Vietnam bombing further curtailed: US peace moves

Saigon: US sources said today that President Johnson has taken another step to de- escalate the bombing of North Vietnam.

Johnson, in an unannounced move, has further curtailed the boundaries of American air strikes over North Vietnam from the demilitarised zone to the 19th Parallel, an area of 170 miles.

Earlier US air strikes had extended to an area of 225 miles stretching from the demilitarised zone to the 20th parallel.

Washington: President Johnson was reported by White House officials today to be disappointed that Hanoi had not made formal contact with the United States so far over arrangements for opening preliminary Vietnam peace talks.

The sources said the President was puzzled by the lack of response, a full week after he had de- escalated the war by curtailing the bombing of North Vietnam and offered to send a personal envoy to confer with Hanoi’s representatives.

The President was said to be reluctant to accept the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, reportedly favoured by North Vietnam as the site for the talks, because of communications problems there, he had suggested Geneva.

The President’s concern apparently involved the absence of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and the US and the related problem of Cambodian Chief of State Prince Norodom Sihanouk’s dislike of American newsmen.