European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 19, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                              "7t"�,cy"l4w, to Terr of or " 1" t s a at news conferences the president has the unsolvable problem of trying to explain his Vietnam policy without endangering Security. How wide is the credibility editor s note a new phrase credibility Gap has become part 5 of the american vocabulary in discussions about the Johnson administration. It moans the difference be tween what the Public is told by it officials and what they think they can believe. It is used most often i connection with Vietnam. This Dis Patch explores the problem. Up by Merriman Smith up White House reporter president Johnson is up again Stan almost unsolvable problem of trying to explain his Vietnam policy to the Public without endangering a 1 tonal Security or causing injurious diplomatic  burgeoning political season seems certain to escalate the problem. Som administration critics even this Early Joe acc lion year see the political Gold to be mined in credibility  Johnson s critics Are putting the situation m terms far removed from a Yonai Security considerations. The simply charge that the administration so a concerned about making itself look Rion its spokesmen from the to Pawn Aren t telling the american pub " maj a Inith this charge includes Farmie than the Progress of the War confili8 Conter etl on Vietnam and the conflict views that the Public some Aidi from government officials a Horn its newspapers and television. Probably at no time since the 1962cuban missile crisis have government policy makers been so concerned Over How the Public Best can be kept in formed without disclosing secrets. The communist attacks on South Vietnam s cities brought the matter to a painful  on the scene in Vietnam sent Back stories which varied considerably from versions of the attacks put out by administration sources in washing  the president on Down officials Here tried to put across the idea . And South vietnamese forces warned by Advance intelligence of Likely terroristic strikes had frustrated Hanoi s Basic objective of touching off general uprising in South Vietnam. In line with this the president Ata feb. 2 news conference called the Viet Cong Effort a Complete  As new reports came in from the Field Complete failure became a highly relative  it became increasingly Clear the communists had achieved a far reaching dislocation of tin South vietnamese population inflicted grievous wounds an distracted Gen. William c. Westmore land from a pressing military prob Lem the defense of Khe Sanh. A sym Bolic As Well As strategic Allied Strong hold close to the demilitarized one. This period also was marked bythe Start of a series of  this is the Label Given by newsmen critics charge that the administration w so concerned about making itself look Good thai its spokesmen from top Rio Iii Aren t telling � american Public the  tuesday  19, 1968 to meetings at which High administration officials offer explanatory details behind a shield of anonymity in hop of improving Public understanding of such tangled situations As  briefings May be held for reporters congressmen Industrial and labor Union executives in fact for just about everybody except the general Public which is the ultimate target of this behind the hand system of information. The president himself holds such ses Sions. So docs Secretary of state Dean Rusk White House press Secretary George Christian and Walt w. Rostow the president s special assistant for National Security matters. Robert s. Me Namara also held similar sessions a defense Secretary for the reporter these sessions can be either rewarding or frustrating. A government official May Tell a group of newsmen something entirely off the record and then a few Days later say almost the same thing in a Public speech or at an open press  often the material is for Back  this Means the reporter or columnist May write it but May not attribute it not even by vague references to administration  reporters and e v e n congressmen have no reliable Way of knowing of course when the administration is try ing to sell a pet idea or when it really is providing non secret information a help to Public understanding. The dividing line can be thin. A Cabinet officer later identified As Husk who frequently engages Inthis sort of procedure held two interest ing briefings in the Wake of the Vietcong attacks. One involved a Large group of House and Senate  other was for reporters. Both concerned administration policy in Viet  the session with reporters one of the newsmen asked whether there had been an intelligence breakdown in connection with the. Viet   the reporter persisted in ins questioning the official demanded angrily which Side Are you on the official made the Point that i Mon our Side and went on to say that none of your papers or your Broad casting apparatus Are Worth a Damn unless the United states succeeds. The Yare trivial compared to that  he continued so i dont know Why to win a pulitzer prize people have to go probing for things one can Bitch about when there Are two thousand stories on the same Day about things that Are More constructive in  wire service and other reporters who wrote stories about the Exchange dutifully protected the official s  As is often the Case he was identified As Rusk a few Days later by Awall Street journal reporter who was not present and thereby did not fee bound by the ground rules. Meantime there were other criss crossing developments the president himself told a group of visiting College students of discussions he had with Pope Paul i in his pro Christmas visit to the Vatican and in terms which he previously had put off the record in talks with White House  had to do with his one Day Extension of the christinas truce As re Quested by the Pope. Johnson said the Extension produced no positive result but permitted movement of More enemy supplies Down the to Chi mini Trail from North to South Vietnam. Johnson is not the first his official to have problems in this area of course. Dwight l. Isenhouer said that during his service As world War ii Allied commander he stopped read ing daily newspapers to a v o i d confusion Between what might Haw been announced officially or cleared As Back ground and what might Hae crossed his desk As  risen Homer said after the War that shading  knowledge and operational secrets could be quite  associate of the 1 re shunt held 11 the stars and stripes Page 11