Jan 1, vietnam war, american potential

Dr.

Henry

A. Kissi.s.r

1&o ?e.nsyttuta,tvenE, N.

washlnstonr L'.

c.

Lr.

20500

xne. T,r.t,e rV 1€tter of t6cetrher 21,

I

did .ot exre.r,

"r !a- a!1"d, .y q,lei -o.I\d-., -, "" ,.;, tire has never chasec, h&eve., r,he u.,!.., of a rair settleftnt or ihe viernan ,ar is absolutelX irperative, I ftink. oui or ns, s.are Tr i3 ultten br o.e or the best philosophical rl.ds in J5pa. and a trE believer in the idsnifty of i.r,erests of tne r:.ited st,aies &d JaF r ptease rjstakes md ude.sian,l the sDiriis. t hop. aealnsr hoFe thai- nor o.1t y.u bnr rhe prestd€.t himelf !i}l study this eyDession of rhe inrer thoughir ot lrre.ic!,s rcsr dedicar,ed f.rends i! rhls ls1e,ro.tedr confrcian-Budiiist 1.rd, I haw slent the rast days in irrense a.d sod.e redliarlon. 'n-. ,d JEL of Ja.a 6tor. .r, o rll rrri.d 3.d r@@ -,- Md 6,xor1d T 'to! u.or a so nd, heqarry a$ .rors q-rjca, I T re^t.r-lon 1are forl-"'3br)'J of the Ya. continues t. vierdar.

in ihis ftg:.d alp6ar ln ihe paper .nc1osed. T rercly,tsh to an very mch tftubled. pI;a:e consider qr state of ind ed as a trield of 1o.E-sra.ditrs ad a re11@ h\!M bei.E &ad ri€ you le$usive abilrttes ro bd.s 1t to artenti;n of the P&sldent of the ndr.d siaicsiEtb ,arre.t Emo.al reqa:ds!

i,n t,'"

Mr. Ricnard M. Nixon President ol the United staies ol America

Dear Mr. President:

I

share with you a heartlelt longing Io! world peace, and perhaps betler than anyone e1se, I undersiad tne grawity ol your responsibitity in c.mection

vith

buildinS a free and .tchly humanistic Eociety tor the realization ol that peacc. Furtherhore, I am .onwincâ‚Źd tnat ],bu, rike ne, are a hum.n heiry derermined to combat anyihina ihar irrearens ro oppresi pri.eress

1ife, I feel that, in ihis .onnecrion, yor stdve ro 1 I. rhe un-r-d sr-."6 dnd. . h." o-y .o aerh:,8

human

tnat wiU bu$ brighuy into the distant Inture.

Thongh soms or tLe thinas inai I say in ihis lerler may latl short ol the mark, I have resolved to speak hy tnoughts to you {rakly in $e nope that I can be

of somc assistance in â‚Źstablisliq vorld peace as quickly as possible and tnereby in bestowing upon manliind the ultim. happirers.

'

(r) Thoughtful

leolle

aU over the world have

auions over tne sitration in vielnam ad hav€ voiced a ereat deal of crfticism But fallins into anxiety and.riticizinc are easli solving the problem i3 exrremely difiicun, st l arl of us--those dir€ctly con.erned, those vatching fiom ihe side, in .hort, arr huftan beings--€arnestly hope for a quicl< solution.

It goes vitnout saying tn2t, comrlerety aEide lrom you. official losition, you ioo slare tlis lope.

I slare it with you, and I should like to make it clear lhat I am not actinc as a mere .omeniator in aaking the lorbving proposals, Nor am I giwen 10 leseimistic vorrying and uitateral laulifinding. My sole conce.n i4 ihis malier is a solution to rhc probreh, and I 2m become

convinced tnai a deriDite way to sucn a solution exists.

It is lrom this srandpoint tlat I openly hake proporats for a vay to cnd rne vietnam {ar, ne wery

these

imlortdi qualifi.ation

in this connection: I sas born in Asia and lawe dewoted much oJ mr lile and spirit to fuunling a deep nope for Asian peace. It seems to mr lhar employing the

asi.n vay of thinl<ing and leeling can be .lue to an etrd !o lhis Asian war.

an im,rortant

(3)

To

coh. direcrly io

ihe

loint, r intend ro

discuss ihe qlestion of the bombinas ol Nofth viernam, TIe ihmediate cessation ol tonhing in both lhe norih and tle south i3 a matrer oI such homentous imporranc€ that any delay in coming to a decision may hawe efie.ts o1 yo- end LhP | ,''Fd s. 'n. t3 can erase, The resuhpiion of bohrrins has already seriously damaged thc Aherican imtrae, Inlerrationar

publi. opinion rene.ts a tenden.y ol peoples ewerywhere io rrrn.he:, bc.\s o, L- r --r.d )rd e tr, d. i3 someiimes strid, it is darkest before the dawn, itr world has .orte upon exfehr]y dark tim.s.

For instance, unt 1971, a total ot 13,.14 m Eon tons of explosives were dropped on rndo.hina, Tnis ah.uis to 672 times rhe e&losiwe pover of rhe bohbs that 1ell on Hiroshimr. sin.e the resumption of bombings, as of December 13, l9?2, reports hawe been made rhat sohe American bombs nave fallen on prison carrpE where ahe.ican prisoneis o! war are irierned. viole attacks resulting in dahas€ !o nospitals and other .ivilian laciliiies have crusred wo.ld hope tor leace. sin.e di.appointme4i ie a1l tne more bitter wnen h.pes have been

sr€at, world .eacriotrs aSainst ihe uniied states nave reached an uprecederted

{1) Ol course, you are not the lcader responsible lor irtroducins Ameri.an lorces into lhis var.

O! the .onfary, you were inaquraied with the historic mission ol finding a way o Viâ&#x201A;Źtnam var has become. I shall never lorgei vlat yotr said lour years ago $is month in your inaugu.al

r'The greatest honor hislory can bestow

is the title of pea.emaker. This honor nov beckons America -the chan.e to help read the vorld at last ori of the waney of turmo and onto that nign ground of peace that man

has dreamed of tince lhe daM of

civilization,

'

You continued to say:

't

have taken an oath today in the presence

of CDd and my countrymen to upnold and delend the ConEtitutior of the Un:led States, To tha! oath I now add this sacred commiiy Office, my

â&#x201A;Źnergies, ald aI the visd

(5)

In addreesing your ' lellor com@u.ityr alonE vilh your 'Iel]ov

americ

s,

you reflected a deteiminatior thai briahtened the hearis or arr {eering peopre. In

lact, you later madc the dccisior

io liberate m3ny youg Am

iuture, from the misery of fighting, bleeding, and dying in a distant .ounhy ten ftousand m es avay trom iheir homeland. Almost all American ground Ior.es, 00, were .ecaUed lrom Vi€tnam.

In addition, you have made several imp.rtant steps iovard vorld leace. You are tnc first president ir the hisroiy or th€ united staies io carry the banner of goodviu to Chira, thus iniliating €vents that may lead to the resolution oI a long period or distrust and opporition. rn oo.. g .h:D. voundv.ppr.o,a o3 .e-r:(e tovard tne creation ol an abundant and peacclul Asia that no one in the past nas been able

b efiect

and rh"r

vill remnin a grea! achieweme in the ?ages oI history.

You haye also

conlriblred to lhe peace ol the world

though your extended and sinc€re dialogues

r€ad€rship or the sowiet

vitr

union. But t]r presenr

tne to? use

ol violent arms in vieinam:hreatens io dim the clory oI your past actiors. This slate of aflairs gricve8 me deeply boih

Lr yor.

sake a

people who have lost bloo

(6) Bu dine s.metling is a long life-and

death

sirusgrei desiruciiotr is thc work ol but a mom:nt. we could cite too miny in in iU ol its gl.ry, has lost its lusier and lallcn into , :..-y "s , ,. ",. LF . rdq.r,.n,.

You rcv stand a! lhe point qheiher history vin praisc you as lhc lresidell 6l peace or condern you as ihe Pe.son vho betiayed

it

Judeing lrom rast precederls, I do not tlink poss:ble thtrt b.mbirgs, slzrghiei, and destru.tion

o' " >s'on. o- on'ro n..r. in Hanoi'r positi.n, in eiiher p.liiical or miliiary ierms.

P.o.u

The grâ&#x201A;Źater the

.

ho!ro. of the

damaEe io vhich rhey

are subject.d, the stronS.r Ri11 thcir resislancc become.

I leel ihis vay be.ause th thai cannot bc m.asurcd in terms o, We3!ern raiionalism.

Ior this reason, increased AmcricaD .ttlcks only st.elgthen ihe resisian.e o to protâ&#x201A;Źci ih. nation from the inwnderr, ' or to tne .eje.tion or An3rican var rrinci!1cs ol defendine lrecdom rnd lorbiding invasi.r l,y ine Comrrnisis.

(7)

Aside I.om legends attribriing siilr glealer tenslh to its history, Vietnam nas eaisted Ior about

:, -r y-3,\, ro" abou

o. ha, I,a "050 "!.3

.nirot ol china and lor

another

SO

years und€r tn

hatf- ol it'

only for about I,040 years- rouBhly history has vi€tnam been. truly

nation, lmmediately Iolloving world war Il, the flames ol rhe war vitn Francc rawaged independent

the land ror sever ycars a

Tn"n .ri". ia s i e cred tp .""o:ng Lo .hp .n.e., dss.oa oI the U ted States and a decade ol lightina. wnen one examines thir history of warra!€, it seems inconceivabre that tne vi€ham.se people would bend io military lorce, no matter how severe the bombinss and aita.ks, Even shourd h ita.y mich! bring an end to the var, Nortn vieinao would be 4 place oI desolalion and non-culture on a hellish level comparable to the .ondftion ol mtrnkind ir the stone Age. victory on th€se termr vould rehain a hideous blot on rhe histoly ol nuhaafty.

(3) Lei us reason on rh. assumprion tlar wc ar.

!-,r rri .-.d- o ri ro.r. io do is to rcturn to the rtartine poin!. From rhe

outsel Vi€tnam beronss t po!'''

:

thc dl,,slonoIL\e-r Lnd

e

in'o'"o di 'i' ' -n"s '.

ext.emely umatural. , I -, up" i , ..

'...

's

Per]]aps I can clarily

i

'..

Lt\

m, meanins

by drawins

illuBtrrtiors trom ihe hisi Tvo centlries aeo, r€sisted unfair authorily and *cceeded in e.tablishins their ovn independence. ole hudred yea.s ago, civil strile ripped ihe nation in tvoi but tne rih was hcaled, and the Am,-rican peolle went on io blild a great naiion. acainsi a histo.i.al ba.kgiound or this !ind, ihe best qay 1.r he. own prestie€ and vin ihe futrst oI the p.oples ol the sorld is to ollcr lricndly leadcrship to othcr nations who are strusglins io vin thei. independen.e

Youi judgheni now .ar decide the latc ol mlnkind. wher I consider the dilfi.ulries racing you as you [y ro unlawel the iaosled sirands that, nop.fu1ry, read to a conclusion ot ttrc alother great humln beirs, tte late C!ar1.s dc caullc.

De Caulle sufre.ed g.eaily qnen he raced .,- 1,.\ of b. , e nc .hr a.q.,," Not only vere the.c .orplicaled adwanrascs and disadvantagcs involved in Ja.ed strons o?position ard had to sirqgle with ycars o1 Frcncr control ol ,{teeria- His suffcri4s at thai tim: are .omparable to vhat you hrst reel n.w as you co ront lhe nccd ar. v/hen I {irsl read ihe lolloving larsase by dc cau1]c, I was stiD.li lviih the isoration and ha.dshirs imrosed on ihe leaders

tlis vast and painful ope.ation, rny .esponsibiLny, ar ir consistcnt, is slared by no onc. So bc it But a very sirong .u.lent is carrlilg the nalion to an extremity. rn

nnd in the ligrri or exisiing possibilities oi resislancâ&#x201A;Ź, I had to procc bui srep rry step, lannchi4 on each sragc onry afrer raving hade boih Jaciual and

(r0)

hental preparationr. I appli€d ryself lin mrst€r ol tne hou without ewer allowing rhirlpools ol Poriti.s, spite of the pr applicd by loreigners, ehotione of the army, or trollres oI the locaI popurati.ns to deflect me lroh my c.ufse- At lwo to mal<e my acis irrevocabre, r calred on the people to aplrowe my decisions ovei znd abowe mariers of personar interert, embaiassin8

sitlarionsi

and

comprohises. Ia shorl,

I played ilr game so as to bring into accord, 1itile by liiue, the sertimeni of the French people witn tne inieresr oI Fian.e, thus atvays avoidinS a rupiuie in national unity. ' (Translated fr.m M:moires d,Espoir, by charles de caune)

I .annoi help bcli€wing that this is your great moment o{ decision. You stand at th€ crossroads. One yay tead, to a name in history as qdyingly glorious as ihai ol de Gaulle, the prcsident wlo ended a great var.

The other leads to a place in hislory as rhe man vho

realized a blood drencled pea.e. T]le loltowing vords

(11)

ol P.esident de Gau11c oflcr im?oiiart suggesliors about tre di.e.tion in vhich Vietnam onsli to dev€lop.

'And Alge.ial Anl l.ever bclieved lrom one insiant to ure lexi tn2t I pould be ablc to solvc a lroblem rosed 130 years ago.

Btri, .^ seltcmicr 16, a straishr and .lear wa)r vns opened that . Sell dctcrminaiion Ior ihc Alg.rians, in ierhs .f rheir destiny, ihe sole possible issuc ol a com?lex and sad drama, And, to conclude: ,oncc more t turn, in ihe name or rlance, 10 ire leaders of rhe insnrrc th.m \ere in ord€r to fiad viih them an honorable end to .om5ats whi.h a.e still dlaggiag o!, ,\lter that, cverlaiins vill bc done to ensure trar the Algerian pe.ple luwe a word in thc appcaseme.t.

This decisior wilr Le rheir. aLonc. Bui I am :crtain that i]1€y will heke the sersible one: to a.c.m!lis]l, in uion vith France and in coopcration with thc c.mruniiy, the iransformntion of an Algerian Aleeria inio a prosper.us and brothcrly nation, (rranslard rron Memoires d Esron)

(rz)

rf onc rcplacer rhe nahe or Argeria viih rhar oI vietnah in ihe text, the comrlicated tangles ol ihe puzzre

braler, ol.o!rse, arseria vas a coloniar

nation fightins for independence, wn€reas v:etnam

is attempiing to restst tLe lorces oi

an alien id€otogy.

Tnis diflerence berween ine tro situations compli.ates mafters, blt vietnam nonetheleEs ougni to be left

b

tne vietnamese. Maiim@ errorrs must b€

dewoied to brinsins abour the

not on€ tnat

is rired,it!

birih of a new nation,

s own

self saristacrion,

but a country ol peace and prosperiiy ready to

join hands viih ihe membe.s of the vorld fam y ol

For the sake of extricatin rhe world lrom the broody haze in vhich the vietnam war has entangled us, I mrke the following requesis.

I believe thai my proposals represent the sole way remaining to you to siem tne iide ol woild criticism of you aDd the United States and to hring p€a.€.

Firsi I ask that yor announce to the vorld ihai all bombinss, not only in North vietnam, but also in atl other parts o{ lndochina, vill cease at once.

I further ask that you mate cl€ar to ile votrd yo!! intention ol lrlding discusEions in p€rBotr with tne top leadership ol Hanoi, These .odlerenc€s could .enFv. , o. "r) oi5". o, a ior '"I,e ol"ce m P".:e tnat could be asr€ed

rpo!, h spiie of lhe

basic

(1r) disagreem€nis tnzr will incwitably arise in such confercnccs, youi atuuncement ol readiness ro

participaie in them ,i1l strite 2 note of sinceiity that can lead io tle ending of a decade ot w:rfar€.

rsrm n. t", j" ". su )e aDouncements and uut Hanoi

Io.rhP 5"n". ihat you mal(e thes€

proposar. I leel safc in assuailg thar they viD a.cep! hccause to iellse vould tnrn vorrd opinion agairst them and \eould te a dirtinct minus in terms of ihe srrategy they nave pursued aSainst the u ted states. rn an irrensilyinc mood of app od ,i' c oec. - iL s" . . .,1" y | ," u4nor accepts the

roo vould hasten to lrring rrosrilirics to a close.

Ir you tose ure cnan.eof co errinc dilec y wih Hanoi readership, you vi11 reSret it forewer.

I believe that no tim. .ould be morc ripe tor such ncgotiations than the presenr. The issue ol rhc

rcrln is of the gravest ir?Dortance and could easily be the g: Mu.l less signilicut ihings have served a simirar bombings of the

past. For instance, as yotr {ill rno bao\hina "e(art, lhFn rh- v xaD drdw:ng ro . os!. P." .r- V -oes-rrrn. "

funclion itr the

ihe &wly;naugurated piime minister, set as a soal a .easefire by July 20, 191,1. Ar urat rime, sir Anthony Eden,

Br ish foreign minisrer,

and

(r4) _L:n" s Cho.E. l.i wp-" " "e dr arb-r.rors.

Eden visiteil Chou at a meeting ?la.e on ure sho.€ ol Lal<p C"r" ": bur 3s ". "cr-FmFnr wds orr r oa,rs, he had alm.st decided to 1 struck trp a conveisalion about a liece of clinese porcclain displayed in the !oom. Thie relaxed tensions, ard before long, ways oui or thei! dillicll! pol r', d po,: ro-s \ -re r.u-d. As. ..srtro.'':s appalenflyin3ignilicant talk about porcelain, confer€n.es am.rg t]le nations .once ed in rhe war vere euccesslully arra4ed a brief hour or rvo alter ihe time set lor a ceaselire by ure Frencn

v

"5

As I have alr€ady said, we are not dealing .o rnni-Irg ois, ussio. po e

":r

vith thc H.noi leadership mf,si be your announcement of a cessation of arl bohbins. Moreower, it is not sale to hope rhat you wm lind anyone to pertorm

ihe rore ol arbitrator. ae Eden dd Chau did in the ln this case, plans must be dravn up betwcen you personally and the North vieinaaese leadership. But, withoui doubt, ihese plans can be ihe .lu€ to lntangriDg the p.obtem.

vorrd vhen you amounced your irrention ot holdina talks vith chircse readers. You are now the only mnn ia tne vorld capable ol makine a spee.h that vil]

(15)

give ewen grearer joy ro the world because it

vill

bring peace ard salYation n you in thiE momen! o,

Ordinarily diplomatic negotiations lo11ov an indnctive method in vhich agreemenls are reached as the results ol other agr oqht not io be the case wnen ihe aim at hand iS tcrminatior of hoEtilities betveen nations. In sucl instances, the readers of r must meet, discns3 the issues thoroushly, draw the broad outtines of poli.y, and .al1 a halt io mitiiary op.-drio-s o 1o. ! o' I ,ncu"c" ro b, .s"d -'. '.s t]]e agreeminti surveillan.e stru.ture, and oiher rked oui 1ater,

this -deductive--method i6 ehrloyed, the process ol ardving ai a soluiion will drag oui lor a tong timc, and rhe sulleriry oI the people vill grow vorse. As uie Norih vietnam.se representatives n"vP , .oc .lca., d-aor Unl€Er

iB prcpared to come to the conference table to

negotiate peace prowided ihe Uniied Siates c€as€s bombings in tne

norih. If

lhe

U ted

States

trl}y

wishes the North vietDahese to sign an agreement along the titres set on October 20 ol last year,

thi! stipulat:on. Bu1, before on this point, I h{st n:lie .rear

tney must conrorm to

slatins my views

(r6)

oy tnoqhts

on the

srbje.i or cohhEiso

and

Democracy as related to the Vietnam issue.

Afterica became invoL,ed in this var or the hasit of lhe principle of protectins libcrty and preventing inwasio! by the Comhrnists. aor a decade the p€op1e oi Souin vietram tave sulleied aad died !o pro!€.t their .oulry and its lrcedom.

Trre rarger piinciple on wnich tne contimation ot hostilities has beer maintained is the lear that ir the Lilreiation Front should seize politi.ar rule in the sorur and il tne power of the north ext€nded over the entire .outry, Peninsula vould graduaUy falt to the Communists.

This idea, in laci, is stin the major obstacr€ 'o ! solu roa of t5. is.u..

Asian people, ihe enemy agains! vhom {reedom must be protected i5 not the comnmists, but poverty and lalge nations wno +lit up ine people and {ail to gua.anree ,aiional independence.

The reason vhy thc vietnam trcb1em nas lolloved f, .ompricated course io a.rive today at a po:r. w5.-e " iE to be lourd solely in the lact that a large nation has divided t]le peopre along an arrriirary boundary line and has thereby erected a wal1 ol nostility ard distrue! across a land oI beautiful mountains

(17)

and riwers vherc people once led live5 of rreedom.

During its long hisioryi vielnam has been srbje.ted io lengthy periods of invasior and foieign domination.

On.e {or a briel w]lile, in Iact, lDvc the vietnahcse ever been abrâ&#x201A;Ź to prote.r their .m inde!endence aad dyelr under pacific conditions. For tyenry years, since tne .on.ltrsion ol wortd

war 1r, var lires

conEtandy, TIe short pedods ot leace were li]ie inte.missiors in a long play; a11 fie resi oMetram.se history has .onsisied of bloody days Iolloved by other bloody days. o ,our.-. No-, v-erndm .s coml'ri3r, as are the Ieaders and soldiers in ihe Liberaiion Front.

Iurtlerh.re, should the Saigon goverment 1a11, the whole nation might go over to Comrunism.

Eui in conne.tion with this eventuality, ihere is something that I rant to rrge you to takeinro account: it is meanirgless to ?reach rle dirferen.e betveen hawe burned

comunism

and Democracy ro rhe vietnamese.

The thing that appears most io

iheh is a nationaliem

prohising that iheir futule yi

nor be confuolled by

lndeed, this feeling is t]1e of North vietnah and tne Liberalion Frort to put up stubborn resistance. No miiei wnat appâ&#x201A;Źal to juetice the United siates mny mtrke, intcrrationar vorrd

(13)

opinio, will not suppori it as long as it run8 couter to n.rionalistic feelins. The lact tnat people tuom a distant foreia.land have .ome into their counlry io wagc var drives cver rhose amorS ihe viebmese who criticize or are openly oppos€d b communism irto t]le Communist ca! vhere artl-Ame.ica! f€eliEgs all arg'ments that the aim ol the var is io piotect riberry are rut e.

The lollowins sons is suns in tne rural rillagca of +e bo-de' /o.e . o 5o iti v'eb:. "-d C:-bod at the entrance b tle MekonS Delb.

Evelyvhelethelea.enme.icans. overthereare*aiophans.

Everywhere theie are Americans.

thcrc arc bad vomen.

Everyvhere there are,{mericar.. over there our custohs a.d morits Ower

sradually collapse.

Eweryivhere the.e are,lhericars.

The

Aiericars

do aot

Iisht

with the r-iberarion troops: The Arneri.ans bri4 rhe Lib€ratior rroops

(lc) This simplc rong !ewealE the peculiar nature oI Ll e Viernar s"r, The bas:! Are -d error -s !o overlook tle Ieelings o{ the vietn2hese, who, before they make decisians about cnoosirg betueen the Thieu sowernment and tne Liberatio. Front are violently opposed to Amelican inrervenlion a5 su.h.

The pre6erce oI tne American military i, vietnam only slr€ngthens tne Communists and hultiplies th€

!h!ir leade!5. L,!n rt re 'rue {her'c"r motive in tle Rai is ihe prote.tion or ile freedom ot vietne, tnis inte.tion is not beins comhunicated to

lu-ber

or

people. The natural out.ome of Aaeri.aD lailnre to grasp ure signifi.ahce oMetnaEes€ rationali3m is io ewoke opposition anrt to drive mahy the

people into

tie Co,rmunist cop.

Your opinion oI these circ@etances tuay dilIer Irom minei no.etheles3, it is imperaiive to grasp

Iairly dd acclrately ttie i.nerent .temanil of a leople tor independerce. To overloot t]1is d€mand is to Ieav€ a brot on the br rianr ristory oI tne Ahe can people, qhoEe nation is rr In effe.t, your naiion is ror figntins a var against the communists, bur against lhe vietnahese p€op]€. Cerlainty the ideas and polici.s of the Thieu gowernment difier lrom those of the Liberation !ront and tne sowerme.t and ideolosists ol North Vietna.

ir0) But tnis does not alle! &e ceDtrally importan! lact that a11 of these people are victnamese.

The

dilemna, t5e., is this: vh

areue tha!

tleir

e tne Ameri.turb

actions are based on the lauilabte

pdnciple ofprote.tion ot tibelty and order,

fte Viehdese can only irterpret those actians Vieham turn Col]muist, armed intervention or d1e part ot tne United states would siill detraci seiiously {rom lhe reputatior oI the Anericah narion. Even iI Should aI1 ol

it shoulil be possible to support ty means of m ibry force a sinste political system ir South Vietnab, the Vietnamese people woutd lose taith in the Udted Statesi and tne domestic sllit betveen the tvo halves of ihe torn tand qoutd deepe.. surely rhis vould pose probrems hore .€rious than fto3" or }c pr"5e-'. l. e-ort. dr" rr.eb. way lo!

America b brins peace !o vietnam is to nalr mititary actions tliouglout lndochiraand, operaiing on the principle ot etnnic self,detelrination, to arov the viernaheee to vork out their osn Iuhlre. _ yol ol]mur!(ar- !o-r rn.dnrron o|dl jnc tnese steps to the readership in Hanoi, I I.e1 99 lercent certair rhar peace cd be aclieved. alrer the peace, a committee includins represenratives

from Nort]l etmm, Soutl Vietne, ard rne Lib€ration lront could vork out p€aceful vays to

(x) brirg aboui the reunificatio! of the coun!r]. (This is cowered in t]le Nine alticles aCreed upon betueen the United Stales and North vieham or Octobcr 22, 19?2.

) Incteased Americatr int€rw€ntion

orny

etre.gthens international anti Amcrican feelingsi .onseqnenuy, prec€dence mu.t be giv€n to a speedy halt to a va! tlat is be.omin8 increasingry disadyantageous to

tle peopres of the U.itcd

States

As I have noted, Eanoi em a.c€pt a proposal of tlis kind, ail peace viu tnlE c@e about, but in Soutl Vierne and in some american circtet, my id€a vitl meei 6tifi oppoBition. Furt!ermore, srl a step mig]]t welr wearrer the coniroting pow€r of South vieham and strengthen tne influences of North Vietaam and lhe Liberation Froni. Stiu,

tahi4 inro .onsideration vnat t5e u ted state. has to lose

il

goes on,

ihe war to suppori tne southed gowe ment

I tnir& tie choice that must

I sincelely rope h

be made

is .rear.

that you vi11 have tn€ courase to

light of aII they have surfered as result of lo.eiEr doainarion ard interventior, tne

a

Viehram, even as a compretery Communist nation, vilt neve! witlingly allov nerseu to be controrred again.

As a matter of lact, because it deekoys faitl in the ideals ol Democracy, co,tirued Ahericar milila.y

{ 22)

actiwity o.ly serwes to bring vietmm cr.se. to we Japan€se ?lay a same .arred 9!9gi, vhich is much like io chcss, rn !!$! we $metimes €nploy a sfatesy vncrcby a player tales a slicrrt setback at a point duri4 the g3ie i! ordcr to vin complere

vi.tory at the .on.rusion. a similar strategy might scrve werr in sorving the vietnam lrobt€h. In orhcr words, it you rcalfirm the principre oI ethni. sell-deteraination by atloqins the viehamese to manag€ iheir ovn .ounhy, you may give the oppositc side a temporary adva,tase. Eut in return you viu aain in.reaseil internarional t.trsr ald tne honor of havinc briliarily brou8r,t tne figrring ro a! e!d.

7lr,n r,.1 s'l ono 5PB- " ower-atl Asian policy. rr doi.g this, the unit€d srares vould be tallilg a first stcp toward rictoiy in a Sreat iE.or"n, -. pr" tc.", qol"n, ". r mi.. u " orlob" c "nd tlings ougr! to 6e donc lo atisfy tle long trtrst.ated tnirst for peace that the vietnamese have er?€rienced and !hcrcby a1lov L\is sufiering naiior to generaie e.ergy to .e.orstrucr. rhe united sratca n lormins e inrernational body ol scicntisis, educators, ad medical specialists devoted to tI€ rpirit ol lderdship and mer.y.

lz]) ln addition, ot]1e. iniernatioml groups, also dcwoted to rcspect for etlni. self-determinatior, Iriendslip, and oercy musi be lormcd to .l.alwi$ thc rebuilding oMetnam and tle improvement ol tle edtrcational, .-d.d,

\.ttd.4,

and .a'.rdro'

nation. Hopefully, !hese orsanizations .ourd he fittcd into the stu.iure o Jaraese, and all otner intcrnatioral people ftast cooperate in this moyement lor 1]1e s3he ol ihe !eace viehamese people.

Ameii.an youlg peoprc, bo, mignt tarle part in medical, €ducational, and cnltu.l aciivities.

Sincc they volld b€ doing constiu.tive vorl< in the rame of nev id€als divorced from poverty ard violencc, ihey vould regain the gloving light of hopc rhat is beilg extinguishcd in tiis period of raginA warfare. A policy of this kind .odd restore greeneiy to tne scorcned earrh ald briag ligni and calm io a ilesolate pco?1c. c of the walre of ]iberry ahd tle spirit ol hlhanism. As a iesult of the lrenelits ol tnis progre, lle image ol ihe United states in fie and lappin€ss oI the

ho

. so.ld roun alr.r

.ompretely for the beft.r. Tle following points a. ., ..o. h. .. rr. or ',... ors. /ano. s "- i -- /!s3s.

(24)

Th€y musr be based on a

spirit ol humanism

They must s€i as tneir aim the climinatior

of anything ihat threatens

disniiy and of arl wiolen.e ahd oppressio!.

Instead oI belongiry to ole courtry, they

srructtrre of thc united

They must rre .omprately divorced

rilitary

froo all

purposcs and mu

ihe teitermenl ol th€ lives of

fi. vietnamese

pcople dfouan tne sprea.ung oi educadona] methods and the dcwclopment ol ]1ealt]1,

werfare, and saaitarion facilities. ,_

Il

sirce they must arways resrec! tre pdnciplc of €thnic self-dctermination, they must receive only indirect .ulport from nations

a]l countries to assist in rorning an organizatior or ihes€ lines! the vhole wortd will answer vith allroval: ad thc history ol manrind, til] now an unbrol<en record of wari win chanAe enrirely. you appeal to

(15)

or course, as l havc beer insisting, vieham betonss to the vieinamese. In an importani eense, hoveyer, it beloneB to th€ vnole wor1d. The mosr vital ste! for America to take, afte. the naltin8 oI mflitary operationsi is tne planninA ol pea.eful hea.s ro reunite tne vietnmese leorre. Thc neq vietnam must be auoved to grov into a nation capable olmal<ing conhibutions to vortd peace tnrouch Roitdwide cooperarion with a[ other nations, vi-m" | . " sr1 boLor "t or Asi.. I ipossible that once the wai ihere hae beer ser ed, sim ar vars Disht sprirS up in ourei pa.is oI rhe {orrd. To prevenr tris, I propose that nse be made of rh€ vieham elp€rience !o assist in produ.inE a ]asti.g and {ruitful !cace through.ut Asia. As one cor.iete .tep in this direclion, I sussest ine foimation of an members ol tnis body w.uld consist of rapresertatives l.om aI of the cor.rri.e ol sontn€ast Asia, tnc unitea

staies, china, the sowiet union, rndia, Nort\ ard soutn Kor"", "nd Jap"r p nation rn vhich the disturbance is threarenirs to takc pla.€ or is actuatly occurring. The commfttee could meci and deriberate ?a.ili dir{erences at the heart of the probtert,

r propose okinawa a3 a suitable place {or rhe

-_r"bl'J -^'. or

'-F. l. .063, l"

American journalist and atrrhor Edgar snow made tre follovine suesestions in corrcction viin okirawa: Conwert

it permanently into a complcrcty

Build there and dolate to ure united Natiors a .elter for discussions ol arms--€.pecia11y nucrear a.ms--rcduction and alro{ the certer io lucrion as a Far East neadquaiters

of t]le unired Nations.

l.

Make ine center a !erftan discussion ol disputes and oiler problems relaied to Asian .ation3.

use the .enter a5 a lerm site {or tIc rc]labiliiarion ol ;elationships amory il)e Urited Statca, china, and Japan.

Arthougl stuqrs proposals were made belorc OkinaFa rcvcrted io ine possession ol Japar, urey have lost none ol their fr€shness or tim€liness. Okinawa, an is1and on vhi.h war nas lakea a nea'y ton in htrhan rives, is listori.arly deeply related ro China, Japan, and th€ Unitcd Siates, Il this currerdy massive military basc ver€ io be released f.r use as an Asian

(r1

I

pea.e cente!, ihe ties o{ tlust and fric,dship among the A,ncricar, Japa.ese, and okinavan peolles volld L-i o.e o'roa8c-, A oi Asi3, rr deed the w-olF

vorld, voula gain greater laitn in Aftedca.

If the United States were to tak€ the ]eade.ship m establisling a peace organization of rhi, kird, var vourd vanirh lrom Asian lads, Ewen snould spark up ai some

tioe, it

rhe

could be

gui.kry eitingnished be.arse a pelaanent place lonegotiations anil dis.usBions $outd be awaitable.

Sirc€ VieEram voula serv€ as a source ol l<rovredge about the ,ay Asian disputes adse and deverop, the United States woutd be able to put its bitter e}}edences ower the past decade to aood us€ in pleventing tne occurrence of similar hosiilities.

At a banquet att€nded by you ara chou En-lai in Pekilg, you made ihe I

I'h

tne

spirit oI frad<ness vlich I

hope

vir1 chara.terize onr talks tnis veek, 1e! us recognize at tne ourset ihes€ points: We have at dmes in lhe pa We have gleat aiffererces today. what brilgs us bAether is tnat interestB vhich transce.d As ve discuss our dillerences, neitlei of us will compromise otrr priDciples. But

(13)

while we camot crose the gDtl betwe€D us, wc , dr .-y ro t-idBe ir so o:r $e fa) bF able ro talk across itso, 1et us, in tnese next tive days, stari a long mar.]l

toseth€r, not in lo.ksiep, but or difteren! roads reading to tle sam€ 3oa1, the goal of building a vorld structure ol peace an.l justic€ in wh:ch aU may rtand together with equat dBnity and ia which each natior, large or sman, has a richt ro deiermine its ovn tortu oI gowernment free ofoutside inlerlerence o! dorilalion.,,

t feel tha! the attitude reoected i! this speecl is of the greatest importance to vieham. You narioh and Heor ld." sra," dral"ren.cs, &d .e.rhe- p"r,y 1s likely ro corpromise its prirciples. But peace vonrd be adwantageous to both countries, h la.t, I aI certain lhat Hanoi ad the peolte ol vieeram long for pea.e more than anytnirg. In my o?inion, Hanoi has for soae time been Lopins to lind a hey to the a.hieyement of peace. As I have said, u:e rime i3 nov

ipe, mdif

tne chance is allove.t to slip tlrough your fingels,

it hay

be irretriewably 10st,

its rorm.ily a simrltancous military and political

Hanoi has no* backcd down lrom

risid insistence

on

is, separate militar, rnd politicnt solutions '-.",o i''ol!,.s -'. !.: oi-..

thai

ol war aad theE electioEs t n political problemr.

In nddition, a. a condition of pe&e, Hanoi no longer dehinds ihe imr:diate .eh.val ol Presidelt Thi.u,

I can only reiterate my plea th.t you at oncc arnonncc and ol mceiing with

ih.

!urposes ol rea.hins

a

iop Hanoi lcadership for th.

peacelul scttlcmcnt. y ol numaniiy,

r pu. great hop€ in the rutur€ ol the united stares.

Probably all ol history cannot shov anothcr c:anplc of in Less rhan a .eriury, mary laces and kinds or p€ople in greai ntrhsers have .ome togerhe. ro r.l b, Ld . n ..on. c \.nd o vo .d d .. r,o , 'o iisell, America is ihe luliillment ol a dream cherishea ty miny peopl€. it is tle hope ol thosc pho will build thc futur.. ln his crassi. work, Demo..a.v in Amrricai Alexis de TocqueviLle calls the Unit€d States a land o !o th€ imp.ovcm:nts thc Amcrican p.oplc constantly

s!.ive io ellec!. That is,

Lne i{leaL

underlyins the

(io) spirit oI the Aheii.an peopre is that, silce thcrc are no natural bomdaries to human efort, an]+hing tnat haE not yet been brougnt to periection is bound

to be som.ihing that numan bcings hawe rct yet turned tnâ&#x201A;Źir minds b. De Tocquewine arso says

r, Py

''h- An-.i.dns) la,- l" l:\c'r "

laith in the perfe.tibiliiy of man, they judge lhat the di{lusion oI knowtedge mast necessarily be advantaseols, and tne conseqnences oI ignorance faial! tney all

colside- sot:P') .. " bodr -n " ,'"'e o'

improvemert, hlminity as a changina scene, in v]lich notling i3, or ought ro be, pelmanent; and fiey admit tha! wn.t appears to tnem:oday to be good, hay be sqeiseded by sohething berter iohorrow- l And in anotner place he adds this:

'Demo.raiic ,2tions .are but 1ittle lor but they are haunted by

wisions of vhat

vill

be; in

tlis directior

their unbolnded imagination grovs dilatca beyord all m:asur

and

which shurs lhe past against il)â&#x201A;Ź poet, opers lhe fulure belore him.

i

(

n)

Tnis ptrssase sc.m; to h! to revcal ihe unique !atu.e of the ah:ri.an Pe great hoPc in thjs Am3ri. of your country are .ertain io be a ccnter of vortd

aitention. Thc Am.ri.an dreah o1 faith in lrogress and imovatioq is sharcd by oiher peoples ol lne porrd.

Thc ameri.aa peolle ha'c madc miny er?erim:nts in the hop€ of rcalizing ihat dre.m.

The Viernam .ommitm€ni is one such cr?erimcn in rhat it was mlde ro a peopLe arcmpting io wi! lib€rly. ln olher vords, it is an er?erim.n1 !o prove how strong and steady . peoplc eho consider lilerty a prerequisilc i. rr ,. - oI 1.o o. oy -_ n.5 n 'or tl ' sealiing to rupPr.ss frcc.lom. hov€wer, tnc cxperimeli nas comc ar too high a pri.e, The humu sacrilices on the side of thc cxpcrimenier and on uf1 of thc pcop1. w]1o are the subject or lh€ cxpcrimrnt hava .eacrred alarming proportions. Mankind has lasscd lrom ihe ase of barbarism into a civilizatioq in whicn thc value of nlmin life oughi to be rcalizcd. Yet surery !. eyes "nloolo '5 o "o or ',' no .ons.ienc€ can contcmprate tl1ese costs in calm.

Irodcarly, urroughoui the course ot this grim .rpe.im.Dt has flovcd a th.ory- oslensibly ralional ir hasis- t}lar the var is being wagcd for the salie ol peace. This

o"r"!r..:s -o.no.-l:

'

I

.5

0

t32)

Cerlainly peace .arot be won or protected wi 5o ' .'-LgqL".

Neverlheless, it is tih. io siop this conftadiciory soucht to bring peacc at lhc .os1 ol tens ol millions ol livee. Wcmrstrcwwolkin

i. Lm.'" ,

<'

poseible to bring down the .uriain on this horriblc

hagedy, Perhaps in thai way ve vill snccced in achievi,s an absoluie eld to v:!.

Tlds rery hope involvcs a task thf,t qorld lcadcrs mrst tale into .onsiderarion. Thc problem is dilfi.uli, but iis solution cntails an:xeraii.! of the latc oi markind. No leade. nas ,ei succeeded in doing s., but I have raith in tnc po\ycr ol p.lirical a.iions to solve tlc difficulty- Just poliiics arc "pdor' oI min G.rin n /"" inewiiably a..ompani€d by missiwcly roverlul lopula. " low lonl 'h :d". s. nd.d-" .. urey remain isolatcd and hellless unless tley are supported by r€aI political pover. Poverlul political leaders rttrst be practical mcn ol hish princilles vho ar€ capable of rcaliziq lh.se idears.

Convcrsely, lhe realization oI high id.ars rcquires poliricnl leaders oI po*.r. cr.at lcrders, !her, are €.riglten€d pion.crB in both polilica1 and spi.iiuar scrscs; they mnst scrve t

(rr) Tni.r.ing alona these lines rehinds he or Thomas Jcffcrson and cspcciaUy of this dc€p1y stirritrg call: Enlighten the people gerexally, and iyramy and oppressions ol body and mind will vanish like evfl spirits at tnc davn ol day. ' I am corvhced uut vithout this sreat philosopher of the peolle, Democ.acy as we l<now it sourd never nave .ome inio being because if Democracy stops ai tn€ mere pursuit ol lreedom and security from:nte ention, it can becom3 no more than a kind ol coUeciive, a@nyhous autocracy.

Tnat is b say, iyramy and oppression are possihre ewen in goverm,-nts by the people. This is one ol the slortcohings inDemocracy. Such traps are rew, but t]1ey mnst not be o,erlook€d. r leel thai rhe only vay to avoid this danger is to enlighten the spirits and

t may cite one erartple {roh Aoedcar history ol the kind of oprression !ossiile in gowdrnments by the people. In 1359, ur ardeni abolitionist, John us€ of the violence of his

agitation m.wem.nt. At that time, lhe Frcnch novelist,

victor Hqo, a mrn olpro-Ahcrican 6yhpafiies e]ro lelt ihat uris incident must not be ignored, wrote the Iollo*hg letter of protest to the meric people.

irAr ihis precise

mom:nti in Wrshington,s

Iatherland, in ine souther rotrses the indig

lation of the North--a vhite man, a liee han, John Brovn, has tried ro liberate tnese negroes, these slaves

by Southerners who had

.

huch to gain, or

so

they thouant, ir re verc put .ut ot harmis

vay. Their

sho.rsigntedness is rheir eieinal

everrvheie, whoever ve hay be, all ol us vhose commrn.ountty, common hom?1and is tle Uniied Siaies ol.1mirica, the sorrd s great slmbol of democracy, l€el ourselves injured and shahed by thir senience.

A1l of us

Browtr s execution may, perhaps, reinlorce

stavery

i. virginia,

but

ii is .ertain

that

it

wirl snake ihe vhote structure of Afterican demo.racy. wha! a pity it is that th. .ause ol lreedom should he hade io euffer in rhe freesi land on earth! We can onry ptay that the chim.s oI f.eedom will ring out again, across tn€ breadtn or ufi greal l d, across the oc€an thai separaies us from ihe land

that has heen our inspiration and tnat nov has be.ome t]le degradation oI u6 all.

(r5l Thougn ug[ness o{ this kind too]. place in rhe

Pasr, dn..-

'

rh.' r.6e.,.,r oJ\.

-ag"

.t.

d

v".

Eovemert sveeping yo{r laiion as an indi.aiior of i}lis sood healur and as a sniDing lighr lor a nev age, Your de.isio! io do as I have .equesied vi11 spe1l a wi*ory for tue rilerry d tor cnliBhtened dem!e!4!y.

The.e can bc no hue vi.tory in battlca benveen ideoroaies rha! opcrate on coapleiely diltcrcnt planes or in the quacmire ol armed .onni.t. The viclo.y that I hopc you $ill acnieye vill instanteously enrig]ieD confused marnind and illuminate a dark world; it witl r thc ultimnte Ah:rican rn a sensei rhe

victram wa. can be thoughi of

mistahes have becn mndc during ihe course of the war: But you are tuE Eiwcn tne

charcc to relerse those errors and io hake a linished thirs of somcthing thai has too lons rcmained in.on.lusiwe.

1y one

in a posiii.r ro makc

thc dccision that .an lirins this rbout, ror tris .easoni I repear that rhc world is vaiting Jor yon to rake the

.'.p.r",s', f.-l ^m.wih thc cotrsciences 01 all ! - rorhno. _r5^

men on your side, you necd

o,a oyo ii-'ic pc4etual quide to h3ir<ird

and

vill vil

you thc grati

(16) I menrioned Aaerica s ievolntionary missior' but the ievoluiion I m.ar i

on.s--vere invariably mztters of armed .onflici The time nas Nlv comc !o advocalc a .evortiior based or charity and .eason. In lact, though such a revoltrtio' mls}]t seem impossiblc, Ielpins i]le vieinam':se ac}iewe indepeldencc in a sPirit of chaiitv and reason v'!]d be ream a realitv Moreover' for ihe -{m,:ican pcople, \rno vor tneir independencc two ccntu.ies aeo, a ..volution ol ihis kird wourd m-an a returning to original

P n.iplcs,

but

vith modern_dav

Tn€ United staies nas c.ndtrcted experim.nls tha! su..esslully ov€rcame dillicultics as wast as blinging trbotri a charilable and reasonablc nonmilitary

in vielnam, Only one example .I stch experimenration is Am.ri.ars brillialt record in the field of scieniiric rcsearch and deweropm;nt culoinatine in thc Apouo progr.o, Tnc m.st signilicani aspe.t ol rcvoLution

thc sreai leai ol selding humar beings to th€ m.on vas the prool it ofie.ed ol the mignitude .I hmrn achie'emenlp.ssiblc il all p€ople con.erned loor ineir knovledgc This in iurn prowed ilat abilities, spirit

sullicicnt c!1ori. I am .eriair th2t stllicicnt ellort in the licld or lolitics, too, can pr.duce virltallv anv

imror!tut thing is to direct au oI orc't mind ald spidt toward ihe a.hievem.nt ol ure desired €nd, Spirituar strengtn ol ihai kind needed io do tlis is thc wcllrprins of ewerythirg. It wiU enable ,ou to make the heroic choice facilg you nov. I vas The

deeply moveil by yonr qnoiation of a poem ny Arcnibald

MlcLeish in your

1969 inaugural addresE and

ty th.

resolution rou stated aft€r the poem: Our destiny offers noi t]]e cup of despair, but the chalice of oppoftudry. So let us seize

ii

not in fear, but in gladness--and

rid€rs on tne €arth togetner, 1et ns go lorward, firm in our rait]l, sreadfas! in our purpose, cautious ol the danc.rs, but .lst.ined hy olr .onfidence in lhe wilr ot Cod and ure protuise of h:n.

The vhole

volld eagerly awaits your d€cisior. Alt {eeling

peopre deepry believe in your humanity,

In .pite oI the lact that I was wery piessed for dme, I nave exp!€ssed these tnouAhts to you in the nope that, in the riEiry climate of vorld criticiem, for both your sake and tor tSat of the u ted slates, you vitt not

invite 3rievous .onsequences, I law€ been hotivated by m-/ own deep desire for a iealization of peace. I realize that my ideas are not as velt organ:zed or as comdeie as they mighi be; but tal<e steps that courd

7 (r3)

as you nov [o1d the faie of thc world in youa halds,

subje.! as quickly as possiLle. on.e :Eain, on January 20, y.u wilt assme tne Sreai hission ol leadcrship in rhe ruildine ot

rh. lutur. or rhe udied statcs. No.ne olthe billions 01leople on earth shoulde.s a responsibility as heawy as yours. I1 is m, prayer that you vi11 courtrscously hake ihe choicc that witl viie your lame in hisiory as ire presidenr ot peacc.