in addition to the public meetings that i’ve referred to, ambassador lodge has met with vietnam’s chief negotiator in paris in 11 private sessions.
and we have taken other significant initiatives which must remain secret to keep open some channels of communications which may still prove to be productive.
but the effect of all the public, private and secret negotiations which have been undertaken since the bombing halt a year ago, and since this administration came into office on jan. 20, can be summed up in one sentence: no progress whatever has been made except agreement on the shape of the bargaining table.
well, now, who’s at fault? it’s becoming clear that the obstacle in negotiating an end to the war is not the president of the united states. it is not the south vietnamese government. the obstacle is the other side’s absolute refusal to show the least willingness to join us in seeking a just peace.
and it will not do so while it is convinced that all it has to do is to wait for