CONFERENCE BUILDING; NORTH VIETNAMESE DELEGATION ARRIVES; HARRIMAN ARRIVES.




Initials ERW/V/PW/SGM



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Background: THE VIETNAM PEACE TALKS RESUMED IN PARIS TODAY WITH ACCUSATIONS BY BOTH NORTH VIETNAM AND THE UNITED STATES THAT THE OTHER WAS FLAGRANTLY VIOLATING THE DEMILITARISED ZONE. THE AMERICAN ENVOY, MR AVERELL HARRIMAN, ACCUSED NORTH VIETNAM OF CONVERTING THE ZONE INTO "A HIGHWAY FOR AGGRESSION". NORTH VIETNAM'S M. XUAN THUY COUNTERED BY POINTING OUT THAT THE INTERNATIONAL CONTROL COMMISSION HAD REPORTED 39 VIOLATIONS OF THE DEMILITARISED ZONE BY SOUTH VIETNAM BETWEEN 1955 AND 1959.

M. THUY STATED THAT SINCE AUGUST 1964, AMERICAN PLANES HAD FLOWN OVER THE ZONE TO BOMB NORTH VIETNAM, WHICH WAS A VIOLATION OF THE GENEVA AGREEMENT. IN WHAT IS BECOMING THE PATTERN OF THE SESSIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND NORTH VIETNAM SINCE THEY BEGAN TWO WEEKS AGO, M. THUY AGAIN DEMANDED TO KNOW WHEN THE AMERICANS WOULD STOP BOMBING THE NORTH AND MR HARRIMAN PRESSED HANOI TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PRESENCE OF ITS TROOPS IN SOUTH VIETNAM.