Newspaper Page Text
Hanoi Willing To Talk
With US About Viet Peace
E good
VENIN VT
By Quimby Melton
Everyone is talking about the
national election.
And as usual, someone has
raised the question, “Is it true
that in case this nation is at war
there will be no election and the
President in office will hold
over?”
Good Evening has had at le
ast one call asking this ques
tion. For the benefit of others
who might wonder if such could
be the case, the answer is No.
The Constitution of the Uni
ted States sets the term of a
Persident as one of four years.
The original provisions govern
ing terms of a President have
been changed to this extent —
first a President’s four year term
now ends on Jan. 20 rather than
hi March 4. second a President
cannot be elected to more than
two terms, of four years each.
There will be an election come
November and there will be a
new President sworn into office
on January 20. 1969. (Incident
ally, in spite of the fighting in
Vietnam, we are not officially
at war.)
— * —
The question about holding an
election during wartimes pro
bably was first asked by some
one who wondered what would
happen if America was at war,
enemy troops had Invaded this
country, had seized the principal
cities, including the national cap
ital, the government was in
some secret hiding places or
even "in exile” in some other
country, say Mexico or Canada,
and there was no way of hold
ing an election. This is a far
fetched assumption, but it must
have been on such an assump
tion that this question was rais
ed.
In that case the chief execu
tive, then in office, would re
main in office, until his succes
sor could be chosen and assume
office. The four year term for
which a President is elected in
cludes this provision, he shall
serve until his successor has
been qualified. This means until
the newly elected President has
taken the oath of office he
does not assume the duties of
that office.
— 4> —
Here is the wording of The
Constitution creating the office
of President of the United States
Os America:
"The executive power shall
be vested in a President of the
United States of America. He
shall hold his office during the
term of four years.” (Thus an
election is mandatory every
four years.)
Several times during the his
tory of our nation there have
been suggestions that the term
of President be increased to six
years. Such a change, would of
course, depend on an amend
ment to the Constitution. The
suggestion has never "gotten to
first base.”
When the President of the Uni
ted States is inaugurated he
takes this oath “I do solemnly
swear (or affirm) that I will
faithfully execute the office of
President of the United States,
and will to the best of my abil
ity, preserve, protect, and de
fend the Constitution of the Uni
ted States.” This oath was spell
ed out in the original draft of
the Constitution and has never
been amended.
When he takes this oath and is
declared to be President he is
given, in the original draft of
the Constitution these powers:
The President shall be Com
mander-in-Chlef of the Army
and Navy of the United States,
and of the militia of the several
States when called into the ac
tual service ot the United Sta
tes; he may require the opin
ion, in writing, of the principal
officer in each of the executive
departments upon any subject
relating to the duties of their
respective offices, and he shall
have power to grant reprieves
Continued on page two
- ■ •• — -■<
j -■ -
" JBPWW Bl
> V S Br
A- B
♦ ’ •in* J
* JO-
v .1
1 WM b
MP
' p- < ill
t AwpF-
.-Taw x
(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
President - Elect
Reggie Griffin, (r), president of the Griffin High student body, congratulates Jeff
Allen who was elected to succeed him in the office for 1968-69. Allen was elected
in the school’s general election Tuesday. He will take over the office at the final
chapel program this spring.
Drive On To Free Khe Sanh
By JACK WALSH
SAIGON (UPI) —Elements of
three division of U.S. Marines,
air cavalrymen and South
Vietnamese troops have
opened a major offensive to
lift the 41-day-old Communist
siege of Khe Sanh, a U.S.
spokesman announced today.
While . a strong force of
Leathernecks knifed into the
Khe Sanh garrison itself in
Operation Pegasus, U.S. Ist Air
Cavalrymen carried out helicop
ter assaults against North
Vietnamese positions in a drive
from the east.
UPI correspondent Nat Gib
son reported from the front that
"upwards of 10,000” American
troops were involved in the
operation in addition to the 6,000
or more Marines and Vietna
mese in Khe Sanh. He said the
number could grow and the
battle might develop into one of
the climactic struggles of the
Robb Arrives
In Vietnam
DA NATO, Vietnam (UPI) —
Capt. Charles Robb, President
Johnson’s son-in-law, stepped
off a jetliner today into the
stifling heat of Vietnam for 13
months of duty with the
Marines.
“I am very happy to be
here,” he told newsmen. “But I
wish you’d leave me alone.”
Robb, 28, is assigned to a unit
of the Ist Marine Division in
Vietnam’s northern provinces.
He was in charge of a 165-
man replacement detail for the
flight to Da Nang from
Okinawa.
Robb married Lynda Bird
Johnson, the President’s older
daughter, last December.
GRIFFIN
DAILY NEWS
Daily Since 1872
US Opens Major Offensive
war.
Khe Sanh is in the northwes
tern corner of South Vietnam
and controls half a dozen
invasion routes from North
Vietnam. The Communist siege
began Jan. 21 with a mighty
bombardment of troops
hemmed in on a plateau in the
midst of jungle-covered moun
tain peaks.
Little Opposition
First reports said the opera
tion had met only light
Communist opposition and had
taken very light casualties. But
high ranking officers in the
midst of battle said heavier
fighting was expected in the
days ahead should the North
Vietnamese try to make a
stand.
The operation was opened
Monday by 852 superfortresses
raining thousands of tons of
bombs into the complex of
Communist bunkers and zigzag
trenches which had reached to
the very edge of the Khe Sanh
fort itself. Fighter-bombers
made hundreds of assaults.
The official announcement
138 Units Condemned
The number of housing units
classified by the city as unfit for
habitation has risen to 138 in the
past few days.
The 138 units belonged to 46
people.
"We have notified all of them
that their housing units will be
condemned if needed repairs
aren’t made within the next 60
days,” Harold Buckalew, build
ing Inspector said.
Local property owners are con
tinuing their rush to get building
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Wednesday, April 3, 1968
gave few details but Gibson
accompanied the Ist Air Caval
ry troops on their helicopter
assault into the jungled ridge
line east of Khe Sanh. He
reported one of the first points
captured was a shell-scarred
peak overlooking Route 9 and
honeycombed with Torth Viet
namese bunkers and trenches.
Artillery, air strikes and
helicopter gunships had cleared
the area and there was little
opposition.
Originally there were an
estimated 16,000 to 20,000
Communist troops ringing Khe
Sanh with another 30,000 or so
strung out along the Demilita
rized Zone (DMZ) toward the
east. A major Torth Vietna
mese offensive had been pre
dicted for months but it never
materialized.
Explains Pause
The start of the big assault to
relieve Khe Sanh obviously
explained President Johnson’s
limitation on his bombing pause
of Torth Vietnam. Hie southern
panhandle, still in bounds for
U.S. bombers, is the main
permits to tie onto to city sewer
lines and to install baths.
Slum
War
The number of plumbing per
mits are up considerably from
this time a month ago.
White House
Studies Offer
By MERRIMAN SMITH
UPI White House Reporter
WASHINGTON (UPI) —Hanoi
announced today it was willing
to send envoys to meet with
U.S. officials to discuss "the
unconditional cessation of bomb
ing and all other acts of war”
against North Vietnam. Pres
ident Johnson was said to be
"very interested.”
In the first official North
Vietnamese response to Pres
ident Johnson’s bid Sunday
night that "peace talks begin
promptly," Hanoi Radio said in
a broadcast:
"The North Vietnamese
government declares its readi
ness to send its representatives
to make contact with U.S.
representatives to decide with
the U.S. side the unconditional
cessation of bombing and all
other war acts against the DRV
(North Vietnam) so that talks
could begin.”
Sen. Henry M. Jackson, D-
Wash., who said he was with
the President at the White
House when word came of
North Vietnam’s announcement,
said Johnson was "very inter
ested in this development.”
It appeared likely that unless
there are some undisclosed
strings attached to Hanoi’s
offer, a face-to-face meeting
between U.S. and North Vietna
mese officials will take place.
The President, in announcing
new bombing restrictions Sun
day coupled with his call for
peace talks said Ambassadors
Averell Harriman and Lellewel
lyn Thompson would be availa
ble to go to "Geneva or any
other suitable place just as soon
as Hanoi agrees to a confer
ence.”
Jackson said after the meet-
supply funnel for Communist
troops along the DMZ.
Marine Lt. Gen. Robert
Cushman, who is the top U.S.
commander in the five north
ernmost provinces of Vietnam,
has over-all responsibility for
the offensive. He told UPI
correspondent Robert C. Miller
in Da Nang that the operation is
moving "according to plan” and
is even ahead of schedule.
Cushman said he regarded the
battle at Khe Sanh as already
won because North Vietnamese
shelling of the combat base had
tapered off in recent days.
Weather:
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN
AREA—Becoming partly cloudy
and warmer tonight. Scattered
thundershowers beginning late
tonight and ending from west
Thursday, followed by partial
clearing and cooler.
LOCAL WEATHER — Maxi
mum today 55, minimum today
47, maximum Tuesday 61, mini
mum Tuesday 48, Total rainfall
.13 of an inch. Sunrise Thurs
day 6:25 a.m., sunset Thursday
7:02 p.m.
"Some property owners aren’t
waiting for us to notify them of
deficlences,” Buckalew said.
"They are going ahead with
repairs they believe necessary.”
City officials are beginning to
see results from notices given
tenants.
"The occupants are getting
the message. They are cleaning
up their houses and yards.
"We don’t like to make cases
against owners or tenants, but
we will if it takes that to get re
sults,” Buckalew said. ,
Vol. 96 No. 80
ing with Johnson that Hanoi’s
announcement represented “the
all important first step” toward
peace talks.
"This is the first time they
affirmatively indicated that
they would be willing to talk,”
Jackson said.
Although Hanoi appeared to
be offering only to meet to talk
about its preconditions for
peace talks, the United States
has said in the past it was
willing to discuss the conditions
for peace negotiations.
Sen. Stuart Symington, D-Mo„
said Hanoi’s response “could be
a plus” but he added: “I hold
as yet no great store in it.”
The White House said the
broadcast was taken under
immediate study. State Depart
ment officials said all of the
ramifications of the North
Vietnam proposal were being
considered.
Diplomatic sources noted,
however, that Hanoi did not
appear to have budged from its
condition that all bombing and
acts of war must stop before
serious peace talks could begin.
They noted the usual militant
tone of the broadcast prior to
the offer to talk.
“It is clear that the U.S.
government has not correctly
and fully responded to the just
demand of the North Vietna
mese government, of U.S.
progressive opinion, and world
opinion,” the broadcast said.
“However, on its part, the
North Vietnamese government
declares its readiness to send
its representatives to make
contact with U.S. representa
tives to decide with the U.S.
side the unconditional cessation
of bombing and all other war
acts against (North Vietnam) so
talks could begin.”
President Johnson, In a
nationwide address Sunday
night, ordered a limitation in
bombing of most of North
Vietnam and asked "that talks
begin promptly, that they be
serious talks on the substance
of peace.
"We are prepared to move
immediately toward peace
through negotiations,” Johnson
declared.
He named ambassador-at
large Averell Harriman his
personal representative for such
talks and said Llewellyn
Thompson, the U.S. ambassador
to Russia, who is in Washington,
would be "available to Join
Ambassador Harriman at Gene
va or any other suitable place
just as soon as Hanoi agrees to
a conference.”
The Hanoi broalcast ap
peared to be framed to permit
a first tentative U.S.-North
Vietnamese contact on the war
without actually committing
Hanoi to any major concession
at this stage.
State Department officials
carefully studied initial reports
of the North Vietnam proposal.
They were considering all its
ramifications even though Hanoi
did not appear to have budged
from its condition that all
bombing and acts of war should
stop before serious peace talks
begin.
Diplomatic observers pointed
to the part of the Hanoi
statement saying the United
States "has not correctly and
fully responded” to North
Vietnam’s conditions for peace
talks.
Johnson, in his nationwile
speech, declared his desire "to
bring about a reduction in the
level of violence” in Vietnam.
"I call upon the United
Kingdom and I call upon the
Soviet Union—as co-chairman of
the Geneva conferences, and as
permanent members of the
United Nations Security Council
—to do all they can to move
from the unilateral act of
deescalation that I have just
announced toward genu in e
peace in Southeast Asia,” he
said.
The President said: "I call
upon President Ho Chi Minh to
respond positively, and favora-
Continued on page two
Wisconsin Primary
McCarthy Beats
LBJ ‘Phanton’
By RAYMOND LAHR
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (UPI)
Sen. Eugene J. McCarthy beat
the phantom candidacy of
President Johnson in the
Wisconsin Democratic primary
Tuesday and headed today
towards showdowns with Sen.
Robert F. Kennedy which could
make or break his hopes for the
presidency.
Former Vice President Rich
ard M. Nixon, as expected was
a runaway victor with 80 per
cent of the vote in the
Republican primary. In second
place was Gov. Ronald Reagan
of California, an Inactive
candidate whose name appeared
on a presidential primary ballot
for the first time.
Nixon won all of the state’s 30
delegate votes for the Republi
can National Convention.
With 3,154 of the 3,290
precincts counted in the Demo
cratic primary—96 per cent of
the total—McCarthy had 395,948
votes or 57 per cent. Johnson
had 244,116, equivalent to 35 per
cent. Republicans in 3,113
precincts gave Nixon 375,400 or
80 per cent of the total as
against 49,200 votes—ll per cent
—for Reagan.
All Out Campaign
McCarthy emphatically indi
cated he plans to go all the
way.
"We have demonstrated in
Wisconsin the ability to win the
election in November. I think
we can go on to certain
De Gaulle Praises
LBJ Peaee Move
PARIS (UPI) —President
Charles de Gaulle today publicly
hailed President Johnson’s par
tial Vietnam bombing halt as a
step toward peace.
De Gaulle had met with his
cabinet to study the implica
tions of Johnson’s Sunday night
statement amid indications the
French government was dissa
tisfied with limits placed on the
bomb pause.
But after the meeting De
Gaulle said the President had
taken “the first step towards
peace, and an act of reason and
political courage.”
Only Tuesday night Premier
George Pompidou indicated at a
news reception he felt Johnson
had stirred false hopes with his
announcement of a reduction in
air attacks on North Vietnam.
“Stop the bombing and
everyone will be happy,”
Pompidou said in an off the cuff
remark.
Horse Races
Planned At
Towaliga Track
Between 150 and 200 horses are
expected to participate in a
mixed horse race at the Towa
liga track near Hampton Sun
day.
Marion Moole, promoter of the
event, said several thousand peo
ple are expected.
He said the races would fea
ture quarter saddle horses as
well as roadster harness horses.
The first event will begin at 2
p.m.
Parole Board
Chairman To
Speak Here
J. O. Partain, Jr., chairman
of the state Pardon and Parole
Board, will talk to the Griffin
Rotary Club Thursday.
The meeting will be held at
the £lks Club at noon.
victory.”
The peace candidate from
Minnesota won 49 of Wisconsin’s
59 delegate votes for the
Democratic convention and
Johnson won eight—all of them
from two Milwaukee congres
sional districts. Wisconsin’s two
Democratic National Committee
members also have a vote
apiece at the convention and
are not bound by the primary
results.
McCarthy’s victory was sub
ject to mixed interpretations
because it came two days after
Johnson upset the political
applecart by announcing he
would neither seek nor accept
renomination.
With write-in votes, Kennedy
polled about 5 per cent of the
Democratic total. Kennedy had
given McCarthy an unrequested
endorsement in Wisconsin when
the New York senator became a
declared candidate for the
nomination four days after
McCarthy’s 42 per cent showing
in the New Hampshire primary
but too late to get on the
Wisconsin ballot.
Youthful Support
After it became apparent that
McCarthy had won Wisconsin,
he accompanied his 20-year-old
daughter, Ellen, in a freight
elevator from his 19th floor
suite to the ballroom of the
Sheraton-Schroeder Hotel head
quarters. There he was almost
mobbed by young campaign
workers who shrieked and
cheered with joy.
The French public, press and
informal government reaction
to the Johnson moves had
turned to one of skepticism and
disappointment, especially after
news that bombing had conti
nued north of the Demilitarized
Zone.
De Gaulle, almost invariably
critical of anything the United
States does in Vietnam, took a
different attitude. Information
Minister Georges Gorse report
ed De Gaulle’s statement:
“For the United States
President, the fact of publicly
ordering the halt of bombing,
which though not complete or
unconditional, seems to be the
first step towards peace and is
an act of reason and political
courage...”
The statement surprised ob
servers attending the Informa
tion Ministry briefing after the
unusually long three-hour cabi
net session.
Soviet Ambassador Valerian
Zorin was standing near Pompi
dou when the premier referred
to the “false hopes” stirred by
Johnson’s statement.
Country Parson
jg K
gjn^g^S*— —
|P~-~______«-»
“I doubt if we need censor
ship — more people are in
trouble because of what they
have not read than because
of what they have.*'