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BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, headed by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., announced April 13 that the executive board of the organization had adopted a resolution at a meeting in Miami calling on the Johnson administration to abandon the south Vietnam military junta and consider withdrawing from the country.
New York, N. Y. 10010. HP ie
. The Rev. King told a press conference that the U.S. involvement in Vietnam was "rapidly degenerating into a sordid military adventure." He said, "It is imperative to end a war that has played havoc with our domestic destinies."
Although King has previously questioned the U.S. role in Vietnam, this was the first time that the SCLC came out as an organization against the war. Among the civil-rights organizations, only the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee had previously taken a militant stand against Johnson's escalation of the war.
The resolution passed by the SCLC executive board said in part:
"The immorality and tragic absurdity of our position is revealed by the necessity to protect our nationals from the population and army we were told were our cherished allies and toward whom we were benefactors.
"More important, SCLC, as an organization committed to nonviolence, must condemn this war on the -grounds that war is not the way to solve social problems. Mass murder can never lead to constructive and creative government or to the creation of a democratic society in Vietnam." ne
The resolution said more specifically, "We call on our Government to desist from aiding the military junta against the. Buddhists, Catholics and students of Vietnam, whose efforts to democratize their Government are more in consonance with our traditions than the policy of the military oligarchy. are
"If we are true to our own ideals we have. no choice but to abandon the military junta under such manifestly vigorous ‘Popular opposition.
"We believe the moment is now opportune and the. neéd. ‘urgent. to reassess our position and seriously examine the wisdon~ of ‘prompt withdrawal . ae
The most significant political note. in this declaration is the suggestion that it would be the part of wisdom to undertake "prompt withdrawal" from Vietnam. That King's organization would finally make this an official position testifies to the mounting opposition among the American people to Johnson's war.
Voices considerably further to the right were also broaching the question’ of withdrawing.’
Senator John Sherman Cooper, Republican of Kentucky. and: former ambassador to India, said April 13, "If the people of South Vietnam’ do not want to continue the struggle, it is obvious to me that the United States should not continue it for them." He added that "we cannot defend people who are not willing to defend themselves." The implication in Cooper's statement ran counter to the Republican line of criticizing Johnson for allegedly keeping the Pentagon on a leash.
On the same. ‘day. in Congress, Senator’ Richard Russell, Democrat of Georgia, who heads the powerful Senate Armed Services Conmittee, said, "If it becomes clearly evident that a majority of the Vietnamese do not want our help, I-would favor withdrawing. ‘immediately both military forces: ‘and economic | aid." : .
A still. more ‘direct. gauge of the mounting disapproval among the American populace of Johnson's belligerent policy in Vietnam, were the demonstrations that took place in Berkeley and New York in immediate response to the.anti-Ky demonstrations in Saigon and Danang. In both demonstrations ‘variants of. "Bring the ‘Troops Home Now! © consti tuted the dominant Slogan.
In the New York demonstration April 16, which brought out between four and five thousand people in. Times Square, most of the chants voiced the demand to bring the GI's home now. The placards. carrying this theme were overwhelmingly in the majority.
The rise in popularity of this slogan is proof of a considerable shift in political mood among the American people in the past year. It is a tribute, too, to the political foresight of the very small minority -- principally the circles around the Young Socialist — Alliance -- who first raised the slogan” and Fought for it against, at times strenuous resistance. ,
In concept; the slogan 4 is ‘of. a “transitional” character; i.e. it expresses an: objective need, in this instance of the masses in both Vietnam and in the United States, and it is not beyond their political understanding. In fact, experience has shown that it came closer to the present level of political consciousness among the » American populace than any of the other slogans proposed — in ‘the antiwar movement at an earlier stage.
The acid test came in the contest with the slogan :-calling for "negotiations" which was.pressed in particular by the W.E.B.DuBois . Clubs. The argument of ‘the partisans of: the Young Socialist Alliance that the demand for "negotiations" played: into the hands of the -. Johnson administration was proved in life to be correct. : 7 ~ . - The "transitional " character of the slogan is further indicated by the fact that once it catches on, it leads to a whole series of |» other questions, all pointing toward the program of revolutionary socialism. For instance, why is it. that the present government does not respond to:this obvious, elementary requirement for ending the. war in Vietnam? What social and economic. interests does it represent? Which class stands to gain and. which to lose from a colonial war in Vietnam that might lead to a war: with China and even touch off a. nuclear catastrophe? The greater the mobilizations: around this single slogan, the. greater the opportunity to spread an understanding of all the fundamental issues involved. x
The partisans of this slogan should feel greatly encouraged | at the success that has already crowned their efforts. "Bring the Troops Home Now!:" has every chance of becoming one of the most popular demands ever voiced in the United States.
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