from a special correspondent The American authorities have described the North Vietnam figures of U.S. planes shot down as pure propaganda, Their own figures have been invariably much lower = usually only a third or half. However, it is difficult to hide the extent of such losses when one is also campaigning for greater military expenditure and for steps to be taken to increase the number of qualified pilots. This is the probable explanation for a greater frankness recently. On January 30 U.S. military officials in Saigon disclosed that American aircraft losses in the Vietnam war "have been greater than reported in the past...." A spokesman, quoted by UPI, said that not all American aircraft losses are included in the latest official total of 618 U.S. planes shot down in North and South Vietnam. It was explained for the first time that the total included only what were termed "combat-type" aircraft. The spokesman said that at least 38 U.S. aircraft have not been included in the official releases until this week reported as fixed-wing aircraft losses because they were "non-combat" (sic) "and observation planes, What is more, the figures do not include any aircraft lost before 1965 nor those destroyed on the ground or by "accident", Maybe they will get round even eventually to admitting that the Vietnamese have been telling the truth!
t of her share ofthe island =
t