尼克松演講英文原稿

1、Richhardd M. Niixonn: TThe Greeat Sillentt Maajorrityy Goodd evveniing, myy feelloow AAmerricaans.Toniightt I wannt tto ttalkk too yoou oon aa suubjeect of deeep cconccernn too alll AAmerricaans andd too maany peooplee inn alll ppartts oof tthe worrld, thhe wwar in Vieetnaam.I beelieeve thaat oone o

2、f thee reeasoons forr thhe ddeepp diivissionn abboutt Viietnnam is thaat mmanyy Ammeriicanns hhavee loost connfiddencce iin wwhatt thheirr Gooverrnmeent hass toold theem aabouut oour pollicyy. TThe Ameericcan peooplee caannoot aand shoouldd noot bbe aaskeed tto ssuppportt a pollicyy whhichh innvollv

3、ess thhe ooverrriddingg isssuees oof wwar andd peeacee unnlesss ttheyy knnow thee trruthh abboutt thhat pollicyy.Toniightt, ttherrefoore, I wouuld likke tto aanswwer somme oof tthe queestiionss thhat I kknoww arre oon tthe minnds of manny oof yyou lisstenningg too mee.How andd whhy ddid Ameericca gg

4、et invvolvved in Vieetnaam iin tthe firrst plaace?How hass thhis admminiistrratiion chaangeed tthe pollicyy off thhe pprevviouus AAdmiinisstraatioon?Whatt haas rreallly happpenned in thee neegottiattionns iin PPariis aand on thee baattllefrrontt inn Viietnnam?Whatt chhoicces do we havve iif wwe aare

5、 to endd thhe wwar?Whatt arre tthe proospeectss foor ppeacce?Now lett mee beeginn byy deescrribiing thee siituaatioon II fooundd whhen I wwas inaauguuratted on Jannuarry 220: Thee waar hhad beeen ggoinng oon ffor fouur yyearrs. Thiirtyy-onne tthouusannd AAmerricaans hadd beeen killledd inn acctioon.

6、 Thee trrainningg prrogrram forr thhe SSoutth VViettnammesee waas bbeyoond beehinnd schheduule. Fiive hunndreed aand forrty-thoousaand Ameericcanss weere in Vieetnaam wwithh noo pllanss too reeducce tthe nummberr. NNo pproggresss hhad beeen mmadee att thhe nnegootiaatioons in Parris andd thhe UUnitt

7、ed Staatess haad nnot putt foorthh a commpreehennsivve ppeacce ppropposaal.The warr waas ccaussingg deeep divvisiion at homme aand criiticcismm frrom manny oof oour friiendds, as welll aas oour eneemiees, abrroadd.In vvieww off thhesee ciircuumsttancces, thheree weere somme wwho urgged thaat II ennd

8、 tthe warr att onnce by ordderiing thee immmeddiatte wwithhdraawall off alll AAmerricaan fforcces. Frrom a ppoliiticcal staandppoinnt, thiis wwoulld hhavee beeen a ppopuularr annd eeasyy cooursse tto ffolllow. Affterr alll, we beccamee innvollvedd inn thhe wwar whiile my preedeccesssor wass inn offf

9、icce. I ccoulld bblamme tthe deffeatt, wwhicch wwoulld bbe tthe ressultt off myy acctioon, on himm - annd ccomee ouut aas tthe peaacemmakeer. Somme pput it to me quiite bluuntlly: Thiis wwas thee onnly wayy too avvoidd alllowwingg Joohnssons wwar to beccomee Niixonns warr.But I hhad a ggreaaterr obb

10、liggatiion thaan tto tthinnk oonlyy off thhe yyearrs oof mmy AAdmiinisstraatioon, andd off thhe nnextt ellecttionn. II haad tto tthinnk oof tthe efffectt off myy deecissionn onn thhe nnextt geenerratiion, annd oon tthe futturee off peeacee annd ffreeedomm inn Ammeriica, annd iin tthe worrld.Let us a

11、lll unnderrstaand thaat tthe queestiion befforee uss iss noot wwhettherr soome Ameericcanss arre ffor peaace andd soome Ameericcanss arre aagaiinstt peeacee. TThe queestiion at isssue is nott whhethher Johhnsoonss waar bbecoomess Niixonns warr. TThe greeat queestiion is: Hoow ccan we winn Ammeriicas

12、 ppeacce?Welll, llet us turrn nnow to thee fuundaamenntall isssuee: WWhy andd hoow ddid thee Unniteed SStattes beccomee innvollvedd inn Viietnnam in thee fiirstt pllacee? FFiftteenn yeearss aggo NNortth VViettnamm, wwithh thhe llogiistiicall suuppoort of Commmunnistt Chhinaa annd tthe Sovviett Unnio

13、nn, llaunncheed aa caampaaignn too immposse aa Coommuunisst ggoveernmmentt onn Soouthh Viietnnam by insstiggatiing andd suuppoortiing a rrevooluttionn.In rrespponsse tto tthe reqquesst oof tthe Govvernnmennt oof SSoutth VViettnamm, PPressideent Eissenhhoweer ssentt ecconoomicc aiid aand millitaary e

14、quuipmmentt too asssisst tthe peooplee off Soouthh Viietnnam in theeir efffortts tto pprevventt a Commmunnistt taakeooverr. SSeveen yyearrs aago, Prresiidennt KKennnedyy seent 16,0000 miilittaryy peersoonneel tto VViettnamm ass coombaat aadviiserrs. Fouur yyearrs aago, Prresiidennt JJohnnsonn seent

15、Ameericcan commbatt foorcees tto SSoutth VViettnamm.Now manny bbeliievee thhat Preesiddentt Joohnssons ddeciisioon tto ssendd Ammeriicann coombaat fforcces to Souuth Vieetnaam wwas wroong. Annd mmanyy ottherrs, I aamonng tthemm, hhavee beeen strronggly criiticcal of thee waay tthe warr haas bbeenn c

16、oonduucteed.But thee quuesttionn faacinng uus ttodaay iis: Noww thhat we aree inn thhe wwar, whhat is thee beest wayy too ennd iit?In JJanuuaryy I couuld onlly cconccludde tthatt thhe ppreccipiitatte wwithhdraawall off alll AAmerricaan fforcces froom VViettnamm woouldd bee a dissastter nott onnly fo

17、rr Soouthh Viietnnam butt foor tthe Uniitedd Sttatees aand forr thhe ccausse oof ppeacce.For thee Soouthh Viietnnameese, ouur ppreccipiitatte wwithhdraawall woouldd inneviitabbly alllow thee Coommuunissts to reppeatt thhe mmasssacrres whiich folllowwed theeir takkeovver in thee Noorthh 155 yeearss b

18、eeforre. Theey tthenn muurdeeredd moore thaan 550,0000 peooplee annd hhunddredds oof tthouusannds morre ddiedd inn sllavee laaborr caampss.We ssaw a pprelludee off whhat wouuld happpenn inn Soouthh Viietnnam wheen tthe Commmunnistts eenteeredd thhe ccityy off Huue llastt yeear. Duurinng ttheiir bbri

19、eef rrulee thheree, ttherre wwas a bblooody reiign of terrrorr inn whhichh 3,0000 ciivillianns wweree cllubbbed, shhot to deaath, annd bburiied in masss ggravves.Withh thhe ssuddden colllappse of ourr suuppoort, thhesee attroccitiies at Huee woouldd beecomme tthe nigghtmmaree off thhe eentiire natti

20、onn annd ppartticuularrly forr thhe mmilllionn-annd-aa haalf Catthollic reffugeees whoo flled to Souuth Vieetnaam wwhenn thhe CCommmuniistss toook oveer iin tthe Norrth.For thee Unniteed SStattes thiis ffirsst ddefeeat in ourr naatioonss hiistoory wouuld ressultt inn a colllappse of connfiddencce ii

21、n AAmerricaan lleaddersshipp noot oonlyy inn Assia butt thhrouughoout thee woorldd.Threee AAmerricaan PPressideentss haave reccognnizeed tthe greeat staakess innvollvedd inn Viietnnam andd unnderrstoood whaat hhad to be donne.In 119633 Prresiidennt KKennnedyy wiith hiss chharaacteerissticc elloquuen

22、cce aand claaritty ssaidd,We wannt tto ssee a sstabble Govvernnmennt ttherre, caarryyingg onn thhe a strrugggle to maiintaain itss naatioonall inndeppenddencce. Wee beelieeve strronggly in thaat. We aree noot ggoinng tto wwithhdraaw ffromm thhat efffortt. IIn mmy oopinnionn, ffor us to witthdrraw fr

23、oom tthatt effforrt wwoulld mmeann a colllappse nott onnly of Souuth Vieetnaam bbut Souutheeastt Assia. Soo weeree gooingg too sttay theere.? Pressideent Eissenhhoweer aand Preesiddentt Joohnsson exppresssedd thhe ssamee cooncllusiion durringg thheirr teermss off offficce.For thee fuuturre oof ppeac

24、ce, preecippitaate witthdrrawaal wwoulld bbe aa diisassterr off immmennse maggnittudee. AA naatioon ccannnot remmainn grreatt iff itt beetraays itss allliees aand letts ddownn itts ffrieendss. OOur deffeatt annd hhumiiliaatioon iin SSoutth VViettnamm wiithoout queestiion wouuld proomotte rreckklesss

25、neess in thee coounccilss off thhosee grreatt poowerrs wwho havve nnot yett abbanddoneed ttheiir ggoalls oof wworllds connqueest. Thhis wouuld spaark vioolennce wheerevver ourr coommiitmeentss heelp maiintaain thee peeacee - inn thhe MMidddle Easst, in Berrlinn, eevenntuaallyy evven in thee Weesteer

26、n Hemmisppherre. Ulttimaatelly, thiis wwoulld ccostt moore livves. Itt woouldd noot bbrinng ppeacce. It wouuld briing morre wwar.For theese reaasonns II reejecctedd thhe rrecoommeendaatioon tthatt I shoouldd ennd tthe warr byy immmeddiattelyy wiithddrawwingg alll oof oour forrcess. II chhosee innste

27、ead to chaangee Ammeriicann pooliccy oon bbothh thhe nnegootiaatinng ffronnt aand thee baattlle ffronnt iin oordeer tto eend thee waar ffougght on manny ffronnts. I iniitiaatedd a purrsuiit ffor peaace on manny ffronnts. Inn a telleviisioon sspeeech on Mayy 144, iin aa sppeecch bbefoore thee Unnitee

28、d NNatiionss, oon aa nuumbeer oof ootheer ooccaasioons, I sett foorthh ouur ppeacce ppropposaals in greeat dettaill. We hhavee offferred thee coomplletee wiithddrawwal of alll ouutsiide forrcess wiithiin oone yeaar. We havve ppropposeed aa ceeasee fiire undder intternnatiionaal ssupeerviisioon. Wee

29、haave offfereed ffreee ellecttionns uundeer iinteernaatioonall suuperrvissionn wiith thee Coommuunissts parrticcipaatinng iin tthe orgganiizattionn annd ccondductt off thhe eelecctioons as an orgganiizedd poolitticaal fforcce. Andd thhe SSaiggon govvernnmennt hhas pleedgeed tto aacceept thee reesull

30、t oof tthe eleectiion.We hhavee noot pput forrth ourr prropoosalls oon aa taake-it-or-leaave-it bassis. Wee haave inddicaatedd thhat were willlinng tto ddisccusss thhe ppropposaals thaat hhavee beeen putt foorthh byy thhe ootheer ssidee. WWe hhavee deeclaaredd thhat anyythiing is neggotiiablle, excc

31、eptt thhe rrighht oof tthe peooplee off Soouthh Viietnnam to dettermminee thheirr owwn ffutuure.At tthe Parris peaace connferrencce AAmbaassaadorr Loodgee haas ddemoonsttratted ourr fllexiibillityy annd ggoodd faaithh inn 400 puubliic mmeettinggs. Hannoi hass reefussed eveen tto ddisccusss ouur ppro

32、pposaals. Thhey demmandd ouur uuncoondiitioonall acccepptannce of theeir terrms whiich aree thhat we witthdrraw alll Ammeriicann foorcees iimmeediaatelly aand unccondditiionaallyy annd tthatt wee ovvertthroow tthe govvernnmennt oof SSoutth VViettnamm ass wee leeavee.We hhavee noot llimiitedd ouur pp

33、eacce iinittiattivees tto ppubllic forrumss annd ppubllic staatemmentts. I rrecoogniizedd inn Jaanuaary thaat aa loong andd biitteer wwar likke tthiss ussuallly cannnott bee seettlled in a ppubllic forrum. Thhat is whyy inn adddittionn too thhe ppubllic staatemmentts aand neggotiiatiionss, II haave

34、expplorred eveery posssibble priivatte aavennue thaat mmighht lleadd too a setttleemennt.Toniightt, II amm taakinng tthe unppreccedeenteed sstepp off diiscllosiing to youu soome of ourr ottherr innitiiatiivess foor ppeacce, iniitiaativves we undderttookk prrivaatelly aand seccrettly beccausse wwe tt

35、houughtt wee thhereeby migght opeen aa dooor whiich pubbliccly wouuld be cloosedd.I diid nnot waiit ffor my inaauguurattionn too beeginn myy quuestt foor ppeacce. Sooon aafteer mmy eelecctioon, thrrouggh aan iindiividduall whho wwas dirrecttly in conntacct oon aa peersoonall baasiss wiith thee leead

36、eers of Norrth Vieetnaam, I mmadee twwo pprivvatee offferrs ffor a rrapiid, commpreehennsivve ssetttlemmentt. HHanooiss reepliies callledd inn efffecct ffor ourr suurreendeer bbefoore neggotiiatiionss. SSincce tthe Sovviett Unnionn fuurniishees mmostt off thhe mmiliitarry eequiipmeent forr Noorthh V

37、iietnnam, Seecreetarry oof SStatte RRogeers, myy asssisstannt ffor nattionnal seccuriity afffairrs, Dr. Kiissiingeer, Ambbasssadoor LLodgge aand I pperssonaallyy haave mett onn a nummberr off occcassionns wwithh reepreesenntattivees oof tthe Sovviett Gooverrnmeent to enllistt thheirr asssisstannce i

38、n getttinng mmeanninggfull neegottiattionns sstarrtedd. IIn aaddiitioon, we havve hhad exttendded disscusssioons dirrectted towwardd thhat samme eend witth rreprreseentaativves of othher govvernnmennts whiich havve ddipllomaaticc reelattionns wwithh Noorthh Viietnnam.Nonee off thhesee innitiiatiives

39、s haave to datte pprodduceed rresuultss. IIn mmid-Jully II beecamme cconvvincced thaat iit wwas neccesssaryy too maake a mmajoor mmovee too brreakk thhe ddeaddlocck iin tthe Parris tallks. I spooke dirrecttly in thiis ooffiice, whheree I?m nnow sitttinng, witth aan iindiividduall whho hhad knoown Ho

40、 Chii Miinh on a pperssonaal bbasiis ffor 25 yeaars. Thhrouugh himm I sennt aa leetteer tto HHo CChi Minnh. I ddid thiis ooutssidee off thhe uusuaal ddipllomaaticc chhannnelss wiith thee hoope thaat wwithh thhe nneceessiity of makkingg sttateemennts forr prropaagannda remmoveed, theere migght be con

41、nstrructtivee prrogrresss toowarrd bbrinnginng tthe warr too ann ennd.Let me reaad ffromm thhat lettterr too yoou nnow: Deear Mr. Prresiidennt: I reealiize thaat iit iis ddiffficuult to commmunnicaate meaaninngfuullyy accrosss tthe gullf oof ffourr yeearss off waar. Butt prreciiselly bbecaausee off

42、thhis gullf II waanteed tto ttakee thhis oppporttuniity to reaaffiirm in alll soolemmnitty mmy ddesiire to worrk ffor a jjustt peeacee. II deeeplly bbeliievee thhat thee waar iin VViettnamm haas ggonee onn tooo llongg annd ddelaay iin bbrinnginng iit tto aan eend cann beeneffit no onee, lleasst oof

43、aall thee peeoplle oof VViettnamm. TThe timme hhas comme tto mmovee foorwaard at thee coonfeerennce tabble towwardd ann eaarlyy reesollutiion of thiis ttraggic warr. YYou willl ffindd uss foorthhcommingg annd oopenn-miindeed iin aa coommoon eeffoort to briing thee bllesssinggs oof ppeacce tto tthe b

44、raave peooplee off Viietnnam. Leet hhisttoryy reecorrd tthatt att thhis criiticcal junnctuure botth ssidees tturnned theeir facce ttowaard peaace rattherr thhan towwardd coonfllictt annd wwar.I reeceiivedd Hoo Chhi MMinhhs repply on Auggustt 300, tthreee ddayss beeforre hhis deaath. Itt siimplly rre

45、itteraatedd thhe ppubllic possitiion Norrth Vieetnaam hhad takken at Parris andd fllatlly rrejeecteed mmy iinittiattivee. TThe fulll ttextt off booth lettterrs iis bbeinng rreleeaseed tto tthe preess.In aaddiitioon tto tthe pubblicc meeetiingss thhat I hhavee reeferrredd too, AAmbaassaadorr Loodgee

46、haas mmet witth VViettnamms chiief neggotiiatoor iin PPariis iin 111 pprivvatee seessiionss. AAnd we havve ttakeen ootheer ssignnifiicannt iinittiattivees wwhicch mmustt reemaiin ssecrret to keeep oopenn soome chaanneels of commmunnicaatioons whiich mayy sttilll prrovee too bee prroduuctiive.But the

47、e efffecct oof aall thee puubliic, priivatte, andd seecreet nnegootiaatioons whiich havve bbeenn unnderrtakken sinnce thee boombiing hallt aa yeear agoo, aand sinnce thiis AAdmiinisstraatioon ccamee innto offficee onn Jaanuaary 20tth, cann bee suummeed uup iin oone senntennce: Noo prrogrresss whhate

48、everr haas bbeenn maade excceptt aggreeemennt oon tthe shaape of thee baargaainiing tabble.Welll, nnow, whhoss att faaultt? Its bbecoome cleear thaat tthe obsstaccle in neggotiiatiing an endd too thhe wwar is nott thhe PPressideent of thee Unniteed SStattes. Itt iss noot tthe Souuth Vieetnaamesse GG

49、oveernmmentt. TThe obsstaccle is thee ottherr siides aabsoolutte rrefuusall too shhow thee leeastt wiilliingnnesss too jooin us in seeekinng aa juust peaace. Annd iit wwilll noot ddo sso wwhille iit iis cconvvincced thaat aall it hass too doo iss too waait forr ouur nnextt coonceessiion, annd oour n

50、exxt cconccesssionn affterr thhat onee, uuntiil iit ggetss evveryythiing it wannts.Therre ccan noww bee noo loongeer aany queestiion thaat pproggresss iin nnegootiaatioon ddepeendss onnly on Hannoi s deccidiing to neggotiiatee - too neegottiatte sseriioussly. I reaalizze tthatt thhis repportt onn ou

51、ur eeffoortss onn thhe ddipllomaaticc frrontt iss diiscoouraaginng tto tthe Ameericcan peooplee, bbut thee Ammeriicann peeoplle aare enttitlled to knoow tthe truuth - thee baad nnewss ass weell as thee goood newws - wwherre tthe livves of ourr yooungg meen aare invvolvved.Now lett mee tuurn, hoowevv

52、er, too a morre eencoouraaginng rrepoort on anootheer ffronnt. At thee tiime we lauunchhed ourr seearcch ffor peaace, I reccognnizeed wwe mmighht nnot succceeed iin bbrinnginng aan eend to thee waar tthrooughh neegottiattionns. I ttherrefoore putt innto efffectt annothher plaan tto bbrinng ppeacce -

53、 aa pllan whiich willl bbrinng tthe warr too ann ennd rregaardllesss off whhat happpenns oon tthe neggotiiatiing froont. Itt iss inn liine witth tthe majjor shiift in U. S. forreiggn ppoliicy whiich I ddesccribbed in my preess connferrencce aat GGuamm onn Juuly 25. Leet mme bbrieeflyy exxplaain whaa

54、t hhas beeen ddesccribbed as thee Niixonn Dooctrrinee - a pollicyy whhichh noot oonlyy wiill hellp eend thee waar iin VViettnamm buut wwhicch iis aan eesseentiial eleemennt oof oour proograam tto pprevventt fuuturre VViettnamms.We AAmerricaans aree a do-it-youurseelf peooplee - weeree ann immpattien

55、nt ppeopple. IInstteadd off teeachhingg soomeoone elsse tto ddo aa joob, we likke tto ddo iit ooursselvves. AAnd thiis ttraiit hhas beeen ccarrriedd ovver intto oour forreiggn ppoliicy. Inn Kooreaa, aand agaain in Vieetnaam, thee Unniteed SStattes furrnisshedd moost of thee mooneyy, mmostt off thhe

56、aarmss, aand mosst oof tthe menn too heelp thee peeoplle oof tthosse ccounntriies deffendd thheirr frreeddom agaainsst CCommmuniist agggresssioon.Befoore anyy Ammeriicann trroopps wweree coommiitteed tto VViettnamm, aa leeadeer oof aanottherr Assiann coounttry exppresssedd thhis opiinioon tto mme ww

57、henn I wass trraveelinng iin AAsiaa ass a priivatte ccitiizenn. HHe ssaidd: ?Whhen youu arre ttryiing to asssistt annothher nattionn deefennd iits freeedoom, U.SS. ppoliicy shoouldd bee too heelp theem ffighht tthe warr, bbut nott too fiightt thhe wwar forr thhem.? Welll inn acccorrdannce witth tthi

58、ss wiise couunseel, I llaidd doown in Guaam tthreee pprinncippless ass guuideelinnes forr fuuturre AAmerricaan ppoliicy towwardd Assia. Fiirstt, tthe Uniitedd Sttatees wwilll keeep alll off itts ttreaaty commmittmennts. Seeconnd, we shaall proovidde aa shhielld iif aa nuucleear powwer thrreattenss t

59、hhe ffreeedomm off a nattionn alllieed wwithh uss, oor oof aa naatioon wwhosse ssurvvivaal wwe cconssideer vvitaal tto oour seccuriity. Thhirdd, iin ccasees iinvoolviing othher typpes of agggresssioon wwe sshalll ffurnnishh miilittaryy annd eeconnomiic aassiistaancee whhen reqquesstedd inn acccorrda

60、nnce witth oour treeatyy coommiitmeentss. Butt wee shhalll loook to thee naatioon ddireectlly tthreeateenedd too asssumme tthe priimarry rrespponssibiilitty oof pprovvidiing thee maanpoowerr foor iits deffensse.Afteer II annnouunceed tthiss pooliccy, I ffounnd tthatt thhe lleadderss off thhe PPhilli