THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 3 SEPTEMBER 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976337
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: September 3, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
Top et 3 September 1968
23
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
3 SEPTEMBER 1968
1. Czechoslovakia
2, Soviet Union
3, Rumania
Prague and the rest of the coun-
try stayed relatively calm over the
weekend. There have been no more dem-
onstrations. There has also been no
significant change in the deployment
of Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces
throughout the country.
There were unconfirmed press re-
ports yesterday of another meeting of
the Soviet central committee. Commu-
nist sources said the meeting was called
to deal with the hostile world reaction
to the intervention in Czechoslovakia;
they claimed that the Soviets were con-
sidering a conciliatory gesture.
Embassy Moscow notes that Soviet
press commentary on Czechoslovakia over
the weekend seemed to be taking some
of the pressure off by giving greater
emphasis to signs that the situation
there is returning to normal. Initial
Soviet commentary on the Czechoslovak
central committee meeting was straight-
forward and gave no hint of displeasure
over the personnel changes in the party
hierarchy.
The situation is auiet
have no
been able to find any evidence of troop
concentrations near the Rumanian bor-
der, Military activity in northeast
.Bulgaria is limited to a training exer-
cise. The Rumanians, with their most
recent careful commentary on Czechoslo-
vakia, seem to be trying to avoid pro-
voking the Soviets.
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4. Guatemala
5. Mexico
Security forces are still on alert,
but there has been no progress in the
search for Ambassador Mein's killers.
The US Embassy is taking special precau-
tions
President Diaz Ordaz delivered, his
state of the union address to the:legis-
lature on Sunday without incident. The
threatened student disorders did not
materialize. Diaz Ordaz announced minor
concessions to the students but empha-
sized his intention to maintain peace
and order..
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
1.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
2.) North Vietnamese Reflections of U S
Political Attitudes
Top Secret
_ 16
3 September 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
3 September 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Anniversary Celebration: The Hanoi leadership
turned out in full force to celebrate their 23rd anni-
versary yesterday. The broadcasts made a special
point of describing Ho Chi Minh's "good health" as he
appeared on the speaker's platform. All-in-country
members of the Politburo appeared with him--only Le
Due Tho (who is in Paris), Pham Hung (who is probably
in South Vietnam), and Hoang Van Hoan (who may.have
returned-to:China) were missing.
-Although only brief summaries of the major speeches
are available, the Occasion does not seem to have been
used to restate Any major policy issues. Premier Pham
Van Dong gave the major address--as is usual on such
occasions--and his emphasis appeared to be on assuring
the people that they were on the road to final victory,
but that some hard fighting probably lay ahead,
* * *
China Damns Soviets on North Vietnam Anniversary:
Peking used the 23rd anniversary of the founding of
North Vietnam to castigate the Soviet Union and to re-
iterate its charge that Moscow is the "number one ac-
complice of US imperialism in its war of aaeression
against Vietnam."
the Viet-
namese were warned that the Paris talks were a "hoax"
and that Moscow was Washington's accomplice in perpetu-
ating this hoax on the "heroic Vietnamese peopleo,"
The celebration in Peking was attended by Foreign
Minister Chen Yi and a number of other party and gov-
ernment officials. ..Peking's spokesman was Wu Te, Vice
Chairman of the Peking Municipal Revolutionary Com-
mittee. He added to the usual charges against Moscow
by attacking Russia's "armed aggression against Czecho-
slovakia"--a clear warning to Hanoi that Peking is far
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from happy with North Vietnam's unqualified support of
Moscow during the Czech confrontation.
* * *
Soviets Pledge Unqualified Support: In marked
contrast to Peking's lecturing, the Soviet leaders in
their message of greeting on the occasion of the anni-
versary gave Hanoi a ringing endorsement of its efforts
in the Paris peace talks and pointedly told the North
Vietnamese they .could always count on the Soviets "re-
maining on their side, fulfilling their internatiOnal
duty' and providing continuing military and economic
assistance whichever course the Hanoi leadership pur-
sued,
* * *
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II, _NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
There is nothing of significance to report -today.
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Top Secret
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