Oct. 18, 1963 - Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu, South Vietnam’s controversial First Lady, accused today a “handful of people” within the Kennedy Administration of committing treason by reducing economic aid to South Vietnam. She told a capacity crowd at a National Press Club luncheon in Washington, D.C., that a few people within the Administration wanted to topple her brother-in-law President Ngo Dinh Diem’s Government by reducing aid. When were her goon squads going to stop beating up American newsman? What, asked Madame Nhu, were goons? The point explained, she described that particular incident as “regretful” and mentioned that a French newsman had been killed while reporting on the riot at the University of Mississippi last year. Asserting that newsmen had been beaten by police while she was in New York last week, she said sweetly that she was relieved that the skirmish had not been blamed on her. While she spoke, pickets paraded across the street. Six of them, identified as members of the Student Peace Union, attempted to march in front of the National Press Club Building. They were arrested after they had defied police orders not to block the sidewalk. Down the street, khaki-clad members of the American Nazi party set up a counter-demonstration. Their swastika armbands were conspicuous as they waved signs proclaiming: “Madame Nhu, we like you,” “JFK Salutes Red Tito, shuns Madame Nhu. Why?” and “Bar-b-que all Reds!”
