New Hint Of Peace Condition

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30957, 13 January 1966, Page 11

New Hint Of Peace Condition

I (N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) ALGIERS, Jan. 11. The Viet Cong have hinted that progress towards peace talks in Vietnam might be achieved if Washington would negotiate directly with the National Liberal Front, the “New York Times” said today. The “New York Times" quotes “Viet Cong sources" in Algiers as saying that if this was done, the Viet Cong’s demand for the withdrawal of United States troops before any peace negotiations might be dropped. However, these sources warned that no change in the front’s position should be expected before the United States gives official recognition to the Viet Cong political organisation. These remarks came in an informal talk in Algeria with a member of the Viet Cong

mission to Algeria, who asked not to be identified by name. The spokesman saw these two issues—recognition of the Viet Cong front and withdrawal of American troops—as the “key points” holding up a move toward peace negotiations. He refused to detail what “concessions” the front might make, but he indicated there would almost certainly be modifications in the present Viet Cong position toward preconditions for peace talks. • A Yale university professor i —back from an unauthorised . trip to Hanoi—said today that a North Vietnamese official : told him that his government's . main concern was “assurance of American sincerity” in its peace bids, United Press International reported from New ! York. Professor Staughton Lynd, ! aged 36, made the trip to the North Vietnamese capital on 1 a self-appointed peace mission. I Accompanying him were two I other Americans. Herbert : Aptheker, a Communist theoretician, and Thontas Hayden, [aged 26, founder of the Students for a Democratic Society. Todav Professor Lynd reported to a State department official on a conversation he had with Colonel Ha Van Lau, whom he described as a North , Vietnamese official “who has special responsibility for im- ! plementing the Geneva Agree- , ment.” He said Colonel Lau “stressed that the main concern of the North Vietnamese Government was assurance of American sincerity” in its bids I for peace in South Vietnam. { He said Colonel Lau suggested that as evidence of its sincerity in asking Hanoi to i come to the bargaining table, the United States "might withdraw some of its newly arrived troops” from South Vietnam. An alternative, he quoted Colonel Lau as saying, “might be recognition of the National Liberation Front (N.L.F.).”