THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 27 APRIL 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005974403
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: April 27, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
7-(1S7')c-ocat April 1968
23
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DAILY BRIEF
27 APRIL 1968
1, Korea
By and large, the posture of North
Korea's armed forces remains normal.
Much of the latest war talk probably
stems from the period of the Pueblo's
capture when the North Koreans them-
selves were not sure what was coming
next.
Pyongyang propaganda continues to
whip up anti-American sentiment, never-
theless. A good deal of this is for
domestic consumption, but there also
are efforts to impress the outside
world with North Korea's resolve. One
instance was the announcement on Thurs-
day that the North Korean defense budget
will be increased by one-third. Limited
information on the North Korean economy
makes it difficult to say just what im-
pact--if any--this might have on defense
capability.
As we have noted, Pyongyang prob-
ably does plan to step up small raids
south of the Demilitarized Zone. Early
this morning the North Koreans ambushed
an American patrol just south of the
DMZ. One soldier was killed and three
wounded.
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2. Soviet Union
3. Jordan
4. Cyprus
5. Poland
Husayn's latest swing through the
Arab states was financially profitable,
but not much was accomplished politi-
cally.
Husayn failed, how-
ever, to get agreement on holding an
Arab summit and has finally given up
the idea.
UN Undersecretary Rolz-Bonnett
visits Cyprus this weekend in hopes of
breaking the deadlock over where Greek
and Turkish Cypriots should meet to
talk about bettering their relations.
Makarios insists the talks be held on
the island; Turkish Cypriot Vice Presi-
dent Kucuk wants them held abroad.
The party's anti-Semitic campaign
is stirring fear of persecution among
Poland's Jews, and many are leaving the
country. The Dutch Embassy, which
handles Israel's interests in Poland,
is processing about 100 exit applica-
tions a month. Other Western embassies,
including the US, also are noting an
increase in applicants. Gomulka has of-
fered publicly to let Jews leave on the
understanding that they will not be al-
lowed to return.
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6. Berlin
7. Cuba
8. Soviet Union
Yesterday the East Germans refused
to let West Berlin's Mayor Schuetz
travel by road through their territory.
This is an escalation of Communist
harassment, but there is no indication
that the Russians want a major crisis
now.
The East Germans are trying their
"salami tactics" again in an effort
gradually to restrict West German ties
with Berlin. For their part, the So-
viets probably will go along until it
looks like real trouble is in the off-
ing.
Castro is trying hard to pump new
life into his domestic revolution. In
four major speeches over the past five
weeks, he has shown himself preoccupied
with the lack of response to his calls
for greater sacrifice and productivity.
Among the things Fidel has ordained in
his effort to get things moving is a
bigger role for the armed forces in the
Cuban economy. The military will now
organize and control agricultural bri-
gades.
All this is going to create even
more discontent, but, so long as the
army remains loyal to Castro, discon-
tent is not likely to be translated
into action.
During the first quarter of 1968,
industrial output for civilian pur-
poses has not matched the growth pat-
tern for the same quarter set over the
past three years. Reading between the
lines of Soviet statistics, it appears
the production of military hardware has
gone up slightly.
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
2.) North Vietnamese Reflections of U S
Political Attitudes?
Top Secret
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27 April 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
27 April 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
* * *
The Chinese On Negotiations: There are signs
that Peking is accommodating itself to North Viet-
nam's acceptance of negotiations and is preparing a
position on a Vietnam settlement./
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high Chinese officials have consis-
tently opposed a negotiated end to the Vietnam war,
but at the same time have indicated that the decision
to enter into negotiations would be up to Hanoi.
In its propaganda treatment of Vietnam, Peking
has maintained its hard line on negotiations, brand-
ing them as "frauds" engineered by the US and "Soviet
revisionists." The Chinese, however, have maintained
considerable flexibility on the subject by refusing
to criticize publicly or comment on Hanoi's stated
willingness to begin preliminary negotiations.
* * *
* * *
Hanoi Keeping an "Indications" Book: Hanoi has
published a catalog of Y."war crimes" committed by the
US since the limitation of the bombing. The North
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Vietnamese "War Crimes Commission" published the
list yesterday claiming that the US had signifi-
cantly increased the pace of the bombing in the
four southern provinces of North Vietnam as a mili-
tary response to the "general offensive and general
uprising" of the South Vietnamese people.
A running account of the number of air attacks
on populated areas was given for each of the four
provinces, and each example was illustrated by
lists of schools, hospitals, and churches destroyed,
as well as civilians killed. The list included two
claims of bombing north of the 20th parallel.
The War Crimes Commission is also keeping a
book on the level of artillery fire across the DMZ
into the Vinh Linh Zone. In the first two weeks of
April, said the statement, firing was twice the
monthly average for March. All of it was directed
at vegetable gardens and civilian homes, according
to the commission. The communiqu?lso protested
continued offshore bombardment of the southern prov-
inces and reconnaissance overflights throughout the
country,
* * *
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* * *
More on the New Communist "Alliance" in the
South: The Communists are Continuing to pump up
their new national alliance. On 25 April,,Libera-
tion Radio broadcast a "statement" of objectives
which expanded on the "communiqu?of the day be-
fore. It outlined in greater detail the domestic
and foreign policy goals of the alliance, which look
more andmore like those of the Liberation Front
every day.
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One of the -alliance's domestic policies is to
establish "contact" with the Liberation Front and to
cooperate with it. The Front is described as a
"great patriotic force" which cannot be excluded
from the settlement of all the problems of South
Vietnam. The alliance also offers to discuss an end
to the war with the US.
* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
Hanoi Radio Cites US Critics: Hanoi radio on
24.April highlighted statements from prominent con-
gressional leaders critical of the administration's
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attitude toward the selection of a site for prelim-
inary contacts with North Vietnam. The radio com-
mentary cited Senator Kennedy's speeches in Los
Angeles and Oregon, criticizing the President for
not going "anywhere any time," Senator Mansfield's
18 April statement on US troop withdrawal, and Sena-
tor McCarthy's criticism of Secretary Rusk on 21
April.
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