THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 25 SEPTEMBER 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976375
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: September 25, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
--rop-"It.f.g&25 September 1968
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
25 SEPTEMBER 1968
1. France
De Gaulle had a 50-minute talk
with Ambassador Shriver on Monday. He
concentrated--in characteristic De
Gaulle fashion--on his thesis that US
commitments to Western Europe are in-
adequate, making the following points:
--The US will not risk a nuclear
war to defend Western Europe; this ex-
plains West German edginess.
--There probably would be further
Soviet diplomatic, economic, and psycho-
logical pressures against West Germany,
"looking toward the day when, having
built a sufficient foundation, the Rus-
sians would invade Hanover or Hamburg."
--Moscow was worried by the threat
of a revitalized Germany joining with
other nations (De Gaulle mentioned
Czechoslovakia, China, and "even East
Germany") against the Soviet Union.
--France, looking to its own life
and death, would not regard an invasion
of West Germany as an invasion of
France.
De Gaulle will be visiting Kie-
singer later this week. We think he
will continue to work on Bonn's edgi-
ness to shake its confidence in the US.
. Soviet Union - In recent days, one Soviet divi-
Czechoslovakia sion that moved into Czechoslovakia has
returned to garrison in Hungary, and
elements of another probably have re-
turned to the Soviet Union.
At Annex today we examine some re-
cent developments in the Moscow-Prague
relationship.
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3. Israel -
Arab States
4. Thailand
5, Panama
The Israelis have again gone to
the United Nations following Sunday's
alleged foray by Egyptians across the
Suez Canal. Arab apprehension over an
eventual Israeli retaliation remains
high, however.r.
The wraps may be coming off anti-
American sentiment. A group of Thai
journalists recently gave our embassy
people an earful on the "objectionable"
behavior of Americans in Thailand and
generally on US policy in Asia. An ac-
count of this session favorable to the
journalists appeared in a newspaper
owned by the deputy prime minister.
The government may find it useful as
legislative elections approach to give
some nod to the dissenters.
Vallarino is still resisting pres-
sure from Arias to avoid embarrassment
and step down from his National Guard
post before the inaugural on 1 October.
Vallarino may
hope in the meantime to temper Arias'
plans to wield a heavy axe on the Guard.
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ANNEX
Soviet-Czechoslovak Relations--A Month After
?A month after their lightning military strike
into Czechoslovakia, the Soviets are now reaching
the point where they must decide if their political
follow-through is doing the job.
Clearly, the Soviets are not satisfied with
the rate at which the Czechoslovaks have reimposed
the limits which existed before January. The So-
viet press has more than offset its praise for steps
in the "right" direction with warnings that much,
much more needs to be done. For all the cleverness
of their resistance, the Czechoslovaks have not
fooled the Soviets into thinking that washing the
freedom signs from the statues in Wenceslas Square
has removed the idea of freedom from Czechoslovak
minds.
The Soviets may stick to nudging the Czechoslo-
vaks along in the hope that the latter will move
faster. Moscow has not, however, foreclosed the
option of using its military presence to oust the
top liberals, impose a conservative regime and re-
press any dissident forces which oppose it.
The Czechoslovaks are in fact playing a danger-
ous game. In the last analysis, Moscow has virtu-
ally all the high cards. If the Soviets get suffi-
ciently frustrated, they will lose patience and play
them.
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r.
Top Secret
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
.) North Vietnamese Reflections of U S
Political Attitudes
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16
25 September 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
25 September 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Le Duan on Reconstruction: North Vietnam's num-
ber two man appears to be increasingly concerned with
problems of economic reconstruction. On 22 September,
Hanoi Radio broadcast a speech the party first secre-
tary had given to provincial authorities in northeast-
ern Lang Son Province. No date was given for the tour,
but this was the second time in recent weeks that Le
Duan's trips into the countryside have been publicized.
The first was an early summer visit to Nam Ha--an im-
portant agricultural province just south of Hanoi. In
each case the main thrust of the secretary's remarks
was the need to get the local economy going again and
to develop plans for improving agricultural production.
As in his earlier speech in Nam Ha, Le Duan devoted
most of his remarks in Lang Son to detailed recommenda-
tions on production techniques.
* * *
Another Mission to France:
another North Vietnamese economic mis-
sion is scheduled to visit Paris next month. Nothing
tangible has yet resulted from the last visit a year
ago. Hanoi's attempt to pur-
chase French trucks on credit has been discouraged by
the French Government
* * *
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On Bombing: Hanoi is turning up the volume on
its propaganda portraying the US as out to destroy
foodstuffs. /
the Communists charged the bombing below the
19th Parallel is more intense than ever and is delib-
erately aimed at disrupting North Vietnam's agricul-
tural production. The spokesman for the North Viet-
namese delegation to the Paris talks had used much
the same theme in his press briefing on 16 September.
He contended air strikes are made on dams, irrigation
systems, and farming communities.
* * *
* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
On US Scene: Radio Hanoi played up several ex-
amples of Vietnam war dissent in the United States
during an English language broadcast yesterday. Citing
various Western news agency reports as sources, the
broadcast mentioned recent antiwar demonstrations en-
countered by the presidential and vice presidential
candidates during their campaign stops. The efforts
by groups of army reservists to escape their Vietnam
assignment also were reported.
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