AMERICAN OFFICERS ARGUE OVER VIETNAM
. Frankfurt
Two well-known German reporters, Gordian Troeller and Claude Deffarge, were sent to Vietnam by the illustrated. Stern (circulation 1,700,000). Arriving in Danang just as the “war within a war" started , they wrote a vivid description of the demonstrations against the Ky government and the rise in anti-American sentiment.
They reported hearing an American major shout at his fellow officers in an off-duty bull session. "Have you lost your mind? This is genocide and we're helping it."
"We're soldiers," an officer replied. "We're professionals. We're here to kill Vietcongs. What goes on between the others is their own business.
‘The major began to lose his temper. "Don't you see? We're helping fascists kill their own people. Are you all blind?" —
"We're only doing our damned duty," another one said.
“And damned well, " said still another.
‘After. Danang capitulated, Troeller went to Saigon, reaching there in time to see the demonstrations put down by Ky's forces | with tear gas.
"They say it's not poison: gas," he wrote. "I've seen kids
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who were left unconscious for two days. I'm writing this from my hotel room where I've been in bed for a couple of days recovering from the stuff." ait
A few days before sending his article, he cabled Stern: "If I ever had a soul, I lost it vomiting from the tear gas I got in front of the Saigon’ pagoda. "
JOAN BAEZ SINGS FOR WOLF BIERMANN
oe Frankfurt
Wolf Biermann, the East German folk singer who has been in © hot water with the authorities of the German Democratic Republic along with. Professor Havemann, got a pleasant surprise’ when Joan Baez, the American folk singer, paid him an unexpected. visit.
Biermann, an avowed Communist, has been cut off fron the Vest German youth, too, although they are as enthusiastic about him as the youth in East Germany.
In one of; his. songs, he declares: "Once you were not afraid . of machine guns; now you are afraid of my guitar....Would you rather die of thirst than drink the bitter draft of truth? Break the cords of fear!...Fill your lungs and raise. your voice freely!."
In a song addressed to "the old. comrades ," he says: "Don 't be impatient with my impatience, old men. To me patience is a friend ° to indolence, a whore to cowardice, beckoning to the bed of crime. But you are stuffed with, pabagnee «Bnd SBARES BP right; make way for us. and the new beginning." rare
In an Hast Berlin cabaret. ‘where. ‘she ‘had been invited to put on a TV show, Joan Baez told the audience: "I'm sorry that Biermann isn't permitted to perform in East Berlin. I believe that a man of his talent: should be permitted to perform anywhere. I'd like to invite him to come to America to.sing and recite his poems." |
When Joan Baez said, "Now I'm going to