"C'est Magnifique"

In the oppressive sultriness of a tropical afternoon, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson stepped down from his silver-colored Boeing 707 at the Saigon airport in South Viet Nam, to be greeted with ruffles and flourishes, an honor guard, and all the pomp and circumstance of a high state visit. To accompanying U.S. newsmen who remembered L.B.J. as the hand-squeezing, baby-kissing politician on the 1960 campaign trail, the airport ceremonies seemed a bit incongruous. But things soon got back to normal: as soon as the formalities were over, Lyndon hurried out to the crowd gathered in front of the airport terminal, started squeezing hands and kissing babies just as if an election were at stake. The Vietnamese loved it. They broke into grins, waved little U.S. and Vietnamese flags, yelled, "Van tue!" (Long life).

The next morning Johnson rode to Independence Palace, accompanied by Ambassador Frederick Nolting Jr., for a meeting with President Ngo Dinh Diem. In the highceilinged, blue-carpeted salon on the second floor, Diem greeted Johnson profusely, motioned him to a brocaded chair. The business before the two men: South Viet Nam's long struggle against Communist subversion, and how the Kennedy Administration plans to help the Diem government win that struggle.

With him Johnson brought a letter from President Kennedy setting forth 15 points for discussion and authorizing the Vice President to elaborate and modify them. Among other things, Kennedy offered:

P: More U.S. aid for South Viet Nam's civil guard, now actively mobilized as an extension of the regular army.

P: U.S. military advisory groups to help train the self-defense corps, the local village militias.

P: Funds to help meet the cost of adding 20,000 more men to South Viet Nam's 150,000-man army.

P: Special guerrilla-warfare training for army units.

P: Detachments of U.S. Army engineers to repair guerrilla-wrecked bridges, construct roads and airstrips.

P: Money and technicians for broadened programs of public health, education and economic development.

After the 2 3/4-hour meeting with Diem, Johnson seemed delighted with the results. "It's almost unbelievable and beyond any expectation." he told newsmen, "that we have reached a complete meeting of minds on President Kennedy's ideas and President Diem's ideas, on how, when and where ... I have never attended a conference of any kind in 30 years that was more productive or more cordial."

That afternoon the politician in Lyndon took over again from the statesman. Setting out on a tour of local sights, Johnson spotted a crowd gathered on the sidewalk. He stopped his car, got out and made for the crowd at a lope, flashing a 100-watt smile. Ignoring the language barrier, he made an impromptu speech saying that Diem was the "Churchill of the decade," who would "fight Communism in the streets and alleys, and when his hands are torn he will fight it with his feet."

Even with the help of an interpreter, the Vietnamese understood very little of what L.B.J. was saying, but they seemed to be enjoying it thoroughly. A spontaneous cheer went up--a rare event among the normally undemonstrative Vietnamese. Looking on in wonderment was General Le Van Ty, commander in chief of South Viet Nam's army. "C'est magnifique!" he murmured. "C'est la democratic."

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