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"C. Lewandowski said that it was only fair to state that the 'aim of the exercise' between him and D'Orlandi should not be to reinforce the status quo, but to get a 'global' settlement. When he says 'global', he obviously does not mean worldwide; he means 'over all' as regards South Viet-Nam. This, said D'Orlandi, quoting Lewandowski, means 'guarantees, etc.'; therefore 'not just de-escalation. ""

"5. Lewandowski said he was sure that something could be done. Hanoi, he said, looks at the situation through the distorted spectacles of the Viet Cong through whom they get all their information about the situation. 'My job,' said Lewandowski, 'is to explain to Hanoi that they have a wrong view.' The last time he had been in Hanoi neither Pham Van Dong nor General Giap were there, and 'they are the only two in the whole place who talk sense and understand the real situation in the south.:"

LODGE

September 12, 1966

State agreed that the contact be pursued, reserved its position on "changes in the status quo," and offered to look for a gesture of good intent to encourage Hanoi (and D'Orlandi), such as a proposal of mutually-timed withdrawal, or trading a bombing cessation plus & hait in the US troop buildup for an end to infiltration.

State 44917 (to Amembasay Saigon), S/Nlodis, 12 September 1966

Ref: Saigon 5517

"2. Lewandowski's remark that the aim of the exercise should not be to 'reinforce the status quo' is all right if he is talking about the present

status quo in South Viet-Nam. But we cannot buy a discarding of the status quo ante, i.e. the 1954and 1962 Agreements. . . we do not rule out consideration of revisions of the provisions of the Cenev accept no changes un