University of Virginia Library

Mending Fences

Now that the Vietnam war
has ended let us, the American
people, mend the ties to our
European friends that were
strained by the armed conflict.

On my last trip through
Sweden during the Christmas
vacation, I gained the
impression that the Swedish
people were strongly opposed
to the U.S. military action in
SoutheastAsia. Viewing detailed
television coverage there of the
most recent bombing of
Vietnam, I felt acute
embarrassment for being an
American held responsible for
my government's policy.

But now with the cease-fire
agreement in force, there is
time to restore Europe's
confidence in America as a
peace-loving nation.

My recommendation is that
the University of Virginia
sponsor a meeting of U.S. and
European representatives and
scholars to discuss the Atlantic
community in a post-Vietnam
war era.

This is one thing we can do
to prevent further abuse of
our European allies' loyalty.