THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 11 JANUARY 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005974218
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: January 11, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
Top Secret 11January 1968
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DAILY BRIEF
11 JANUARY 1968
1. Vietnam
2. Thailand
3. Communist China
4. Singapore
Vietnamese Communist propaganda
has again endorsed the idea of a coali-
tion government in South Vietnam and
simultaneously condemned Saigon for
seeking to block avenues to peace. In
doing so, Hanoi seems more interested
in fanning the unrest in the South
over this issue than in spelling out
what it means when it calls for a co-
alition government.
Bangkok is pushing harder for the
kind of status of forces agreement it
wants from the US. It has now an-
nounced a new set of procedures for
dealing with US military offenders.
The key provision requires that before
taking custody of arrested US soldiers,
US authorities must agree in writing
that they be turned back to the Thais
for prosecution "on request."
Harold Wilson is in for some tough
arguments this weekend when Lee Kuan
Yew flies in with fire in his eye. Lee
will fight hard to get the British to
move away from their timetable for with-
drawal from Singapore by 1971. He has
calmed down somewhat since his first
fierce talk about reprisals against
British economic interests. Still, he
is deadly serious.
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5. Czechoslovakia
6. India
7. Japan -
Soviet Union
The new leaders are hinting at a
much more liberal regime. An article
in yesterday's official party daily,
according to excerpts distributed by
the Czech news agency, calls for with-
drawal of the party from direct admin-
istration of the government and the
economy. It also makes a strong pitch
for the respect of individual rights.
Although set forth in general
terms, these ideas are radical indeed
for Czechoslovakia. Yet they presum-
ably reflect the consensus of the
party central committee which last week
ousted party boss Novotny.
Mrs. Gandhi is making a gradual
recovery from the paralyzing shock of
last February's election. Months of
careful political fence-mending began
paying off in the waning weeks of the
old year. With better party backing--
particularly from Home Minister Chavan--
she showed a new confidence and deftness
in dealing with the mess in several
states where opposition coalitions had
lost their grip. The Congress Party
is now back in the driver's seat in
these states.
Whether Mrs. Gandhi's touch re-
tains its magic will depend on the
willingness of strong rivals within her
party to keep on pulling together be-
hind their leader.
Trade between the two countries
reached an all-time high last year.
The Soviet Union has now replaced China
as Japan's top Communist trading part-
ner. Signs point to further increases
this year.
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
Top Secret
11 JanuL4 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
11 January 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
More on the Trinh Statement: The first secre-
tary of the French Embassy in Vientiane in a recent
conversation with US Embassy officials there has
given .a surprisingly balanced interpretation of the
recent Trinh statement. In contrast to some French
statements which have portrayed the Trinh statement
as particularly significant and forthcoming, the
diplomat offered his opinion that there were no signs
that the North Vietnamese have altered their hard
line concerning the substantive nature of any nego-
tiations. In addition, he felt that the Trinh state-
ment seemed admirably suited as a tactic to put pres-
sure on the US to stop the bombing.
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* * *
North Vietnamese Railways:
comments
on the North Vietnamese railway system,
along the major rail lines, rocks, cement, sand,
dirt, rails, and wooden beams are stockpiled at two
kilometer intervals to facilitate rapid bomb damage
repair. Bridge repair crews normally consist of
about 16 men augmented by as many locally, recruited
civilians as are necessary (sometimes in the thou-
sands) to complete repairs. Repair work on a damaged
rail or railroad bridge section may begin as soon as
two hours after a bombing raid.
Often temporary bridges are constructed that
are not strong enough to bear the weight of a loco-
motive. In such cases, the railroad cars are pushed
across the bridge by one engine and hooked up to
another on the other side.
As a rule trains move at night, are about one
kilometer long with either two engines at the front,
or one at either end. Passenger cars also usually
move at night and are mixed with cargo cars. The
majority of the trains traveling from Hanoi to Lang
Son on the Chinese border are armed with antiaircraft
artillery and/or machine guns.
* * *
Decentralization: One aspect of the Hanoi gov-
ernment's efforts to decentralize the economy and
to place more responsibility on provincial adminis-
trators has been reported
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in mid-1966 the workers at the phos- 50X1
phate plant in Thanh Hoa, south of 50X1
Hanoi, were told that henceforth the province would
be responsible for operating the plant and for pro-
ducing all products used by the people. 50X1
the workers were disheartened by this 50X1
news and feared that their jobs would be made more
difficult by what they felt would be inefficient ad-
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* * *
* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
-Antiwar Gathering: Hanoi radio on 9 January
announced that a group of 50 representatives of
various American organizations in Europe opposed
to the "US aggressive war in Vietnam" met in Paris
on 7 January and formed a "continent-wide coordin-
ating committee" named American Opposition Abroad.
The broadcast reported that the group pledged to
promote demonstrations by Americans against "the
dirty US war in Vietnam" on George Washington's
birthday and on 2 April. Additionally, the com-
mittee announced that it would circulate a peti-
tion among Americans in Europe, declaring the in-
tention of the signatories to encourage draft re-
sistance.
-3.-
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Top" Secret
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