1.
LV & MV STATE DEPT. WASHINGTON (2 SHOTS)
0.17

2.
CU SENATOR FRANK CHURCH (IDAHO) SPEAKS
1.00

3.
CU SENATOR DOMINICK (COLORADO) SPEAKS
1.45

4.
CU SENATOR JAVITS (NEW YORK) SPEAKS
2.16


TRANSCRIPT: SEQ. 2: SENATOR CHURCH: "HOW LONG? HOW LONG? THIS WAR SEEMS TO BE A WAR WITHOUT END. IT SOON WILL BE THE LONGEST IN OUR HISTORY AND ITS BECOMING ONE OF THE COSTLIEST. AND I REALLY DON'T SEE WHY WE'RE INVOLVED OUT THERE. THE SECURITY OF THIS REPUBLIC, THE WELLBEING OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THE SAFETY OF OUR SOCIETY-NONE OF THIS IS INVOLVED IN VIETNAM. AND SO I THINK THE TIME HAS COME WHEN THE CONGRESS HAS GOT TO DRAW UP SOME MINUTES. IT'S GOT TO USE ITS OWN CONSTITUTIONAL POWER-THERE'S THE WAR POWER, THE POWER OF THE PURSE-TO BEGIN TO DEFINE THE OUTER LIMITS OF THE SPREADING AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN THIS INDO-CHINESE WAR".



SEQ. 3: SENATOR DOMINICK: "IT DOES SEEM TO ME, HOWEVER, THAT THERE HAS GOT TO BE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. I'VE HEARD A LOT OF THE POINTS OF THE WAR-AND I DON'T LIKE THE WAR ANY BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE DOES-ANYBODY THAT DOESN'T SCREAM FOR UNILATERAL PEACE IS CONSIDERED TO BE A WAR-MONGER THESE DAYS' AS YOU KNOW. AND IT EXASPERATES ME TO HEAR PEOPLE SAY THAT THIS IS ANOTHER VIETNAMESE (WAR) AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE AND WE ARE GOING TO BUILD UP IN CAMBODIA. WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ? THE KIND ACCORDING TO WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAYS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, IF WE GET THROUGH THE 150,000 TROOP WITHDRAWAL, THE WAY HE HAS ALREADY ANNOUNCED THAT WE WILL, WE WILL HAVE 50 PER CENT LESS TROOPS THERE THAN WE DID WHEN THE PRESIDENT TOOK OFFICE, WHICH IS A MAJOR STEP IN A WAY OF ATTRITION".



SEQ. 4: SENATOR JAVITS: "THIS IS THE KIND OF A DECISION WITH RELATION TO THE PROTECTION OF AMERICAN TROOPS WHICH ONE WOULD EXPECT THE PRESIDENT TO MAKE. BUT I MUST SAY THAT THE HISTORY IS SO BAD IN VIETNAM BY OTHER PRESIDENTS WHO MADE SIMILAR DECISIONS, LIKE PRESIDENT JOHNSON, AND THE RESULT WAS LIMITED ACTION ...WE'LL GET OUT RIGHT AWAY ... AND IT'S FIVE YEARS LATER, AFTER 50,000 DEATHS AND SOME 200,000 PLUS CASUALTIES AND THEY'RE STILL THERE".




Initials AH/V-SAT-TEL/CT/PC



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: PRESIDENT NIXON DEFIED AN ANGRY SECTION OF CONGRESS WITH HIS DECISION TO SEND UNITED STATES TROOPS INTO CAMBODIA LAST NIGHT (THURSDAY). IMMEDIATE REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT'S NATIONWIDE TELEVISION SPEECH INDICATED THAT MANY LEADING SENATORS WILL BE BITTERLY CONTESTING AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN CAMBODIA.

THE GREATEST FEAR IN WASHINGTON IS THAT CAMBODIA MAY DEVELOP INTO A NEW VIETNAM, INVOLVING THE U.S. IN EVER INCREASING TROOP COMMITMENT - DESPITE PRESIDENT NIXON'S ASSURANCES TO THE CONTRARY.

OPPOSING VIEWS ON THIS CONTROVERSY WERE GIVEN BY SENATOR JACOB JAVITS (NEW YORK), WHO RECALLED THAT AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN VIETNAM HAD STARTED AS A "LIMITED ACTION" AND HAD ESCALATED TO FEARFUL PROPORTIONS, AND SENATOR PETER DOMINICK (COLORADO), WHO REJECTED THE COMPARISON BETWEEN CAMBODIA AND VIETNAM.

FROM SENATOR FRANK CHURCH (IDAHO) CAME THE VIEW THAT CONGRESS WOULD BE FORCED TO OPPOSE THE PRESIDENT BY LEGISLATING TO LIMIT INVOLVEMENT IN CAMBODIA: