【文章內(nèi)容簡介】 had a greater obligation than to think only of the years of my Administration，and of the next election． I had to think of the effect of my decision on the next generation，and on the future of peace and freedom in America，and in the world．Let us all understand that the question before us is not whether some Americans are for peace and some Americans are against peace． The question at issue is not whether Johnson抯 war bees Nixon抯 war． The great question is： How can we win America抯 peace?Well，let us turn now to the fundamental issue： Why and how did the United States bee involved in Vietnam in the first place? Fifteen years ago North Vietnam，with the logistical support of Communist China and the Soviet Union，launched a campaign to impose a Communist government on South Vietnam by instigating and supporting a revolution．In response to the request of the Government of South Vietnam，President Eisenhower sent economic aid and military equipment to assist the people of South Vietnam in their efforts to prevent a Communist takeover． Seven years ago，President Kennedy sent 16，000 military personnel to Vietnam as bat advisers． Four years ago，President Johnson sent American bat forces to South Vietnam．Now many believe that President Johnson抯 decision to send American bat forces to South Vietnam was wrong． And many others，I among them，have been strongly critical of the way the war has been conducted．But the question facing us today is： Now that we are in the war，what is the best way to end it?In January I could only conclude that the precipitate withdrawal of all American forces from Vietnam would be a disaster not only for South Vietnam but for the United States and for the cause of peace．For the South Vietnamese，our precipitate withdrawal would inevitably allow the Communists to repeat the massacres which followed their takeover in the North 15 years before． They then murdered more than 50，000 people and hundreds of thousands more died in slave labor camps．We saw a prelude of what would happen in South Vietnam when the Communists entered the city of Hue last year． During their brief rule there，there was a bloody reign of terror in which 3，000 civilians were clubbed，shot to death，and buried in mass graves．With the sudden collapse of our support，these atrocities at Hue would bee the nightmare of the entire nation and particularly for the million－and－a half Catholic refugees who fled to South Vietnam when the Communists took over in the North．For the United States this first defeat in our nation抯 history would result in a collapse of confidence in American leadership not only in Asia but throughout the world．Three American Presidents have recognized the great stakes involved in Vietnam and understood what had to be done．In 1963 President Kennedy with his characteristic eloquence and clarity said，“We want to see a stable Government there，” carrying on the [a] struggle to maintain its national independence．“ We believe strongly in that． We are not going to withdraw from that effort． In my opinion，for us to withdraw from that effort would mean a collapse not only of South Vietnam but Southeast Asia． So we抮e going to stay there．”?President Eisenhower and President Johnson expressed the same conclusion during their terms of office．For the future of peace，precipitate withdrawal would be a disaster of immense magnitude． A nation cannot remain great if it betrays its allies and lets down its friends． Our defeat and humiliation in South Vietnam without question would promote recklessness in the councils of those great powers who have not yet abandoned their goals of worlds conquest． This would spark violence wherever our mitments help maintain the peace －－ in the Middle East，in Berlin，eventually even in the Western Hemisphere． Ultimately，this would cost more lives． It would not bring peace． It would bring more war．For these reasons I rejected the remendation that I should end the war by immediately withdrawing all of our forces． I chose instead to change American policy on both the negotiating front and the battle front in order to end the war fought on many fronts． I initiated a pursuit for peace on many fronts． In a television speech on May 14，in a speech before the United Nations，on a number of other occasions，I set forth our peace proposals in great detail．We have offered the plete withdrawal of all outside forces within one year． We have proposed a cease fire under international supervision． We have offered free elections under international supervision with the Communists participating in the organization and conduct of the elections as an organized political force． And the Saigon government has pledged to accept the result of the election．We have not put forth our proposals on a take－it－or－leave－it basis． We have indicated that we抮e willing to discuss the propo