Vol. 3, No. 26 August 6, 1965 41, rae d’Aboukir~PARIS-2
oo? ww
"THIS IS REALLY WAR" -
All the mass publicity media in the U.S., suitably fed with rumors and leaks from the White House, geared the American people and international public. opinion for a monstrous: decision following eight days of an "agonizing ordeal" for the president,
After his televised press conference July 28, a sigh of relief went up. Johnson had not called for "all-out war," for a "massive build-up," nor had he shaken an H-bomb at the foe, "All" he had said was that 50,000 more U.S. troops would be sent to Vietnam (more than twice the number on the scene only last February!) and that the draft rate would be doubled.
In the universal applause among columnists, newscasters, congressmen and servile allies, little attention was paid to one phrase in Johnsonts declarations, a mere four words: "This is