fire. Week-end signing? Diplomatic sources in Washington say that the United States and North Vietnam will resume their cease-fire talks this week, probably in Paris, and are expected to sign an agreement by Saturday or Sunday. The sources say that agreement has been reached on an international supervisory control commission of four nations to oversee the ceasefire and the withdrawal of foreign forces from South Vietnam.

The commission will comprise Indonesia, Hungary, Poland, and Canada — two Communist and two nonCommunist countries — and will replace the old International Control Commission that India led with Poland and Canada as members. The Washington sources believe that President Thieu can be expected to accede to the proposed arrangement. The State Department has declined to comment on the report, which came from foreign diplomats. Radio attack In Saigon last night, the official South Vietnamese radio service assailed the United States for her role in the peace negotiations. It said that Hanoi was trying to lure President Nixon into a quick settlement. In the sharpest official attack made so far on the United States, the radio commentary said: “Whatever our ally’s doings, President Thieu will not sanction mass suicide by the people of South Vietnam.” The radio said that President Thieu had made it clear that any agreement, no matter who signed it, which did not bear his signature, would be worthless. South Vietnam was opposed to the agreement because it would result in a coalition government down to the hamlet level, and contains no provisions for withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops from the South. The radio indicated that the Communists would wait for an opportune time after all the American forces had been withdrawn, and would then strike again militarily. “We have initiated a diplomatic counter-attack, and our emissaries are travelling to explain our position to all friends and allies in this part of the world,” the broadcast said.