VIETNAM WAR DEBATE AWAITS JORDAN’S STAND

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30975, 3 February 1966, Page 13

VIETNAM WAR DEBATE AWAITS JORDAN’S STAND

i.V.Z P.A. Reuter—Copyright >

NEW YORK, February 2.

Jordan held the key today to whether the Security Council would agree to a debate on the Vietnam war.

The United States asked for the debate as another effort to bring the conflict from the battleground to the conference table.

But France, Russia, Bulgaria, Nigeria, Mali, and Uganda declared that the council was not the place for the talks since China and North Vietnam would not be present.

The council ended a four and a half hour debate last night without voting on the agenda after Dr. Waleed Sadi, of Jordan, asked for a postponement.

Washington needs eight votes besides its own to get approval of the agenda, but so far can rely only on seven —Argentina. Britain. Formosa, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Uruguay.

With the other countries ready either to vote against or to abstain, the decision rested with Jordan. Dr. Sadi was expected to announce the Amman Government’s policy when the conned reconvenes today (8 a.m. Thursday. New Zealand time) Four Points Dr. Nikolai T. Fedorenko, the chief Russian delegate, denounced the resumption of United States bombing of North Vietnam during the debate yesterday. He charged that the American "peace offensive” was a "diplomatic plot designed to distract world public opinion.” He called on Washington to take action to show it had accented the “four points” of the Hanoi Government, which include withdrawal of all United States troops from South Vietnam. Mr Arthur J Goldberg, the chief United States delegate, blamed President Ho Chi Minh, of North Vietnam, for the resumption of American bombing. Offer Rejected President Ho had rejected an American offer to continue the suspension of bombing if there was “a reciprocal renlv” from Hanoi. The only response had been a barrage of name-calling and vituperation, he said. Mr Goldberg asked the council to lend its weight to an appeal for immediate talks without preconditions to try to end the fighting. If the council meets and adopts the agenda. Mr Goldberg will give a full report on the situation. But with the issue in doubt

lit was believed that the council might take up a suggestion by Mr Sori Coulibay, of Mali, to hold private talks before another open debate. Several delegates reflected jthe two main objections to a I full council debate raised by ‘Mr Roger Seydoux, the chief i delegate of France. Mr Seydoux observed that the United States was the only United Nations member State which was a party to the conflict. As a result, even if China and North Vietnam reversed their policy and came to the council, the discussion could not take place “on a footing of equality between the parties,” he declared.

The Vietnam problem was) originally handled by the Geneva conference and “remains within the competence; of the conference,” he said, i Russian View In Moscow, Russia’s Presi-i dent, Nikolai Podgorny, today! charged that the resumption i of American air attacks on ; North Vietnam exposed “falsity” in President Johnson's peace offensive. United Press International reported. He said the renewed air attacks on the territory were “barbarous.”

President Podgorny promised President Ho Chi Minh that Moscow would continue to pour military aid into North Vietnam to help Hanoi repulse United States “aggression.” He indicated that the major stumbling block to peace in Vietnam was Washington’s refusal to “recognise the National Liberation Front (the political arm of the Viet Cong) as a true representa-

tive of the population of South Vietnam and to negotiate with it.” North Vietnam today rejected as “invalid” any United Nations Security Council action to settle the war in Vietnam, United Press International reported. A Hanoi broadcast monitored in Tokyo said the United Nations has no authority to discuss the Vietnam question. It said if the issue was to be discussed at all, it should be done by the Geneva conference.