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When I was in Katmandu, Nepal, in February, as I wrote you a
month ago, I had a personal meeting with King Mahendra. Mr. Rader,
Mr. Gotoh and I went from the palace, after this audience, directly
to the residence of the United States Ambassador, where we had been
invited to attend a reception. The Ambassador is a LADY -- wife
of Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker, who is U.S. Ambassador to South
Vietnam in Saigon.
Of course I met Ambassador Bunker, a very distinguished and
statesmanlike-appearing gentleman.
"WHY," I asked him, "has not any recent Administration in
Washington made clear to the American people the REASON, and the
PURPOSE of the war in South Vietnam? He did not answer that this
had been done.
"I want to tell some five or six million of our readers in the
United States the REAL REASON." He knew about The PLAIN TRUTH.
"Before you write it," he said, "by all means come to Saigon.
No one should write about -- and no one can UNDERSTAND Vietnam
with-out firsthand exposure to its many complex issues. I can give
you facts for a very important article.
"But can I come there?" I asked. "Is it safe?"
He laughed, "You will be safer there than on the sidewalks of
Washington D.C.," he replied. The fighting is some distance from
Saigon.
That is why I went to Saigon, capital of South Vietnam. I
have just returned, with, I believe, the BIGGEST, and one of the
most important, interesting and SURPRISING articles ever to appear
in any U.S. magazine. I wrote the article and also my Personal
article about Vietnam, on the plane on our long return flight back
to Pasadena.
It was a very strenuous trip. These long flights, around the
world, with the many time lapses, exhaust others on the flights
half my age. They are by no means pleasure trips, I can assure
you. And the younger people -- our pilots, etc., do not have to
sit at a typewriter WORKING hour after hour in flight. Yet I seem
to bear up under the strain better than they. It's the only way
this important part of this great Work can get done.
As I write, the April number of The PLAIN TRUTH is mostly
printed -- just coming off the press -- about ten days late. These
articles on the Vietnam war will have to come in the May number,
but be sure to look forward to them -- there will be two or three
articles, on this same theme, besides my Personal.
I think you will be SURPRISED. This Vietnam situation started
before the end of World War II. You'll get the whole story -- a
real eye-opener. You'll wonder WHY it's apparently not been told
before.
Here, again, I was invited to come to Saigon by Ambassador