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Campus "Unrest" demonstrations and consequences, 1970-1971

1970-05-13 Des Moines Register Article: "Back Study of Kent Deaths" Back

Says Nixon In Control Of Events
By Richard Wilson
(The Register's Washington Correspondent)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The protesters have come and gone, rhetoric has cooled and President Nixon is preparing to announce that the Cambodian operation is a success. This announcement will be based on the volume of arms and supplies captured and the hope that further Communist aggressive action in South Vietnam has been set back for a year.
RICHARD WILSON
How much of a success was the Cambodian thrust will continue to be argued, and it will play a part in the congressional campaign, but Nixon, this far, at least, has managed to keep control of the operation.
This matter of control has been the problem from the first. There are reports that early in considering the strike, Nixon doubted he could maintain control. That is to say, a complex of circumstances including American public reaction, the military reaction from the Communist side, the difficulty of limiting any military operation once it has begun would converge to defeat the operation.
Measured Correctly
Probably the decisive factor was Nixon's final judgement that he could keep American opinion under control long enough to permit a 60-day operation which could be very damaging to the Communists. This required an accurate judgement on the depth of the reaction in American public opinion, and Nixon measured that correctly. It required an accurate judgement on the Communist reaction, and, up to now, that has been measured correctly.
Some things may prove not to have been measured correctly, including the search for the Communist headquarters for Vietnam operations (COSVN), which may be buried somewhere deep underground in the areas the Americans are sweeping. If the Americans do not find that control center, many questions will rise in Congress, and it might have been better if Nixon had not mentioned it in his justification for the Cambodian incursion. There were other reasons which were just as good.
perhaps one of the most significant aspects of this critical perios was the reluctance of members of Congress who were attacking the President to join in the youth protest, and there were good reasons for this.
Wasted Effort
The recent protest was on a scale probably about one-third of the Nov. 14-15 mobilization for peace, and it may be ,,, this way of expressing public opin-[ion] ... longer ... it ever w... an

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Says Nixon In Control Of Events By Richard Wilson (The Register's Washington Correspondent) WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The protesters have come and gone, rhetoric has cooled and President Nixon is preparing to announce that the Cambodian operation is a success. This announcement will be based on the volume of arms and supplies captured and the hope that further Communist aggressive action in South Vietnam has been set back for a year. RICHARD WILSON How much of a success was the Cambodian thrust will continue to be argued, and it will play a part in the congressional campaign, but Nixon, this far, at least, has managed to keep control of the operation. This matter of control has been the problem from the first. There are reports that early in considering the strike, Nixon doubted he could maintain control. That is to say, a complex of circumstances including American public reaction, the military reaction from the Communist side, the difficulty of limiting any military operation once it has begun would converge to defeat the operation. Measured Correctly Probably the decisive factor was Nixon's final judgement that he could keep American opinion under control long enough to permit a 60-day operation which could be very damaging to the Communists. This required an accurate judgement on the depth of the reaction in American public opinion, and Nixon measured that correctly. It required an accurate judgement on the Communist reaction, and, up to now, that has been measured correctly. Some things may prove not to have been measured correctly, including the search for the Communist headquarters for Vietnam operations (COSVN), which may be buried somewhere deep underground in the areas the Americans are sweeping. If the Americans do not find that control center, many questions will rise in Congress, and it might have been better if Nixon had not mentioned it in his justification for the Cambodian incursion. There were other reasons which were just as good. perhaps one of the most significant aspects of this critical perios was the reluctance of members of Congress who were attacking the President to join in the youth protest, and there were good reasons for this. Wasted Effort The recent protest was on a scale probably about one-third of the Nov. 14-15 mobilization for peace, and it may be ,,, this way of expressing public opin-[ion] ... longer ... it ever w... an