CONFIDENTIAL
Reference News from 16 May to 5 June
Digest No. 10
VIETNAM
The bulletin continued to give a blow-by-blow account of the Paris talks, including the first six official meetings.
The full text of Mr. Harriman's speech at the first official session on 13 May was printed in the Reference News. By contrast only a summary of Xuan's speech was carried although most of his more militant phrases were included. The Reference News also contained some background comment to the meeting suggesting that both sides were setting out their positions for the record. One report said that Messrs Harriman and Vance were being particularly polite to the DRV delegation so that the whole atmosphere of the talks was courteous,
Once again, the full text of Mr. Harriman's speech at the second meeting on 15 May was printed whereas only a summary of Xuan's remarks was printed. A DRV spokesman was quoted as saying that both sides were far apart although the US
A summary delegation said that there was some common ground. of both speeches at the third meeting on 18 May was given. The Reference News also reported that Mr. Harriman had sent his aide, Mr. Davidson, to London to brief the Foreign Secretary
The bulletin covered Mr. Stewart's before he went to Moscow. visit to Moscow in some detail under hostile headlines such as "US, Britain and Soviet Union intensify peace talks fraud”. By using the term "peace talks fraud" of course, the bulletin also reveals Chinese dissatisfaction with the negotiations.
The fourth meeting on 25 May was also covered thoroughly. Apart from making the usual demands such as an unconditional end to bombing, the DRV spokesman also rejected the US proposal that the delegations should conduct secret talks. Many of the reports emphasised that the US was still demanding that the North Vietnamese admit the presence of DRV regulars in the South.
The fifth and sixth meetings were reported in rather less detail. The articles stressed that so far the talks had made no progress at all. The reports on the Paris talks were accompanied by a routine series of reports about Viet- Cong battle successes in the South to show that the war was still going on.
EASTERN EUROPE
The bulletin carried much the same reports as before
Once again, the about the situation in Eastern Europe. Czechs were portrayed as wanting increasing contacts with the West as well as pressing on with their internal liberalisation drive. Kosygin's visit to Prague was reported together with comments suggesting that the Russians were still extremely
Czech anxieties worried about events in Czechoslovakia.
about the forthcoming Warsaw Pact manoeuvres were also carried.
/THE WEST
CONFIDENTIAL
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