"The Worker," in April 1965, claimed that this coalition was starting to form when it stated, "The civil-rights movement was coming to see the identity of interests of the Negro people's freedom movement with the anti-imperialist objective of ending the neo-colonialist war of the United States against the people of Vietnam."
IV. THE EMERGENCE OF THE PEACE ISSUE IN KING'S GROUP
Role as a Peacemaker
King and his aides helped form this coalition of "peace" and "freedom" groups. They saw an opportunity to again propel King into the international spotlight by proposing he make peace in Vietnam.
On August 12, 1965, King announced publicly that he would appeal personally to President Ho Chi Minh of North Vietnam to join a conference to end the Vietnam War. He said he would also send letters to leaders of South Vietnam, the Soviet Union, and the United States in this regard.
This move on the part of King was engineered by Bayard Rustin and Harry Wachtel. In early August, they met and discussed how to inject King into the Vietnam issue. It was decided to have King write these world leaders utilizing King's prestige as a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. This action, they felt, would cast an image of King as a great moral leader and extend his influence beyond the civil-rights movement.
Subsequently, a leading newspaper sent King 12 questions to answer which would clarify his position on Vietnam. Upon receipt of these questions, King referred them to Stanley Levison to answer.
Because of the unfavorable public reaction to King's announcement, a conference with his top advisors was held in early September 1965, at which time it was decided
