An obvious advantage of creating the conditions necessary for serious negotiations would be to require our Government to develop clearly our peace terms and to make Saigon recognize the imperatives and realities of a negotiated settlement. Unless this occurs. Saigon is liable to fail to take major steps to end corruption. meet the horrendous refugee needs. carry out major land reform. and face the fact that neither a military victory nor a narrowly based government will be supported by the people of South Vietnam or by the people of the United States. In sum. we should not. as a great nation. permit Saigon to have a veto on our policies or pursue a course without diplomatic rationale which is likely to result in protracted fighting and higher American and Vietnamese casualties. and postpone into the future. if not prevent. a negotiated. honorable settlement.