Photo

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 — The United States will build a complex barrier between North and South Vietnam in hopes of hindering enemy infiltration, Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara announced today.

In confirming the widely published reports that the United States planned such a barrier, he declined to give any details of how it would work other than to say that “equipment to be installed will range from barbed wire to highly sophisticated devices.”

Mr. McNamara is going ahead with the barrier project over the protests of military leaders here who contend it will not be worth the effort.

These military leaders claim it would take an inordinate number of troops to make the barrier effective. They would rather have more troops to step up the ground war in South Vietnam.

Mr. McNamara said at this press conference today that “no obstacle system can stop the infiltration of personnel or supplies.” He termed the barrier instead “a system to make infiltration more difficult.”

Tight Secrecy

The Defense Secretary would not say how far the barrier would extend along the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Vietnam. He added that the Pentagon had clamped a tight secrecy lid on the whole barrier plan. But the barrier, in fact, already is under construction.

The first step was officially described as clearing lines of fire along the DMZ. This amounted to bulldozing a strip 600 yards wide and about six miles long from Gio Linh near the coast toward Con Thien to the west.

The first six-mile strip was started last year and already is overgrown. Initially, wooden watch towers were erected and were promptly burned down by the enemy. The barrier Mr. McNamara talked about today would be a new strip stretching eastward 15 miles toward Laos.

He declined to answer when asked specifically if the barrier would go into Laos, as many advise, including Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield. The Defense Secretary did say that the barrier system would go into operation early next year or possibly this year.

— International Herald Tribune, September 8, 1967 —