Stone Attacks "Murder Machine," Cites Plans for a Protracted War

The military bureaucracy plans a protracted Vietnam war "at a level acceptable to the American people," I. F. Stone, independent journalist and publisher of his own Washington weekly, charged last night.

Speaking along with John Kenneth Galbraith, Paul M. Warburg Professor of Economics, before 1300 people at Sanders Theatre, Stone claimed that the military bureaucracy had learned nothing from Vietnam. "The lesson for them is not 'no more Vietnams.' but to make it easier next time, like in Guatemala or the Dominican Republic." he said.

'Murder Machine'

He said the military is "the biggest murder machine in the history of the human race." Charging that it was "afraid of its own unemployment," he scored the military's "imperialism, militarism, and unilateral interventionism."

Citing the power of the military, Stone said that a $21 billion military appropriations bill was passed by the House after only for hours of debate, despite the fact that few, if any, Congressmen hadread the 2600 pages of testimony on the bill.

"The arms race is not soluble in the present framework of an international jungle." Stone said. He added that under the present system, "There is no way out."

Stone received a one minute ovation when he shouted. "Either we have one world or none."

Politicians in this country are out of touch with the people, Stone said, and pictured President Nixon as "a shallow man with a Cabinet of one-dimensional men."

Cesar Chavez. organizer of the California grape strike, also spoke at the meeting, after finishing his own speech in Lowell Lecture Hall. Chavez extolled the role of students in this country and said that there was a feeling of solidarity between farm workers and students.

Galbraith. in a humorous but caustic speech. emphasized the very small number of Americans now supporting the war. including "the Pentagon and its servants and sycophants in Congressional committee chairmanships."