US Presidency
1967

President, just to make this abundantly clear, what you seem to be saying here tonight is ( a ) that peace in Vietnam is principally up to the Saigon Government rather than the United States, and ( b ) that the Saigon Government can have useful talks with the Vietcong without recognizing them. THE PRESIDENT. Yes, I have said that I think the war could be stopped in a matter of days if President Thieu's suggestions that he informally talk with members of the NLF are carried out and if they would agree to what they have already agreed to in the 1954 accords and the 1962 accords and the other points that I mentioned this morning, like one man one vote under the present constitutional government. I think that would be a useful starting point. And I think the result could be that we could find a way to stop the war. MR. RATHER. Mr.