Viet commander denies Song My slaughter report
(Continued from page 1)
Medina said that after the first assault troops landed at 7:30 a.m., he asked whether the landing zone was "cold," and received the reply: "Negative, negative; Viet Cong with weapons running from the place."
"I saw that the landing zone
was hot," he said, "and ordered the troops to return their fire and engage the enemy."
Medina said intelligence reports he received indicated there would be no women and children in the hamlet when the engagement began, that they would have gone to market outside the area at that time.
Medina was asked why witnesses had reported a massacre. He replied the reports might have originated with men with whom he had had "certain disciplinary problems." Another reason could be that "a tremendous amount of money" had been paid for photographs in
Kenya, Tanzania discussed by American Field staffer
Contrasts between the East African countries of Kenya and Tanzania were presented at the Faculty Forum Thursday by Norman N. Miller, American Universities Field Staff representative.
Miller said political differences in the two countries were interesting because they had a common colonial background. Today Kenya is capitalistic and Tanzania follows socialist doctrines.
Kenya is an agrarian, pedestrian society, he said, with 70 per cent of its population "locked" into areas within walking distance of their homes.
Government reaches these people in a circuit rider fashion, Miller said.
"Representatives of the government come riding down to them in land rovers, spend four hours with them and then go riding away," he said.
National unity is further complicated by tribalization, Miller said. Only localized groups could emerge during the Mau Mau rebellion when the government
Lapin loses first round
WASHINGTON (UPI) — Raymond H. Lapin Thursday lost a first-round legal decision in his fight to block his dismissal by President Nixon as head of the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA).
Lapin's request for a temporary restraining order to keep the board of governors of FNMA from interfering with his conduct of the job was rejected by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew F. McGuire.
Nixon, in a two paragraph letter to Lapin Tuesday, said the former San Francisco mortgage banker's policies and procedures were "inconsistent" with the applicable law. But Lapin contends his firing was illegal because the President did not establish "good cause" for his ouster.
20 KANSAN Dec.5 1969
prohibited national organizations. Bossism and personality cults emerged instead of nationalist or even regional alliances, he said.
Tom Mboya was "the most modern man in Kenya," Miller said, and was able to transcend tribal politics. His assassination might reshape the politics of Kenya because it aggravated political problems.
Miller said he thought Kenya's future was linked to President Kenyatta's ability to heal tribal wounds, join tribal parties and continue economic improvements.
Even though many observers have suggested a parallel to Biafra and Nigeria, Miller said the central government in Kenya was too strong for a similar situation to occur.
Vigorous neutrality is the key theme in Tanzania, he said. President Julius Nyerere has introduced the philosophy of self-reliance and African socialism. He wants grass-roots development and has an equally balanced number of advisers from Eastern and Western countries.
Although Zanzibar continues to have an independent political viewpoint, Miller said he thought the split was not serious.
Economic problems, however, do plague Tanzania. The three main cash crops are not showing gains, Miller said, and citizens have been asked to be rigorously self-sufficient and officials have been told to reduce their holdings and agree to a personal austerity program.
"Although Kenya is close to America, the picture of America in Tanzania is cloudy and unfortunate in many ways," Miller said.
Tanzania has been critical of the United States because of the Vietnam war. The key theme used against America is racism, he added.
Weaponry of American origin also angers Tanzanians, Miller said. Portugal gains the weapons for NATO purposes and they
end up being used against black Africa and Tanzania is right on the edge of that conflict, he added.
THE HTE in the WALL
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"Relations between Tanzania and Kenya are a mixture of cooperation, fragmentation and tension." Miller said, "though they seem to be breaking down rapidly."
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Medina was accompanied by his lawyer, F. Lee Bailey of Boston, who refused to let him reply to a question why the Army had charged Calley with murdering 109 civilians if there was not a massacre at Song My.
CHINESE NIGHT
Chinese Culture with Dance and Song
connection with the story, he said. He added there were "dissident groups" that would be interested in generating such a story.
Railways, airlines, telecommunications and the University of East Africa used to be uniting factors in East Africa, he said, but Kenya is now purchasing its own locomotives and the university will soon be three autonomous campuses.
Friday, December 5
8 p.m.
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"Cooperation exists," Miller said, "but Kenya's dominant economical position leads to problems and a community in the full sense does not exist."
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—Earl Prather, 24, a convicted burglar, walked out of the police station Thursday when the doors were left unlocked.
Thompson, who was cited for "disregarding his own safety" to evacuate the children during the incident, is believed to have given the first report which led to the Army's initial field investigation.
The investigating board, headed by Lt. Gen. William R. Peers, spent the morning and noon hour hearing testimony from CWO Hugh C. Thompson Jr., a helicopter pilot who received the Distinguished Flying Cross for saving the lives of 16 South Vietnamese children at Song My the day of the alleged mass slaying.
"Those charges were not made by news media," a reporter said. "They were made by the United States Army after months of investigation."
Weather
Cloudy and cold with occasional periods of rain today, tonight and Saturday. Southeast winds 10 to 20 mph today and tonight. High today 40s. Low tonight near 40.
Bailey said the question dealt with evidence to be used in Calley's court-martial at Ft. Benning, Ga., early next year and that there should be no comment.
Before Medina began his testimony, Bailey had told newsmen he had no evidence that a massacre had actually taken place and that his client denies any coverup of any incident that occurred at Song My that should have been reported to his superiors.
"As far as Capt. Medina is concerned," Bailey said, "there was no coverup of any known incident that should have been reported."
He added: "I have heard no evidence to satisfy me that anything that could be described as a massacre actually took place," at Song My.
Officials planned no disciplinary action against the two officers on duty, who were lecturing to a group of citizens.
The lecture was on how to run a police station.
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