The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • Page 12

THE BURLINGTON FREE PRESS mm oponoon North Vietnamese Army Has Begun To Deteriorate SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1972 Instant Change Unlikely problems now encountered by Hanoi and the posibility of a major Communist offensive this autumn becomes remote indeed. Moreover, the realization that the Communist regulars run from trouble and even desert (just as ARVN troops do) is a tonic for ARVN morale. Reliable U.S. advisers report crack ARVN units in the present Quang Tri counteroffensive actually show a zest for engaging the enemy. THE IMPACT IN Washington could be even more significant.

War critics here have long pointed to the ferocity of the Communist soldier and the docility of the ARVN trooper as proof that Hanoi's troops represent a real nation and Saigon's only a corrupt regime. But that dubious logic is demolished by the 1972 military campaign, where both sides have had their share of whereas the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) has been plagued for years by scandalously high desertion rates. But in the recent weeks of Hanoi's failing offensive, there are repeated instances of North Vietnamese troops on the northern front throwing down their arms and returning over the DMZ to go home a trend shown in exaggerated form by the vanishing antiaircraft artillery battalion. The rising desertion rate sets a pattern indicating the North Vietnamese army is not what it used to be. Apart from recent headlines telling of Communist troops turning and running under bombing attack, the last few weeks have been something new and startling: North Vietnamese regulars running away from ARVN infantry attacks.

Add this decline to monumental supply Free Press-Gannett Service WASHINGTON The melting away of a North Vietnamese regular army unit in combat near the demilitarized zone iDMZ) separating North and South Vietnam has been scrutinized in high government circles here as an event of potentially major significance both militarily and politically. The unit, an antiaircraft artillery battalion, has been reduced in strength more than 40 per cent by casualties and desertion in recent weeks. The desertion has raised official eyebrows in Washington. Hard intelligence information shows that nearly one-fourth of the battalion, more than 50 men, have deserted since June 1. Until now, mass desertion has been a stranger to the ideologically committed legions of Hanoi.

THERE ARE MANY zealots gathering at Miami Beach this weekend who think that the nature of American politics can be changed overnight. They could be in for a rude awakening. Few things in this imperfect world can be changed overnight. Significant change takes time, for better or for worse. The following quotes are from Free Press editorials published five years ago this month: "Many Vermonters are becoming increasingly concerned about the depiction of violence on movie and television screens." "There is no question that gun-control laws are needed.

there probably won't be any meaningful gun-control legislation passed by Congress in the foreseeable future." "There appears to be a climate of dissatisfaction in many comers of Vermont state government, notably in the Education Department where another commissioner is threatening to resign." "There have been numerous proposals for ending the war in Vietnam. Many of these proposals have been idealistic and unworkable. Some of them have been 'MR. FISCHER SEEMS TO BE READY NOW SHALL WE ignominous retreat and courageous advance. The diminishing North Vietnamese reputation as the Prussians of Indochina is attested not only by confirmed intelligence but also by Hanoi's own words Even before recent setbacks, the May edition of the North Vietnamese Army magazine published some remarkably candid admissions of inadequacy by non-commissioned and junior commissioned officers, most of them lacking combat experience.

These officers the magazine admits, "often revealed shortcomings in ability, knowledge and experience concerning leading, organizing and commanding the fight. Even cadres with combat experiences who were recently sent to the battlefield as reinforcements have not easily adjusted to battlefield combat demands." The article frankly relates the tendency of North Vietnamese units to retreat and exhorts leaders to "prevent the desire to stop and relax." Furthermore, the magazine admits "there have been cases in which cadres did not closely adhere to combat guidance ideologies and inflexibily applied unchanged combat methods" a reference to the suicidal frontal assaults against heavily fortified ARVN positions throughout the offensive. BESIDES SECOND-RATE leadership, the invading Communist troops have been hampered by deepening supply problems with Hanoi's own words again confirming intelligence data. A June 10 broadcast by Hanoi-based Liberation Radio conceded that some artillery units encountered "an acute shortage of food and water." The army's daily newspaper of June 13 revealed the difficulty in "shortcomings in transportation of supplies from distant places" and added that procurement of food in front line sectors is "still far below requirements." Were it not for President Nixon's blockade of the North and the massive U.S. air support in the South, the North Vietnamese invaders for all their new shortcomings might well have swept through South Vietnam.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that Hanoi's well-armed regulars are now afflicted by the woes so long associated with the ARVN: Desertion, breaking under fire, poor leadership. It is, of course, much too early to say. but that vanishing battalion may have been a signpost of real deterioration in the army of North Vietnam. And that would be of profound importance in this endless war. presented by persons or groups who really don't know what they are talking about." "Opposition to the Burlington Beltline proposal is one example of a refusal to recognize the population trend and the absolute need for long-range city planning." "Hardly a day passes without a motorcycle accident in Vermont.

Many of these accidents perhaps the majority of them are caused by inexperienced or incompetent drivers." "There are more travelers in Vermont this summer than ever before. And, perhaps inevitably, there appears to be more trash along Vermont's roadsides than ever before." "As the number of beneficiaries under Social Security increases, greater will be the political pressure for steadily rising benefits." "The public has a right to expect action on large generating units and regional power pools, without delay and without needless expense." "There is hope for rehabilitating offenders (at least the younger ones) with the right kind of first-time offenders are not checked in time, and become hardened criminals, they are expensive liabilities to the public." And so on and on. The point is that no major problem is solved overnight, no major goal is achieved overnight, and change takes time. The five-year-old editorials quoted above might have been written yesterday. There is a lot of difference between the public's recognition of a situation and the public's readiness to do something about it, a fact which seems to be lost on the zealots gathering at Miami Beach this weekend.

F.B.S. MRU) CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP RtravityctUND Labor vs. McGovern mmmmm ilk mm i mm mm mm ortLonri McGovern Challenge Replies to Recent Letters American waterfront unions were insisting and still are today on a 50-50 share of all cargoes for American freighters. It was not so much McGovern's vote as his disdain and what they called "elitist" criticism of them. McGovern would build his own social base in which there would he no room for the labor movement, they say.

In effect, so says Senator Humphrey. When we talked he noted that there were "no more than 30 Italo-Americans" in McGovern's convention delegation "despite the concentration in New York, Massachusetts, and California. Nor were there many of the Jewish faith Nor many big city mayors or county supervisors. And few-labor leaders. "If McGovern purists, and new recruits." snapped Humphrey, "push out the representatives of the labor movement, they'll end up with an empty shell." But they'll still have a machine a party in all but name.

Publicly and privately they've told this to the McGovern forces. aroused by this post-primary steal are such as to give him a first ballot nomination. More important to the prospective nominee is the convention's action in following or rejecting the court-approved election of Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago and his 59 delegate votes. If Daley goes, without McGovern intervention to compromise the quarrel.

Ilinois' 26 electoral votes may go with him. As the last of a vanishing breed of bosses, the mayor is fighting for his political life. If he is turned out into Miami Beach's heat, it implicit that he would demonstrate his power by sitting on his hands. Even if he takes Sen. Adlai E.

Stevenson III as his runningmate, McGovern's chances in Free Press-Gannett Service MIAMI BEACH Not since the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt has the future of the Democratic party depended so heavily on the performance of one man Sen. George S. McGovern of South Dakota at its Presidential nomination convention opening Monday. McGovern, the reformer, comes face to face with McGovern.

the pragmatic politician. His choice may be between principle or survival. The direction in which he chooses to bend can either soothe or anger his supporters, and bring a measure of harmony or disrupt the party as it prepares to lake on President Nixon The heart of the matter is not the controversial decision, overruled in the courts, of the credentials committee to strip McGovern of 151 California nominating votes. The emotions if he were alive today, he would probably be an anarchist instead of a socialist. War, especially the type that would destroy our planet, is the ugliest of all human traits.

Violence is a disease that is destroying mankind and only the realization of such by intelligent people will prevent this. The labeling of people who strive and work for peace as "misguided," and then quoting a 19th century radical out of context as proof of this, indicates a person who is obviously more "misguided" than those he criticizes. JEFFREY J. RUDOLPH Starksboro, Vt. WASHINGTON One day last month Hubert Humphrey put in a person-to-person call to labor chief George Meany on the Queen Elizabeth II then just one night out of docking in New York harbor.

The broad beamed leader of labor leaders, who directs a national political machine which is a national party in all but name, quukly took the shore-to-ship phone. I telephoned Mr Meany." Senator Humprey told me the other day. "to let him know that I intended to stay in this Presidential thing right up to the convention and right through it. that I never intended to drop out despite the California primary results and never did I plan to quit. I wanted to know what Mr Meany 's views were." What were the views of Meany and the overwhelming majority of the leaders of some 118 politically strategic national AFL-CIO unions'' From what Senator Humphrey told me.

Meany's reply was that he sure as hell was not for McGovern and his only concern as. was I going to stay in''" 1 assuied him." added HUH, "There was no doubt about it at all Since then I have been in touch with Al Balkan i director of the AFL-CIO Puerto Hico to Hawaii. New York to San Diego Committee on Political Education COPE' Our people are working with him as he is working with Jaikson. Muskieand I did not ask the Minnesota Senator, whose voice now had a determined, almost razor-edged tone I haven't heard him use since some moments duung the 68 campaign, whether the "others" include Ted Kennedy I know they do There is no doubt that COPE still wants Kennedy on the ticket Humphrey and Kennedy. Kennedy and Mills Jaikson and Kennedy or vice versa bolutely make no mitake about that.

Labor wouid take that combination in any form. Senator Humphrev added that "this is wide open and because of the ure'ed opposition there is every possibility M. G-n won't get it the nomination'." 'What Makes You Think You Can Run fhe Gist of Graduation Speech It seems logical for me to reply to the letter to the editor in The Burlington Free Press regarding my commencement address to the graduating class at Middlebury Union High School. My remarks, of course, were aimed primarily at the students and not the adults in the audience. There appeared to be some misunderstanding relating to the content, and intent, of my remarks.

First of all, the tenor was not meant to be without hope, courage, love, or moral standards as interpreted by Jacob J. Scholten, in his letter to the editor which appeared in your paper on June 27. I have a great belief that human beings can solve their problems IF they are sufficiently aware of them. Growth can be accepted passively for so long that solutions must be very harsh, even extreme. My message was that the graduating class should recognize some present facts and then respond to them in an unemotional, thoughtful manner.

Our planet, Earth, is running out of viable air, water, natural resources, and also the time that is necessary to solve these problems. As a scientist, I have accepted the challenge and responsibility to learn about these problems and to attempt to solve them. I only hope to encourage our young people, our greatest resource, to do the same. Somehow we must maintain a balance between our various types of physical and economic growth. In addition, we must be responsible to future generations, leaving them some of the quality of life that we have been able to enjoy.

I believe we can maintain a state and a nation that we can pass on to our descendents with pride. To do this, however, we must be aware of our individual obligations to insure this as a probability and not just a possibility. This was the gist of my message, and what I interpret as Christian love for God and our fellow man. DAVID VAN VLECK Charlotte, Vt. Needs at Treatment Center Vermont Concept House as reported in your paper last week, is now in business to provide residential treatment for drug addicts and abusers from throughout Vermont.

We are located on Route 2 in Moretown, halfway between Middlesex and Waterbury at the site of the former Powder Horn Motel. Although our federally supported program provides funds for some necessities, we are limited in the items that we are permitted to purchase. We are currently seeking donations of the following items in good condition: Sheets, pillowcases, towels and washcloths; carpentry hand tools; a lawn mower; rolls or bats ot building insulation; and food, especially canned goods. We are also in desperate need of a washing machine and dryer. Should any of your readers care to make a donation to Vermont Concept House we would be very grateful.

We would be more than happy to pick up items to be donated and we may be reached at 244-5597 or by writing Box 297, Waterbury. JOHN H. AULD Project Administrator Vermont Concept House Inc. Waterbury, Vt. Illinois would not be rated good if Daley's ward heelers failed to deliver the customary top heavy Cook County majorities.

OBSCURED BY THE credentials uproar is an even more difficult problem for McGovern. Will he yield or will he be adamant on the issue of adoption of a new charter designed to shift party control from elected officials to the grass roots? The House Democratic Caucus has made it clear that the proposals for a national party conference, for boosting national committee membership and putting rank-and-file membership on a dues-paying basis is not to its liking. Many House Democrats agree with Rep. Wayne L. Hays, D-Ohio.

that "the McGovern-O'Hara-Fraser Commission reformed us out of the Presidency and now they're trying to reform us out of a party." The argument over this issue has been complicated by McGovern's ill-advised threat to bolt if he is deprived of the nomination by what he judges to be dirty tactics. If his indicated majority is less interested in party loyalty than in nominating its new-breed hero, then the minority could be excused for returning home bitter about this blackjack tactic. McGovern faces the question of whether he will strain the quality of his crusade by sending Gov. George Wallace back to Alabama sufficiently appeased to keep the governor from balking at his nomination. This might require some old politics compromises his youthful zealots would regard as questionable.

Another chore that confronts the South Dakota Senator is that of making peace with organized labor, all but shut out in his primary campaign councils. Since his economic proposals have put the fear of God into Wall Street's fat cat. he desperately needs labor money the unions may be inclined to spend on Congressional, rather than Presidential candidates. WHILE McGOVERN IS a man with problems, he has made, and probably will continue to make, substantial contributions toward the democratization of the Democratic party. The reforms he shepherded before he entered the Presidential contest have resulted inv the choice of five times as many delegates under 30 years old as there were in 1968.

Blacks make up 15 per cent and women 36 per cent of the 3.119 delegates with voting privileges. Milton Picnic Table Issue In reply to the two letters about the picnic tables in the park in Milton, I wonder which group the people would rather have their children play with. The group of girls who worked to gather old newspapers and earned the money to buy paint and brushes and put in the time painting gay and colorful picnic tables in the park or the group of young folks who went to the Girl Scout Camp and destroyed the big tent that the National Guard donated to the Girl Scouts, also ruined the fireplaces so they couldn't be used and set fire in brightly painted trash cans and ruined them. I know which ones I'd hope my grandchildren would play with. I have no connection with the Girl Scouts nor do I have any small ones at home.

MRS. TERESIA HUNT Milton, Vt. To THIS MOMENT. Meany has retused to -e- -Govern depite repeated requests Meany rr.i: vield But at the last count the McGovern cai.p wa I'K'king to a Miami Beach conference. There is far more to the antipathy of labor to M-Goern than the natural desire to have a friend n.it a neutral, in the white House.

Most labor leaders don't trust McGovern. There are some who do. it should be reported -Jerry wurt of the Municipal Employes, the Auto Workers. Central and Western Teamsters There will be about UK) labor men and women in the McGovern convention bloc. But the majority of leaders Meany.

steel's I Abel rubber's Peter Bommanlo. Paul HaH seafarers anil Maritime Trades Dept et al ju-t don't trust him politically as well as philoophn ally Why'' Baik in McGovern's early days, it must be pointed out tirst though tirst doesn't insinuate the basic reasoning the AH-CIO staked the neophyte McGovern They gave him his first headquarters in South Dakota Late in the 1962 Senatorial campaign, his first bid for the upper house, they gave him considerable sums But toward the end. McGovern ran out of money. He went to Al Barkan and asked for $22,000 to be paid to a public relations firm Barkan went to Meany The grant was approved if McGovern would submit to an audit of previous labor contributions McGovern told them off He did not get the money But he already had gotten considerable funds and manpower. He won.

Three years later he turned on them. He voted against them, saying he could not whip up any enthusiasm for labor, on a technical Taft-Hartley issue. He bucked them because they would not surrender to the Soviets and the State Department's demand that all wheat trade be earned in Russian or third-country ships The Conscientious Objectors On Feb. 18, 1971, 1 solicited the Free Press to follow the letter of the column "Vermonters Serve Their Country," by recognizing the service performed voluntarily by those draft-eligible young men who, as Conscientious Objectors, could not participate in war. These men truly deserve the praise of their fellow Americans, for they involve themselves in struggles that are truly and obviously indigenous to patriotism: Poverty, drug abuse, crime, as well as serving in mental and other hospitals.

I admonished the Free Press for only printing homey articles and unflattering pictures of those who were drafted or who enlisted in order to pursue damned war. I pointed out that we Conscientious Objectors deserve this same acclaim. Now that I have served my country and my adopted state of Vermont for two years, trying to help poverty-stricken school dropouts to get their lives together, I feel I must again demand that along with all the other un-killers who have served their time and sacrificed for their country, be exonerated in the hallowed column designed to accomplish that end. Will the upstanding citizens of this country ever recognize the fact that there are other ways to serve than to kill and maim? ANDREW MACK Jericho, Vt. i riri tin i mrrr (The total vote of 3,016 remains The 82 Mexican-American delegates outnumber Senators, House members and governors whose names will be called on the roll.

Admittedly, the Democrats seem on the edge of experimenting in the campaign with a candidate about whom the party regulars are less than enthusiastic. If he wins, he will have set its course for the next decade. If he fails, party chaos may not be far behind. Response to Miff Quotation Mr. Alexander McCahon Jr.

(Forum, June 1), should do better research on a subject before making any statements that do not convey the entire truth. John Stuart Mill was indeed a foremost "liberal" of his times, but to compare the problems of the 19th century to those of the late 20th century is absurd. John Stuart Mill would turn in his grave at the thought of this; and,.