Thursday, May 4, 1972
Rogers Cites Courage Of South Viet Forces
WASHINGTON (AP) --Secretary of State William P. Rogers said Tuesday the South Vietnamese forces had been expected to lose some provincial capitals, "but we are encouraged by the courageous fighting of the South Vietnamese."Rogers gave this assessment when asked about the North Vietnamese capture of Quang Tri."We have expected the South Vietnamese would lose some battles and they'd win some," Rogers told newsmen as he left Andrews Air Force Base on a trip to Europe.He said he and President Nixon had predicted the loss of some South Vietnamese provincial capitals, of which Quang Tri has been the first.The secretary of state said he does not expect to meet with North Vietnamese negotiator Le Duc Tho when he is in Paris, although he will be seeing the U.S. envoy at the Paris peace talks, Ambassador William J. Porter.Rogers will be visiting eight European countries in nine days, briefing allied leaders on Nixon's forthcoming trip to Moscow. His first stop is Iceland.Asked whether whatever happens in Vietnam will affect other items being taken up with the Soviets, Rogers replied, "No, I don't think so.""Rogers Cites Courage Of South Viet Forces", by (AP), published in the Pacific Stars and Stripes on Thursday, May 4, 1972 and reprinted from European and Pacific Stars and Stripes, a Department of Defense publication copyright, 2002 European and Pacific Stars and Stripes.