European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 30, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                              Edc a april 30, 1968 the stars and stripes Pago shocking red Highway stays open a Shau once Beautiful Valley or big ditch i by Nat Gibson amp Evans South Vietnam i she a Shau Valley is a miserable place to fight a War. String works against the5 Soldier. Leeches ooze in his clothes. Bamboo and Eleia it grass tear at his  pythons scorpions Poi jobs spiders and tigers Mays him if he escapes the acc act of soviet made rifles in the lands of North vietnamese snip the Valley was a Beautiful Lilac some years ago its Lush Reen slopes rising 3,000 feet Bove sea level. It is ugly now and a Damp misty place obscured by fog 11 months of the  american bombing raids have transformed it into grotesque Panorama of inter Locking craters dug by blockbusters and pockmarked by Tufts of Jungle . Gen. John j. Tolson in commander of the 1st Cav air Mobile div said the a Shau is not really a Valley at  is just a great big ditch with mountains All around it an the w e a t h e r is miserable Tolson said at this Forward com Mand Post for the big Allied offensive into the area. Tolson s men have a More terse expression for the place. They Call it  the North vietnamese could Call it Home. Tolson said he was amazed atthe wide Road the North Viet namese have built in the Valley. It s a real shocker Tolson said. It s a Damn Well engineered and maintained  Are landslides and bomb craters but still they keep  referring to the number of North vietnamese in the area Tolson said Charlie certainly has a lot of troops in the area. Realizing the importance of the Valley i expect some big Bat Les. He s got a Damn Good Abil Ity to react. Let him  re ready for  in the two years the North vietnamese have controlled the narrow relatively uninhabited trip of terrain they have made it their main Supply depot an infiltration route into South Viet Nam. Aii excellent t w o -1 a n a All weather Road stretching Between North vietnamese sanctuaries inlays to the West and South under scores the importance they have placed on the Valley. The North vietnamese have built comfortable underground Homes in the Valley. On the firs Day of the Allied offensive . Troops discovered an extensive Bunker system that was furnished with swivel chairs Porta ble fans and electric lights. Although the 1st Cav is the most Mobile american unit in Vietnam the inaccessibility of the a Shau Valley by foot or Road and the heavy and sophisticated concentration of enemy guns Are taxing the unit s Power to the maximum. Huh would Welcome Johnson s endorsement from a advice president Hubert a Humphrey said sunday he would Welcome but does not expect president Johnson s endorse ment. I m not going to lose a minute s sleep Over what he will do Humphrey said. The vice president in his firs Public appearance following his announcement of his candidacy for the democratic presidential nomination said there was no truth in a published report that he was disappointed by Johnson failure to name him As the Man he would like to see succeed  said action by the president at this Point Wouldhave been in total conflict with Johnson s decision to remove subscribers mrs. Charles Dobbins Hanau says that their dog Lucky gives an assist tothe Carrier every morn ing. He picks up strip Sand brings it to her bus band s chair. Whether Lucky let s go or not she did t say circulation office phone numbers Germany Berlin Civ 739368  Civ 45341, Mil 7thhrankfurt, Oto 00108-Aiu, Mil of Hanbach 765  Civ 07017, Mil Vuu Woli , Civ 8nm Mulava Viau 61g Munich Civ 6105923, Mil 73s8 Nuernberg. Civ 776017, Mil 0313sluttnart, Civ 854225, Mil tj30 Wiesbaden Civ 420779, Mil 28095greece Athens Civ �85i88 t u Lul leghorn Civ 83001 Spain Madrid Cly 2228280, exl Sou United Kingdo London old jul slip 32204, Cut 12t subscribe now government to uling Only up dispatches itself from the political Arena by renouncing political ambition i n an Effort to convince the North vietnamese of the sincerity of his peace quest in Vietnam. In other political develop ments sen. Eugene Mccarthy campaigning in the Indiana primary at Shelbyville said the unite states faces a farm depression which could undermine the entire Economy unless the parity base is moved Back to the 1947-49level. Claims farm lag climaxing a swing through Sev eral Indiana communities the \ Minnesota senator said far prices and farm income have i lagged behind other segments of the Economy and said that i while existing programs Are constructive More must be done. Meanwhile sen. Edward , campaigning for his brother in Michigan told a de troit fund raising dinner that there is a growing disparity Between what we say and what we  Kennedy said the epitaphs of other nations that were at Simi Lar Crossroads in their lives and failed to act should serve As a warning to the United states. Earlier Michigan democratic chairman Sander m. Levin declined to endorse any candidate in the Michigan primary. Bobby Booster mrs. Rose Kennedy Mother of presidential aspirant sen. Robert f. Kennedy d-n.y., talks with sister Joel teacher at Central Catholic High school fort Wayne ind. Optimistic about her son s chances mrs. Kennedy denied allegations that Robert is  on the contrary she said he is shy mild almost  up photo Humphrey Bundy warming d talks expected Washington up Vic president Hubert h. Humphrey and a top state department official warned sunday that peace negotiations with North Vietnam could be Long difficult frustrating and possibly fruit  and William p. Bundy assistant Secretary of state for asian affairs said in separate interviews that the current difficulties in choosing a site for preliminary peace talk illustrate what lies ahead for full , noting that negotiations to end the korean Wai spanned two years said every stage of our discussions will be difficult and Sticky but added that the United states must persevere. What you see now on picking a site is All part of the process we re going to have to face up to Humphrey said in television interview. Bundy said that in the meantime he expected full military operations to continue in Vietnam by both sides except for the limitations on bombing North Vietnam announced earlier by president Johnson. Bundy said in a television interview that peace talks with North Vietnam would be a Tough process if the communists hot scent Wilmington Calif. A thieves who made off with $9,000worth of shrimp crab meat and lobster May be easy to  truck used to haul them away was not refrigerated. Insisted on their program for coalition government for South Vietnam. He said the North vietnamese had explained to the Viet Cong with utmost clarity that a coalition govern ment is actually a program forsaking Over Power for the  said the United states and its allies should insist on a Accord in agreement with the Geneva pact of 1954 and also the principle of free Choice by the South vietnamese  said he had not seen any sign the North vietnamese would agree to free elections. He said the United states was going ahead with efforts to agree on a site for preliminary peace talks despite the current stalemate with North Vietnam Over selection of a site. It does t seem to us to be particularly difficult problem to find a site Bundy said but perhaps there is a reason on the other Side to not agree  Bundy said Hanoi had made i Clear that it understood a site would have to be mutually suitable to both sides despite president Johnson s earlier offers to go anywhere to negotiate  impartial atmosphere is All we ask he  said there was no Chance the United states would Chang its mind and accept Warsaw or phenom penh the two site suggested by Hanoi because both Poland and Cambodia have aided North Vietnam in the War. Hanoi has not officially responded to the . Offers