from Chris Farley, President Johnson asked Congress on January 19th for a supplementary appropriation of more than $12,500,000,000 for the war in Vietnam, This figure is over 125 times the total programme of aid to 61 nations approved the same day by the U.N, Development Programme (the largest programme of assistance to developing states ever agreed by the U.N.) Johnsonts demand follows a supplementary appropriation of $1,700 million for the war,last
About $4,000 million is now needed for items such as ammunition; over $3,000 million for 900 aircraft and 2,000 helicopters, and about $180 million for 5,000 missiles, A further $2,000 million for military assistance for the puppet army in South Vietnam and other foreign troops; and $415 million for non military assistance - mainly buying friends for the fascist junta in Saigon, (the same day came reports that another 20 odd military officers had been arrested for plotting against the present "“government.") Another U.S. division and several other smaller military formations are being raised for Vietnam. $152 million is requested for “special weapons, research and development." An indication that the peace offensive will continue is given by the news that over double the cost of the war this year has been requested for the fiscal year beginning next July lst. The Times Washingtom correspondent thinks it tunlikely! that the U.S. would welcome a settlement (other than the defeat of the National Liberation Front) until the new aid programme had ‘had time to create what could possibly pass for a South Vietnamese State, t Meanwhile the Pentagon is reported to have allocated about $1,000 m. to a crash programme for the construction and development of land , sea and air bases in South Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Formosa, Three new airfields are to be built in South Vietnam, each of which, it is reliably reported, will be large enough to house a conference table. Whitehall Footnote None of the money mentioned above covers the cost of material for Mr. Michael Stewarts speech writers.