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Insight Viet Nam
by Wright Davit
“The conflict in Vietnam is no civil war.
It is a plot by the Communists to overthrow
the countries of the world”. These were the
words of Major General John M. Wright,
Commanding General of the Army Infantry
Center at Fort Benning, Georgia. General
Wright's speech inaugurated the second in a
series of Insight programs at Mercer Univer
sity.
Insight is a stimulating lecture series on
topical issues of today which is currently
being sponsored by the Student Government
Association and the Student Union. The first
Insight program featured a morning and
evening debate between two nationally
known news commentators, Mr. James
Robinson, NBC State Department Corres
pondent and Mr. David Keath Hardy of the
Morse Center for the Study of Communica
tions at Brandeis University.
General Wright told the Mercer students
that the United States can succeed in Viet-
MAJOR GEN. JOHN M. WRIGHT
nun only through a concentrated national
effort backed by the understanding, convic
tion, and support of the people across our
land. “In my life time Vietnam is the most
debated issue ever and has been presented
Concluded Tuesday
to the public in the most confusing and
biased manner. Most news has neither been
accurate or objective”.
The West Point graduate said we have
every legal right to be in Vietnam because
we are in there by invitation in an effort to
free the little country from Communist
tyranny, and the South Vietnamese seek our
aid. General Wright told the student audi
ence, “The simple unvarnished truth is that
South Vietnam is under attack by forces
trained outside the little country’s boun
dary”.
In answering the often asked question of
whether the UT S. Armed Forces in Vietnam
are using strong enough forces to win, the
General questioned the objective of total
annihilation of the enemy, paying the double
price — one for annihilation and one for
rehabilitation. I believe not. We must defeat
the enemy not necessarily destroy the nation,
applying measured military force in a re
strained, measured manner”.
The United States does not stand alone
in the conflict, the General said. He main
tained that the South Vietnamese have su
stained twice the number of deaths as the
U. S. since 1961. General Wright further con
tended that the war is being fought on two
fronts. Viet Cong terrorists have killed 12,000
civilians and have kidnapped 40,000 in over
100,000 separate acts of terrorism.
“Slowly, but surely we are making progress
in Vietnam,” General Wright stated. He
maintained that there are several factors
which support this belief: (1) The morale of
the U. S. soldier has increases steadily as the
Communists have been put on the defensive.
(2) The desertion rate of the South Vietna
mese has steadily declined while the Com
munist deflection rate has steadily increased.
(3) Two years ago the South Vietnamese
were losing three weapons for each one cap
tured. Today the South Viets are losing only
one weapon for each four captured. (4) The
Communists are losing four times the men
as the Allies. (5) There has been a reduced
degree of infiltration by the Viet Cong. (6)
Infiltration across the DMZ has been stop
ped. (7) The Viet Cong are experiencing
manpower problems. (8) Food has become
a serious problem for the Viet Cong.
In conclusion, the General stated, “Our
men in Vietnam are facing the greatest chal
lenge of their lives, but my experience in
Vietnam has convinced me that we are on
the right course in Vietnam”.
Volume XLIX MERCER UNIVERSITY, MACON, GEORGIA NOVEMBER 6,1967 Number 6
Winners Go To Now York
IV. F. George Law; Enters
Moot Court Competition
More than 30 law students from eleven Southeastern law
hoots in Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and Tennresee
ill compete on Thursday and Friday, November 2 and 3, in
ae Old Post Office Building in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, in
tie Region Seven Rounds of the 18th Annual National Moot
lourtCompetition.
Sponsored Rationally by the
oungar Lawyer* Section of the
Sthoenbrun Gives
DovePomtofView
Viet Nam is an immoral involvement in the words of David
Schoenbrun, noted reporter and professor of South East Asian
Affairs at Columbia University, who recently spoke to the
Mercer students Tuesday evening, October 31.
State Bar of Georgia, a three-man
tram from each school will argue a
realistic rw« aa if it were being ar
med before the Supreme Court of
the United State* on Appeal from
the Court of Appeals.
F.Khn Root, the famed attorney,
once laid, “The fir»t duty of a law
yer ig to keep hie client out of
court”
But in many caaee a lawyer i*
forced to go to court, and possibly
from there to a court of appeal, and
from there to the Supreme Court of
the United State*. The job of the
National Moot Court competition
* to prepare law student* for the
d*y when they will have to argue
Wore the highest court* in the
Wad.
The erne, baaed on a fictitious
Wet situation, is calculated to pre
••at u nee tiled or novel legal quae
boa* requiring ingenuity, hnagina-
bon and persuasive presentation ia
Wh written brief* and oral argu
ment la past yean argument* on
wch major issues as the right to
«unel and the constitutionality of
•Wctrouic aa»aadroppim by state
We enforcement officiate have aa-
Wpated significant dacWona ac-
Wlly resolving these questions.
This yew the teams will be coo-
°«ned with the responsibility of the
°W»fied Public Accountant to
ward persons who purchased stock
and bonde in a corporation in re-
lianoa upon certified financial state
ments which the accountants dis
cover to be erroneous where the ac
hy Stephanie Boll
W.S.GA. this week chose Beth
Daniel and Carol Bishop to repre
sent Mercer at a women's student
government conference at the U. of
Ga. Beth and Carol were ecoom-
panied by Miss Sullivan end Dean
Glenn who wee attending a simul
taneous meeting of the Ga. Associa
tion of Women Deans end Coun
selors. The two day state-wide see
•ion wa designed to enrich the
guuaramtr* msoristinnr through an
exchange of ideas.
It was also decided at Monday *
meeting to hold W.S.OA. election.
during Spring quarter. This is due
to several factors. First, sines at
laast one quarter ia required to
hold an office, more people would
be eligible In the Spring. Secondly,
M officer elected in her Junior
DAVID SCHOENBRUN
year previously served only one
quarter in her Senior year.
Under the new ruling, the officer
would serve almost three quarters
in her Senior year, thus allowing
the association to benefit from her
additional experience. The third
point in favor of this decision was
that Freshman, with barely one
quarter’s experience, were forced to
vote on the qualifications of a slate
of officers about whom they knew
vary little. Voting Spring quarter
will give Freshmen extra time to
judge for themselves the merits of
the candidates.
Bursasi many requests have baaa
received from the student, body for
more study areas, W.S.G.A. will
look into the possibility of pannit-
tiitt students to study in classrooms
in one or two buildings during the
weak.
Mr. Schoenbrun spoke for over
an hour on the history of the Sino-
Viet Nameae conflicts and tried to
show that the United States’ con
cern over the spread of communism
in that small state is bred out of ig
norance of that area’s historical
legacy. Schoenbrun said that the
course of the government is one
of immorality, over expenditures,
and sacrifice of American youth.
“My country; may she always be
right, but if not free citizens may
put her right", were the words of
the one time member of General
Eisenhower’s intelligence staff. Da
vid Schoenbrun said that the great
ness of the United States is not in
its ability to crush Communism by
weight of arms but rather in its
citizens' exercise of the freedom of
criticism of that government’s poli
cies.
He said that he has closely
watched the Viet Nam situation for
over twenty years and it has seem
ed like “a Greek tragedy—like the
God. made men mad”. At the end
of World War Two Schoenbrun in
terviewed Ho Chi Minh who at that
time spoke of the impending con
flict with France. He said it would
be the war of the Elephant and the
Tiger. The tiger would never let the
elephant get it in the open country
to use its huge tusks. Every mo
ment at every hour dm tiger would
lurk in the jungle and the darkness
waiting for a chance to leap and
scrape chunks from the elephant
The elephant, in the words of
Schoenbrun fell to its knees and
was devoured in the great battle of
Ben Diem Pu in 1954 where the
French were decisefully crushed.
Schoenbrun rhetorically asked if
anyone knew the nature of the
U. S.’s opponents in Viet Nam. He
said that the strength of the opposi
tion in Viet Nam is exemplified by
the nature of the means of supply
that the NLF has been using. Now
that the U. S. has bombed all the
supply lines and bridges to the
south, most of the supply is done
by bicycle.
He said in conclusion that the
U. S. ia not going to bring the north
to its knees by bombing and that
a cessation in bombing ia consid
ered by Ho as a ultimatum rather
than a peace feeler. He said that
the only real effect is going to be
brought by a permanent cessation
of bombing. Schoenbrun proposes:
Cessation of bombing of North
Viet Nam, it is too costly and also
unsuccessful; direct talks with Lib
eration Front leaders; and a rein
statement of the provisions of the
Geneva Accords of 1964 with an
honorable method of holding elec
tions to unite the North end South
temporary sectors of Viet Nam.
Continued on page 4, CoL 1)
W. S. G. A. Election To Be
Held During Spring Quarter