'DOMINO' THEORY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000500280016-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 7, 2010
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: October 15, 1965
• Content Type: NSPR

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/07: CIA-RDP75-00149R000500280016-3
S. 106
Front Edit 0th.,
P.ge Date: ?CT 1`~` 19fi5
`Domino' Theory
Reports gathered in Washington
-- presumablj from State Depart.
went and Central Intelligence Agen
cy source -m Ecate that e a
`'"-owing increasingly alarmed a-
bout the U. S. power buildup in Viet
Nam.
Whether the alarm will tend to
increase China's hostility toward us
or whether it will convince the Com-
munist Chinese that it can gash little
from supporting so-called "national
revolutions of liberation" In Asia re-
mains to be seen.
But the Chinese concern does bear
out the burden of the recent talk
here by Reiman "Pat" Morin, Asso.
ciated Press special correspondent.
Addressing a President's Day audi-
ence, the twice Pulitizer Prize win-
ner declared that if Viet Nam falls
to the Reds, all of Southeast Asia will
quickly follow.
It seems clear that Mao Tse Tung',
sees U. S. power and determination':
In Viet Nam as the chief obstacle to
the communization of Asia. Mao, like,'
;Morin, apparently feels that if U. S.
power is broken in Viet Nam, Laos,
Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, South
1?Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and, yes,
the Nationalist Chinese stronghold
of Taiwan, will tumble "like domi-
j noes" into the Red Chinese orbit.
Even Japan's days of freedom would
be numbered.
Viet Nam might not be the per-
fect place to draw the line and tell
the Reds that they go no farther. We
didn't choose to stand in Viet Nam
for reasons of military advantage or
because it had an enlightened, demo.
e:atic government, it was circum-
stances that forced us to make a de-
cision in Viet Nam - a decision to
fight or to run.
That we chose to fight will be to
our everlasting, credit as a, Nation
' who, cares for principles and for peo.'
25 YEAR RE-REVIEW ;pie,
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/07: CIA-RDP75-00149R000500280016-3