70 years ago today - May 17, 1954

Counselor J. Reuben Clark writes U.S. senator Henry Dworshak: "I am impressed, as to Indo-China with this fact. . . .it is not worth spending our blood for it. . . Finally, while unalterably opposed to Communism, I can imagine that an enlightened Communism may be a whole lot better than a decrepit, deficient, corrupt colonial government [in Indo-China]. I feel that the principle could be applied to very much of the situation in the whole Far East. . . . In my personal view, our greatest danger and greatest handicap is the concept, not yet more than half-expressed, sometimes, perhaps, not even fully recognized that we are destined to dictate to and rule the world, though we have not enough sense to rule ourselves wisely." Indo-China soon becomes separate countries of North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, all of which are part of Vietnam conflict, longest war in U.S. history.