Peace settlement thought to be all but secured

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33128, 19 January 1973, Page 1

Peace settlement thought to be all but secured

(N.Z.P.A.-R enter —Copyri ght>

KEY BISCAYNE (Florida), January 18. An Indo-China peace settlement was thought at the Florida White House today to be all but secured as President Nixon awaited South Vietnamese approval of the draft treaty worked out in Paris.

There was confidence at President Nixon’s headquarters and in Washington that nothing short of a complete reversal in fortunes could prevent an early end to the war, and a prompt release of the American prisoners held by North Vietnam.

Over the week-end President Nixon summoned his chief negotiator in Paris. Dr Henry Kissinger, to Key Biscayne, and after conferring with him for two days, sent another aide. General Alexander Haig, to Saigon to carry the peace treaty draft to the South Vietnamese President (Nguyen Van Thieu) for his approval.

That approval has not yet come, but observers are certain that only a few days

stand in the way of a signed pact. The White House spokesman has been adamant in recent days in his refusal to comment in any way on the'

Vietnam situation, and yesterday would not even take reporters’ questions on Vietnam at his regular press briefing at Key Biscayne. Before the first question

was even posed, he told reporters he would have no comment on any phase of the Vietnam war or peace talks or on the speculative stories emerging from Saigon and Paris that a peace agreement was near.

Nevertheless. observers noted that since Dr Kissinger. who is also Mr Nixon’s national security affairs adviser, opened his latest round

of negotiations in Paris last week, there had been just three substantive comments on the matter.

Dr Kissinger’s counterpart in Paris, Mr Le Due Tho, the chief Hanoi negotiator, said that progress had been made in the talks; and the same day. when talks broke off. Dr Kissinger used the same phrase. It was used again when the President’s press secretary announced that United States military action against North Vietnam was being called off because of the progress made in Vietnam talks.

These were being taken by observers as sure signs that it can only be a matter of days before minor details are ironed out and an announcement is made by both sides of an Indo-China peace.