NGUYEN CAO KY "
STEPS DOWN"
Nguyen Cao Ky's decision June 30 to "step down" was good for a one-day sensation in the Western press. Whether for good or ill, however, Johnson's favorite puppet was not being replaced by anything cleaner or dirtier. Instead of "president" in the coming elections, he will run only as "vice-president." Another general, Nguyen Van Thieu is to have the glory of for the main post. Meanwhile he keeps his job as premier.
The shift, which was widely described as "humiliating" for the bloodthirsty killer, whose hero is Hitler, was reported to have been the result of adroit behind-the-scenes knife work by Ky's fellow generals.
But it was abundantly clear that the key decision was made by Ellsworth Bunker, the U.S. ambassador to the puppet government. He was "persuaded," says a report in the July 1 New York Times, "that anything smacking of dishonesty or rigging would destroy the elections' effectiveness." From this it can be gathered that even Johnson's cronies were aghast at Ky's free-wheeling style of electioneering.
It appears, however, that the Saigon premier may soon be awarded a consolation prize that may do much to help salve his ruffled feelings. It was announced in Washington July 2 that the Joint Chiefs of Staff are putting heavy pressure on Johnson to escalate the war in Vietnam by a minimum of another 70,000 troops and they would be happier with 100,000.
But this is precisely what Ky has been demanding, although it must be confessed that the voice coming from his throat sounds much more like Gen. Westmoreland's than his own.
In any case, the "best informed sources" in Washington, according to the July 8 New York Post, "take it for grant-
TO GET CONSOLATION PRIZE?
ed that the U.S. is going to escalate the
ground war in Vietnam."
As t of the routine, Johnson
scheduled McNamara to make an "inspec-
tion" visit and decide what the generals
really need in the way of another levy of
American conscripts.
And during his tour, McNamara will,
naturally, do his best to cheer up the
humiliated Ky.
"BOHEMIA" TELLS CUBAN READERS ABOUT HUGO BLANCO
To the growing worldwide campaign of solidarity with Hugo Blanco has been added the voice of Bohemia, the weekly magazine published in Havana. Bohemia is well known in Latin America for its Cuban and world news, special features, documents and a variety of historical, cultural, medical, scientific and other material.
Each of three recent issues of Bohemia which have just been received in
New York carries information about Hugo
Blanco. The April 14 number, which is
dedicated to the anniversary of the Playa
Gir6én victory, reprints in full an arti-
cle describing the case of the Peruvian
peasant leader.
The reprint is from issue No. 81
of the journal Gente, published in Lima,
Peru. The account of Blanco's trial at
Tacna, of the support for him demonstra-~
ted by the people, and of the background