THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 13 DECEMBER 1967

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005974169
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: December 13, 1967

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The President's Daily Brief
--rtp?Se-c-r-a-13 December 1967
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DAILY BRIEF
13 DECEMBER 1967
1. Cyprus
2. Communist China
Rival Cypriot fighting units still
confront each other in several tense
areas on the island as Makarios' effort
to arrange reciprocal withdrawals gets
off to a slow start. Turkish Cypriots
have initially balked at a limited with-
drawal plan, but the real decision is
up to Ankara. Ambassador Belcher points
out that if this initial "normalization"
effort falls through, it will cast doubt
on the chances of a broader UN-sponsored
pacification program.
The second major evacuation. of
Greek troops from Cyprus was set to get
under way last night, but as yet we
have no word on how it went.
This year's grain harvest has prob-
ably been a good one, perhaps even a
little better than in 1957--the year be-
fore Mao's disastrous Great Leap Forward.
It will not do much to raise rations,
however--there are almost 150 million
more Chinese stomachs to fill now than
there were a decade ago.
Also, there is good evidence that
trans- 50X1
port problems will disrupt the collec-
tion and distribution of food. Unsettled
conditions will also encourage peasants
in many areas to hold back grain from gov-
ernment collectors.
Peking still needs foreign grains,
and has just concluded a contract to
buy two million tons of Canadian wheat
for delivery next year. Negotiations
are under way with France and probably
will soon begin with Australia.
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3. Yemen Fighting continues north of the
capital, but with no apparent decision.
4. Arab States The proposed Arab summit confer-
ence has been delayed until 17 January,
5. Ghana
We do not think that Brezhnev's
long-scheduled visit to Cairo next
month has anything to do with the post-
ponement.
Potentially dangerous frictions
are developing within the military
leadership as it casts about uncertainly
for ways to achieve the promised resto-
ration of civilian government. Public
criticism is growing over the regime's
policy of economic austerity and over
the encouragement it has given to pri-
vate foreign investment.
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. Laos
7. Soviet Union -
West Germany
The Communists have kicked off
their annual dry season offensive. In
an area that had been relatively se-
cure in the southern panhandle, a com-
bined Pathet Lao - North Vietnamese
force overran a neutralist base on Mon-
day. The defenders suffered heavy
losses before recapturing it yesterday.
In the north a few days 'earlier, the
Communists seized a base from which pro-
government counterinsurgents had been
staging operations against routes out
of North Vietnam.
Reports of substantial supply move-
ments in recent Weeks suggest that the
Communists may intend a more sustained
? offensive effort in northern Laos this
season_
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FOR 'THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special -Daily Report on North Vietnam
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13 December 1967
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OUAI
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
13 December 1967
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Hanoi Comments on the UN: Hanoi has broken its
silence regarding recent Vietnam related activities
at the UN by issuing a sharply worded denunciation
of US efforts to bring the Vietnam problem before
the Security Council. This was the essence of an
authoritative "Commentator" article in the party
daily Nhan Dan, which was broadcast on 12 December.
"Commentator" claimed that the US was up to its
"old tricks" of making the UN serve its "aggressive
plan against Vietnam" and "scrapping the 1954 Geneva
Agreements." It reiterated Hanoi's long-standing
view that the "UN has no jurisdiction whatsoever to
settle the Vietnam problem," and cited the Liberation
Front's recent denial that it had tried to send rep-
resentatives to the UN to discuss the Vietnam ques-
tion.
Continuing on the same unyielding note, "Com-
mentator" restated Hanoi's most rigid formulations
for a settlement of the conflict. The article con-
cluded by claiming that Hanoi's Four Points and the
Front's new political program reflect the basic prin-
ciples and main provisions of the 1954 Geneva Agree-
ments, which, it said, "the countries participating
in the Geneva conference, as well as other countries
and the UN, have the duty to respect."
* * *
Further From Spanish Refugees Out of North
Vietnam: Seven Spanish veterans of the French For-
eign Legion who remained in North Vietnam after the
end of the Indochina war have recently been returned
to Spain. Their repatriation is the latest result
of Hanoi's efforts over the past three years to rid
the country of foreign elements which the regime has
felt to be untrustworthy. The refugees had spent
most of the years since 1954 in villages outside
Hanoi engaged in semiskilled and laboring tasks.
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In an initial press statement, the refugees com-
plained about their treatment at the hands of the
North Vietnamese, stating that even after many years,
they were considered foreigners. They claimed that
the North Vietnamese were not afraid of the US and
were determined to fight "until none of them is left
standing."
Prior to their evacuation on 30 November, the
refugees spent several weeks in Hanoi. In a report
of their impressions of conditions there, they said
that despite North Vietnamese government propaganda,
bomb damage to Hanoi did not appear to be extensive
and that the government was using "black smoke" to
simulate damage. The refugees observed that traffic
in Hanoi was flowing in both directions across the
Doumer bridge, and that there appeared to be plenty
of labor available for repairing bridges and other
vital points. Such rePairs seemed to be made effec-
tively within a reasonable period of time. The
Spaniards also observed numerous small generators
in the capital and reported that electric power was
available oh some days but not on others.
In a subsequent report, the refugees provided
more specific information on the conditions in the
area where they had lived. All indicated that the
food situation was bad. They complained about the
inability to obtain milk, meat, and other commodi-
ties which are more common to a Westerner's diet than
to an Oriental's. The supply of rice seemed adequate
on the basis of the information given but it was
clear from the refugees' statements that the people
are hard pressed to make ends meet and to provide for
themselves.
Several of the Spaniards confirmed earlier re-
ports of black market activities in the outlying
areas, claiming that needed foods, like rice and
sugar, were priced greatly above that set by the gov-
ernment; prices went down, however, at harvest time.
Others reported that some of the food they had re-
ceived came from China or the Soviet Union. All left
the impression that the people were unhappy and war
weary, but none mentioned any antiregime sentiments
or any open disobedience to regime dictates. One
refugee pointed to the security apparatus as one
reason for popular compliance with government dic-
tates.
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Comments on Haiphong Bombing:
the following undated--but
clearly recent--report about conditions in Haiphong,
which indicates that the port is functioning
normally:
"Six or seven ships, that is the maximum pos-
sible, are permanently at the docks. The activi-
ties of loading and unloading seem to be regular.
"The Vietnamese have profited from the pause
in the American attacks to repair their lines of
communication. The time to travel between Hanoi
and Haiphong remains as before, comprising between
three and four hours; it cannot be shortened because
of the ferries and pontoon bridges.
"On the economic side, there has been a return
to the situation which existed several months ago,
before the bombing which caused so much death and
destruction while at the same time causing Americans
to lose many planes and pilots."
Conditions in Haiphong:
food and daily
necessities such as soap, linens, cloth, toilet
goods,,and shoes had become increasingly scarce and ?
had to be rationed, the food situa- 50X1
tion had become a matter of serious concern. Many
factories in the industrial sector of Haiphong had
been either destroyed or heavily damaged during re-
cent US bombing raids, 50X1
this had put large numbers of people out 50X1
of work, but most of them had been mobi- 50X1
lized into crews to assist in repairing bridges, roads,
and rail lines.
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* * *
Interview with North Vietnamese Diplomat:
The Italian paper "La Nazione" reported an inter-
view with Phan Van Su, North Vietnam's ambassador
to Czechoslovakia, on 9 December. Phan reiterated
Hanoi's standard position that only an "unconditional
suspension" of bombing by the US can lead to talks
and that Hanoi will not talk to the Saigon regime "b
cause that government does not represent anything."
The ambassador asserted that up to now Hanoi had had
plenty of men to defeat the US, but in case of need,
North Vietnam will turn to others and "all our so-
cialist friends are ready to send us volunteers."
China, Phan said, does not try to impose its will on
Hanoi. The North Vietnamese listen to all advice,
but,'"in the last analysis, we decide."
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II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
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