THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 17 JUNE 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976205
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: June 17, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief.
17 June 1968
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
17 JUNE 1968
1, South Vietnam
2. Venezuela -
Soviet Union
The Venezuelans have seized a So-
viet tug. The tug, which was towing
a crane from the Black Sea to Siberia
via the Panama Canal, was halted near
an island off the Venezuelan coast
and taken into a port near Caracas.
We do not expect either Moscow
or Caracas to treat this as a major
incident, but it could set back the
efforts both sides are making to im-
prove economic and diplomatic relations.
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3, Berlin
4. Brazil
As the West Germans and the allies
seek ways of countering the new access
restrictions, some differences in ap-
proach have cropped up between the two
government parties in Bonn. Kiesinger's
Christian Democrats apparently favor
firm countermeasures against the East
Germans; the Socialists are putting
their emphasis on the need to shore up
West Berlin's economy. Our embassy
thinks the public mood leans toward
the Christian Democrats' position.
"Unity Day" demonstrations commem-
orating the 1953 uprising are scheduled
for today in West Berlin, The East
Germans will be watching them closely.
They are already annoyed by the morale-
boosting visits to Berlin being made
by high West German officials. ?
Pankow is getting the expected
general protestations of support from
Soviet media, but Moscow has not com-
mitted itself to any course of action.
At the moment, the Soviets seem to be
awaiting Western countermoves.
A government spokesman in Bonn has
publicly acknowledged that Kiesinger
is considering a trip to Washington.
There still has been no decision, how-
ever.
ex-President Goulart has agreed to join
in a united front with the Communists.
Both Goulart and the Communists, in turn,
would like people to think they are
backed by the reforming archbishop, Dom
Helder. Goulart reportedly has already
made overtures to the archbishop.
Dom Helder probably would not ac-
cept an open alliance with Goulart,
much less with the Communists. He
might agree to a private arrangement
with Goulart, however, and this could be
a big step in the spinning together of a
new opposition force.
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5. Czechoslovakia Prague has taken two steps which
will not be received well in Moscow.
In an agreement signed this week-
end, the Czechoslovak Communist Party
in so many words renounced the "monopoly
of political power" it has held since
1948. It will retain its leading role,
but as long as the country's other par-
ties stay within a vague concept of
"socialism," they will be allowed to
formulate their own programs. They
will also participate in the drafting
and implementation of national policies.
The Soviets are sure to regard this as
a major departure from the gospel as it
is preached in Moscow.
As if this were not enough, Czecho-
slovakia on Saturday signed a friend-
ship treaty with Hungary which opens
the way a bit more for the eventual es-
tablishment of relations with West Ger-
many. In his speech at the signing,
Dubcek said it was in Czechoslovakia's
interest to "normalize" relations with
Bonn.
Dubcek, keeping one ear cocked to-
ward Moscow, made it clear that he was
not thinking of taking this step soon,
however. He said in fact that there
could be no diplomatic ties until East
and West Germany had worked out a "real-
istic arrangement."
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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
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16
17 June 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
17 June 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Hanoi Denies Times: Hanoi on 15 June took the
unusual step of denying a New York Times story about
the Paris talks. An English broadcast accused the
Times of spreading the rumor that North Vietnam had
agreed to respond to a bombing halt with "some ges-
ture not yet made public."
"Sheer fabrication," said the North Vietnamese,
adding that throughout the Paris talks their delega-
tion had insisted that first and foremost the US must
unconditionally stop its bombing and "other acts of
war" before discussing other problems.
The denunciation appears to be an effort to say
publicly, but on an unofficial level, that a change
in the form of the US request for reciprocity will
not be sufficient. The broadcast also could be aimed
at quelling fears in some Communist quarters about
secret deals between Hanoi and Washington.
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* * *
Delegation Woos Expatriates The North Vietnam-
ese negotiating team in Paris is now bending every ef-
fort to cultivate the Vietnamese community. At the
party the delegation threw on 15 June to celebrate
Ho Chi Minh's 78th birthday, the crowd numbered be-
tween 1,000 and 2,500 and included members of the
French Communist Party as well as "diplomats from
friendly countries." The birthday was last month,
but the party was postponed because of the Paris dis-
turbances.
The theme of the party--like the theme of Hanoi
propaganda for the past two weeks--was Vietnamese
nationalism and independence. The entertainment was
traditional Vietnamese folk dancing and singing, and
the speeches ?constituted a defense of Hanoi's right
to help the South in the "struggle against American
aggression and for national salvation." The main
speaker of the evening was Xuan Thuy and he report-
edly told his audience that "every Vietnamese whether
North or South has a right and a duty to defend
against foreign aggression." The occasion also served
as a fund-raising benefiti
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* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
.More on Dr. Spock: Hanoi propaganda gave Dr.
Spock-r-Trial special attention Saturday. Nhan Dan,
the leading party newspaper, ran an editoriaTT-Tn'U--
there was a special message to the US Coordinating
Committee to End the War in Vietnam. Praising the
baby doctor's "valiancy," Nhan Dan said that he
represented the antiwar attitudes of millions of
other Americans. His trial was termed a persecution.
The editorial extended the hand of friendship to
the "American people" who opposed the US policy in
Vietnam,
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The special message, from the Vietnam Peace Com-
mittee, credited Dr. Spock with "great contributions
to the noble humanitarian cause, and expressed the
hope that the "American people" would have increased
success in their "struggle for an end to US aggression
in Vietnam."
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