Speech #900208716

Cambodia. his visit to a civilian provincial hospital in Quang Ngai. where of more than 70 civilians in the burn ward he found that some 40 of them had burns traceable to napalm. conversations with civilian leaders not in the Government. including Tich Tri Quang and others who have been since arrested. and his conclusion thatThe government of President Thlieu and Marshal Ky is very near collapse. In a luncheon discussion with a number of congressional staff people he noted. in a comment not included in the Harvard Crimson. that his first knowledge of the assault came at 3 a.m.. when he found himself on the floor of his hotel room. thrown out of bed by the concussion of a mortar round striking the building next door. He also observed the bombing of residential portions of the Saigon outskirts. talked with refugees both before and afterward. and found a growing frustration both with their own and with our Government which has caused the vast destruction which has made another 300.000 persons homeless in recent weeks. Mr. President.