European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 3, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 the stars and stripes a in Doy april 3, first Hanoi in a of Ion May lie negative More hard fighting seen despite lbs bid by John m. Hightower and other . And Allied out Ter Spring offensive which was its Owett plans the North Vojt r988?. Ucci a Sivington a Tod posts in the Northern Region of launched at the end of january name a government May give Edw Puii a top . Officials foresee More hard fighting ahead in Vietnam be fore a decisive answer con be expected from Hanoi on presi Dent Johnson s new bombing halt bid to get peace talks Start initial reaction from North Vietnam is Likely to be negative officials said but Johnson has put no time limit on his partial suspension of air attacks against North is said to be prepared to wait for a reasonable time for president to Chi Minn to con Sider his proposal announce sunday night. Johnson s decision to halt All bombing except for major infiltration routes is attributed to a belief in the administration that the Vietnam Ese War May be in a climactic stage. If this View is Correct then after further hard fighting the North vietnamese May be prepared to go into negotiations and seek a Compromise Settle ment of the conflict. Several top officials checked by the associated press said privately that Johnson did no decide to make his move at this time because of any secret Showoff interest from Hanoi in Mak ing a Deal official said he knew of no encouraging sign from the North vietnamese capital. An other called the president s action an honest step in the dark in the Hope that it would Lead to talks. Officials recognized however that the bid might very Well fail. This View was expressed explicitly by former under Secretary of state Georgebell who continues in close touch with . Authorities on vietnamese War issues. Ball told newsmen at a lunch Eon Here monday that he does not think there will be any serious negotiations with the North vietnamese until after anew . President has taken of fice next announcing sunday night that he was stopping air strike against most of North Vietnam Johnson called on Britain an the soviet Union to do every thing within their Power to arrange peace talks and monday the British government began sounding out Moscow on Possi ble action. British foreign Secre tary Michael Stewart conferred with soviet ambassador Mikhail. Smirno sky on Johnson s proposal. But a dispatch distributed bythe soviet news Agency Tass called Johnson s peace move Aman Euver that ignored North Vietnam s Long standing de Mand for an unconditional end to All bombing attacks and other acts of War against its territory. Johnson said in his speech tothe nation that the cessation of bombing could be made com plete if Hanoi would now take some reciprocal action to scale Down the fighting hut that he could not in Good conscience Stop All bombing so Long As to do so would immediately an directly endanger the lives of our men and our was referring to the fact that heavy concentrations of North vietnamese troops Are operating in the Border area close to South Vietnam particularly in the regions opposite the Marine position at Khe Sanh an posts f South is in this area or perhaps in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam that the president s advisers say they foresee More bitter fighting. Their Hope is that this prospective round of Battles if it develops will result in such severe defeats for the North vietnamese forces that the Hanoi government will de cide the time has come to de escalate the War and agree to negotiations. The administration View that the conflict has entered a climactic stage arises from the results of the communist win Ter Spring launch against the cities and towns of South Vietnam. Officials feel that while the offensive inflicted partial defeat on the United states and South Vietnam twas a defeat also for the com on this analysis officials said that they believe that Hanoi might draw the conclusion especially if it suffers fur ther reverses that the War can not be won by their military operations and that a negotiated settlement should therefore retried. Some authorities Here How Ever believe that in determining it t Viet names t May give greater weight to Johnson s announcement that he will not ran for reelection than to his proposal for de escalating the War and starting situation is being Corn pared with that which developed toward the end of the korean for a truce had started in july 1951 but As the presidential Campaign of 1952 developed it became apparent that the talks were bogged Down and would not be conclusive until a new government took Power in Jan. 20, 1953, president a prefix Mim k 71 m Dar Meudt Alt trip prefix 37 741. Telex 041i-u2. New York office my Washington at., new York 10014, Tell area code 212 wot second Lati Pottage paid at new York . The appearance of display adverts menu in this newspaper concerning commercial publications does not constitute endorsement by the department of defense or any of Ita components. ". 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