The American authorities and their South Vietnamese hangers-on have now admitted (one almost might say have boasted) that their forces are attacking the North. Last week a splendid move was made by 21 M.P.s and other well-known people in making a call to the Government to use its influence to bring about an end to the war in South Vietman. The Week pledges full support to their move and calls upon all its readers to throw sree weight behind a campaign for Labour initiative to end the war in ietnam,
In arguing its case the letter says: “WNIGHTING is at present resulting in very heavy casualties and untold ‘i’ misery for the people. The national press have recently published photographs which show peasants being subjected to torture during ‘interrogation’ and which have aroused the horror and disgust of many people.
“There is also strong evidence that napalm bombs and other inhuman weapons have been used in this ‘undeclared’ war. We ask the Government to express, through its representative at the United Nations and by other means, its condemnation of such brutalities.
“We believe that this war only continues because the United States Government is improperly interfering in the affairs of Vietnam. The U.S. has obstructed the implementaton of the 1954 Geneva Agreements, which provided for the independence, unity and military neutralism of the whole of Vietnam.
“Tt is financing the war to the extent of some £700,000 a day. Some 20,000 U.S. military personnel are on active military duties in South Vietnam, though disguised as ‘advisors’ and ‘instructors’.
“The Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and the South Vietnam Liberation Front, have continuously reiterated their readiness to conclude a further agreement for the neutralisation of Vietnam, as envisaged by the 1954 Geneva Agreements.
“We believe that the Labour Government should take an independent initiative for the convening of a further international Conference at which the peaceful reunification and the neutralisation of Vietnam could be agreed upon. This would be in line with the policy of neutralisation of South-East Asia envisaged by the Labour Party in Opposition.
“It would also correspond to the wishes of the Vietnamese people, who are weary of bloodshed and foreign intervention, and who desire only to be left alone to order their own affairs in peace and freedom.
“The recent military coup overthrowing the civilian government of South Vietnam, the latest of a series of changes in the administration which reveal the instability of the regime, and a growing realisation in the United States of the futility of maintaining the war, add substantial reasons for intervention by Britain’s Labour Government to establish peace.”
Signatories include: Fenner Brockway (chairman, Movement for Colonial Freedom), Bertrand Russell (director, Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation), Councillor Mrs. Olive Gibbs (chairman, C.N.D.), Benjamin Britten, Benn Levy, Ethel Mannin, John Platts-Mills, Q.C., A. J. P. Taylor, Dame Sybil Thorndike, Rev. Dr. Donald Soper, and Dorothy Woodman.
The M.P.s include: William Warbey, Frank Allaun, Lt.-Col. Richard Crawshaw, Robert Edwards, Will Griffiths, Dennis Hobden, Hugh Jenkins, A. W. J: Lewis, Kenneth Lomas, Alf Morris, Stan Newens, Stanley Orme, Tom Oswald, John Rankin, Paul B. Rose, Julius Silverman, Sydney Silverman, David Weitzman, Mrs, Renee Short, and George Craddock.
The Week has organised a petition campaign to back this letter. Copies may be obtained from us. More important is that organisations should go on record in favour of this campaign. We should be informed of all moves.
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