- Come on. Let's go.
- Yeah.
- Hurry up.
- Hurry up.
My name... Li Pang.
I want to be
good engineer
like Mr. Martinson.
Very good, Li. Very good.
You're gonna be talkin' like
an American before ya know it.
Mr. Martinson?
- How you call?
- Well, that's a wrench.
- "Lench?"
- Kun dje luen.
Kun dje luen. "Lench."
No, not "Lench."
Wrench. Rh-h!
Now, I know that's a hard
sound for you to get...
Look out!
What happened?
Punjit? Punjit?
- Yes, sir?
- What happened to the truck?
It's Mr. Martinson's.
Came from up there.
- Was he in it?
- Yes.
I work no more on this road!
Drunk man in truck.
Drunk man kill.
- Punjit, who saw this happen?
- Me. I see.
Drink too much Whiskey,
then truck kill Johnny Sumpat.
You not give one big damn
what happen
to poor Sarkhanese people!
We all feel bad about this.
But that kind of name-calling
is not gonna help anybody.
I quit!
I work no more
for American imperialists!
His neck's broken.
He couldn't have felt
a whole lot.
Was he really drunk?
I don't remember ever seeing
him take a drink, Homer.
Mullins, there's somethin'
weird going on around here.
Come on. Let's get him
back to the base.
Punjit, that guy quit.
Get him outta here.
I told them the autopsy proved
that our truck driver
wasn't drunk
and I asked for a retraction.
Did they retract it?
They did not.
They just changed it around.
This may be your last chance
to set the record straight.
One clear, sane statement about
why we're building Freedom Road.
Those reporters
are willing to listen.
They'd like to know.
It's not that simple.
I've been sitting here
trying to put it
into words,
but what's the use?
Those reporters twist
everything I say.
I know that Freedom Road
is good for them,
and you know it,
and Bing knows it.
But how do you tell
these Sarkhanese people?
They don't
really want to know anyway.
Alright.
I'll go down
and tell them that you're sick.
Mr. Ambassador,
I understand what you want.
I'll ad-lib something.
I'll take the seriousness out.
Don't worry, Grainger.
Everybody loves Joe Bing.
- And thank them for coming.
- Yes, sir.
You're not gonna see them
at all, are you?
I've only a couple of days left
in this assignment, Grainger.
We should wait
till the new ambassador comes.
MacWhite has been
named as ambassador.
And if the Senate
confirms him tomorrow,
he'll be here
in a couple of weeks.
I shouldn't start something I'm
not going to be here to finish.
So, we do nothing again.
Then you gentlemen will
report back to the committee
on Tuesday at 11 o'clock
for a continuation
of this hearing.
Is the ambassador-designate
to Sarkhan next?
- Yes, Mr. Chairman.
- Mr. MacWhite in the room.
- Mr. MacWhite.
- Right.
Now, keep your vest pulled down.
Mr. MacWhite.
Mr. MacWhite, we are
glad to have you say
why you think
we should act favorably
on your nomination
as ambassador to Sarkhan.
Mr. Chairman, Senators.
I have about 15 pages here
which I wrote last night, uh
in explanation
of my qualifications.
And as I read them over
this morning,
they sound so much
like my own eulogy
that I've decided
to let my mother
publish them privately
after I'm dead.
So, if you don't mind,
I would just prefer
to answer the questions.
Have you any speaking knowledge
of the Sarkhanese language?
Uh, yes, a little.
Will you say something,
please?
Khor santiseek chong mee
kas prachachen tua lak.
- What does that mean?
- Roughly that means...
"May there be peace among
all peoples of the world".
Uh, you were vice president
of MacWhite Publications
in charge of the foreign office,
isn't that so?
That's right.
Headquartered in Paris.
Would that background
qualify you for this position?
Well, one of the functions
of my job, senator,
was to, uh,
interview world leaders.
Uh, you probably know what it's
like to be interviewed, senator.
And I think that, uh,
you can appreciate
that a good reporter
has to win the confidence
and trust of people,
if he's to write
anything perceptive about them.
I've never read anything
perceptive about me.
Well, I've...
I haven't interviewed you.
I will now yield
to my distinguished friend
from the nation's dairyland,
Senator Macon.
Sir, I thought this was
a very poor nomination
when it came down,
and I still do.
Mr. MacWhite...
let's get into your war record.
You were in Sarkhan
during the war?
Yes, my plane was shot down,
and I bailed out.
Why'd they give you
the Silver Star?
Well, as you know
from the citation...
I don't know anything,
Mr. MacWhite.
The record's blank
until you fill it in.
The award was given
for sabotage activities
behind enemy lines. Um...
Sarkhan was under
Japanese occupation at the time,
and I fought with
the Sarkhanese underground.
Nothing personal
in my attitude, Mr. MacWhite.
I just wanted to see
if you'd fly off the handle.
I know Senator Brenner
has to leave shortly,
and he's anxious
to question this nominee.
I yield to him
and leave the rest
of my interrogation
until he's finished.
I appreciate
the senator's generosity
and with the chairman's kind
indulgence
I will attempt
to curb my oratory
and make my questions brief.
Now, I think you mentioned
reporting and sabotage
as things you do very well.
Is it
your belief that all reporters
are qualified to be ambassadors?
No more than all ambassadors
are qualified to be reporters.
Is it your belief that all men
skilled in sabotage,
who happen to be
in Sarkhan during the war,
are qualified to be ambassadors?
Well, unless I haven't been
properly briefed, senator,
I wasn't aware that, uh,
sabotage was one
of the qualifications
you were looking for.
Serious answers would be
more to your benefit,
Mr. MacWhite.
I beg your pardon, senator.
I didn't take
your line of questioning
as having a serious intent,
I beg your pardon.
Now, according to your dossier,
your chief qualification
seems to be your friendship
with this man Chai Keong.
- Beg your pardon, sir?
- Chai Keong.
Uh, uh, the name is Deong, sir.
It's pronounced with a,
it's pronounced with a 'D.'
- Deong.
- Yes.
This man was your wartime buddy.
An ordinary rice farmer
who helped you blow up bridges.
Uh, he was a rice farmer,
senator.
I think "Ordinary"
has very little
to do with Deong, however.
An extraordinary rice farmer.
The record stands corrected.
Does this man
hold public office?
He was offered
the, uh, prime ministership
which he felt
he didn't have enough education
or polish to accept.
So, he stepped aside after
he led his people to revolution.
The answer is no.
Can you say why your friendship
with this man who has no say
in his government's policies
should qualify you?
Uh, yes,
I think I can, senator.
Deong is as important
to Sarkhan
as de Gaulle was to France
before he resumed
the presidency.
He may be the single most
popular man
in his country today.
And he has a profound
influence on his people.
When was the last time
you saw him?
Uh, seven years ago
in Hong Kong.
We spent a day together.
The time before that
was 1948 in, uh, Bangkok.
I think it was a weekend.
I'm not sure. We...
We'd been celebrating
our reunion
with a touch of rice wine,
as I recall.
Both times were before
Sarkhan gained independence.
That's right.
What'd you talk about?
I don't know. Personal things.
Don't you remember
what you talked about?
Oh, I, I think
we discussed whatever
good friends talk about,
personal things.
I think we discussed, uh, life,
the ladies, um...
As a matter of fact
I think we spent
most of our time laughing.
- But not politics?
- I don't recall.
We might have
touched on the subject.
Do you write
to each other frequently?
Yes, so do our wives.
You influence his thinking?
Oh, yes,
I... I would say so, uh...
In the same way
that good friends
always influence each other.
Uh, during the war he was
very curious about democracy.
- And I gave him my views.
- Does he share them?
To a large extent.
I... In his own way, senator.
Uh, I would say so. Yes.
That still prevails?
Our friendship prevails,
senator.
And as I say,
uh, we haven't discussed
politics for quite some time.
So, in your own mind
this warm friendship
still prevails?
You share and respect
each other's views?
And you feel that this common
ground will enable you
to present the position
of this country
to a sympathetic
and influential popular leader?
You agree with my conclusions?
I think you've summed it up
admirably, senator.
Thank you, Mr. MacWhite.
I present the following document
for the committee's edification.
Quote..
"The United States
has again taken up
"the cudgel of colonialism.
"I warned America!
"Our multitudes are pledged
"as one man, one voice,
one heart
"to resist the imperialist
tide to the end
and beyond the end." Unquote.
Now, that sounds Red to me!
Not only is that speech
out of context...
Do you respect and share
those views, Mr. MacWhite?
No, I do not share them!
Yes, I do respect them.
And I resent the senator's...
Do you deny that Deong is an
out-and-out Communist who wan...
I deny that. I deny that
emphatically, senator.
And furthermore, I would like
to point out to you that
that speech was made
at the Afro-Asian Conference
in Bandung,
April 18th, 1955,
which was three months
after Deong
had led his people
to independence
and after the United States
had postponed recognition
of that independence
and after you, sir,
on the senate floor
spoke out clearly
against any foreign aid
at all to his country.
Now, I submit that
Deong had cause for passion
but those are not the views
he holds today.
Here's a picture taken
just last spring, Mr. MacWhite.
Take a look at it.
Deong at the May Day Parade
in Peiping
shaking hands
with Chou En-lai.
Senator, I, I can show you
countless photographs
of, uh, the president
shaking hands with Khrushchev.
Now, on those grounds, are you
willing to call
the President of the United
States a communist as well?
I'm willing to call you
not well-informed enough
to represent this country.
I called Castro Red in 1958
when people like you
were clapping hands
over every move he made,
and I say it about Deong.
What have you to offer
except blind faith
that Deong is not a communist?
What I have to offer, Senator,
I think has been clearly
documented in this hearing.
But if faith
in Deong's beliefs
were the only thing
I had to offer,
I would be proud and confident
to stand on that alone.
We must not be the grass
beneath the fighting
elephants
of east and west!
We do not want
the American military road!
We do not want to be
in the Cold War!
But our
Prime Minister Kwen Sai
has pushed us into it!
We have no voice!
We have no vote!
But...
a new American ambassador
is coming tomorrow...
a dear friend of mine
from long ago.
When he hears us say,
we do not want the road
he will listen.
I'm not welcome
in official circles.
I have not been invited
to greet him.
But you can go to the airport
without an invitation.
Stand quiet with your
banners and your signs.
Be peaceful.
Welcome him,
but let him know
what we insist upon!
Sarkhan for the Sarkhanese!
Come on, let's go.
- Nick Grainger, Mr. Ambassador.
- How do you do?
Joe Bing.
Well, it's a little noisy
this Sunday, isn't it?
There's a riot starting over
there, Mr. Ambassador.
I think we better hurry.
Alright.
Let me help you,
Mrs. MacWhite.
Tragedy.
Rioting.
Bloodshed.
Everything went wrong.
MacWhite?
Is he safe?
Yes.
The army came.
And our people?
Did our people take part?
Not at first, but it spread.
It spread.
It was madness.
I'm Ambassador MacWhite.
I've met
the chiefs of section
and I'll,
I'll get to know
the rest of you
as we go along.
I realize
that we weren't, uh,
expected to
start business until tomorrow,
so please accept my apologies
for interrupting
your day of rest.
Is there
a Mr. Jacobson in the room?
Over here.
I had lunch with
your father the other day.
- He sends you his best.
- Well, thank you, sir.
He wrote me about it.
Well, here's a gentleman
looking for a lost tennis ball.
I'm sorry, Mr. Ambassador,
but I didn't have time
to change.
That's perfectly alright,
I'm glad
you got here
as quick as you did.
Buchanan,
uh, political section.
Good. Fine.
Now...
I'd like
to discuss the riot
at the airport.
- The what?
- What riot?
Boy, talk about your
wild men from Borneo.
It's a miracle that we
got out of there alive.
How many of you knew
that there was a riot?
Could I see a show of hands?
How many of you knew
there was going to be
a mass demonstration?
Is your hand up, Jacobson?
One, two,
three, four, five.
Mr. Ambassador?
Johnson.
We heard rumors
there was going to be
some kind of a peaceful
protest march.
That's why the police
were at the airport.
But they said it was
supposed to be limited.
- Who?
- "Who?" What, sir?
- Who said?
- The Foreign Office.
You checked that out?
Not any further
than that. No, sir.
Weren't there any signs
of preparation?
No, uh, movement or...
they just, uh, dig a tunnel
to the airport
and pop up like gophers?
Mr. Ambassador, nobody wants
to wriggle out of a mistake.
Admittedly there was one.
But we, the chiefs of section,
were at the airport.
We couldn't very well keep an
eye on the city streets.
And on Sunday, well
everybody usually
just takes the day off.
On Sunday, Mr. Jacobson,
they bombed Pearl Harbor.
Uh, Mr. Ambassador, if I may?
Most of us here live in
the American compound, sir.
And that happens to be located
way the other side of Haido.
Alright. Who were
the people at the airport?
- Communists.
- No!
There must have been
6000 people out there.
What about Deong?
Well, I don't think Deong's
a communist. I never have.
I've been watching
Deong longer than anyone here.
And when you've got
that many people...
No! I can't buy
that either.
He's a neutralist, Johnson.
Neutralist, nationalist.
Call him anything you like.
But Deong's been
traced to Munsang
seven times in the last month.
And Munsang is the
leader of the Communist Party!
I'd like to interrupt
here, gentleman, to point out
that the only thing
that is clear so far
is that there
is no clarity at all.
So, if you don't mind,
we'll stop this squabbling
and I'll present you
with some facts.
Yes, sir.
About three hours ago...
there was several people
trampled to death.
A policeman was pistol-whipped
until his face
looked like raspberry jam.
And the man who represents
the person
of the President
of the United States
was almost killed...
along with his wife
and other members
of his party.
Now, I... I don't mind
telling you
that I was afraid
out there this afternoon.
But I didn't know what fear was
until this meeting got started.
You gentlemen
have given me
something to think about.
Now, here's something for you.
Confusion, ignorance...
and indifference will cease
as of this moment.
Information about
everything that happens
in Sarkhan will be kept
up-to-date
and that's seven days a week.
That's seven days a week,
gentlemen!
And Sundays included,
and I don't give a damn
where you live!
And the next time
that there are 6000 people
that begin a riot
or six people,
without this embassy
being aware of it,
those responsible will be
on the first plane out of here
with my
personal recommendation
that they be dropped
from the Foreign Service.
Are there any questions?
Will there be any questions
of any kind
from anyone at all?
I want to see your files
on every anti-American
incident that's occurred over
the past six months.
I want to see all progress
reports from all departments
and everything issued
by the USIS.
Now, kindly be back here
as soon as you finish.
That's all.
This note just came.
They said it's important.
Thank you.
Would you please call
Mrs. MacWhite?
Yes, sir.
Grainger, I think
we should have food sent in.
We'll probably be here late.
Mac, you really told them.
You really shook 'em up.
Bing,
I don't like bootlicking.
And, uh, I don't like
your coarse manners.
Now, you get yourself
together or you get out.
Right.
Uh, Bing,
don't call me Mac.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Ambassador...
as the man in charge
of this embassy
since Ambassador Sears left,
I've got to accept
responsibility
for what happened today.
That's right, Grainger.
You've got the responsibility
for that.
Now, today's today.
But I'm going to be
very anxious to see
what you carve out
of tomorrow.
Yes, sir.
Alright. That's all.
Now let's repeat lesson one.
Your first word
in Sarkhanese: Sawad-dee.
Greetings.
Sawad-dee krup.
Greetings, sir.
Now try it yourself.
Sawad-dee.
Sawad-dee krup.
And now the word
for thank you: Kop chai.
Kop chai.
Thank you.
Kop chai.
How do you know
I want that foot covered up?
Well, actually I just, uh...
I just looked at it and rejected
all other possibilities.
How are you feeling,
a little better?
- Much better.
- Really?
Mm-hm.
Mm!
Look what Deong sent us.
Isn't it beautiful?
Read the card.
"This is the spirit-god
of happy homes.
"He comes to yours
with my love.
Deong."
And he sent those flowers, too.
You know,
this is so like Deong
to do something like this.
Can you come to bed now?
No, I wanna run over
and see him now.
So you, uh, get some sleep.
I'll be back a bit later.
I've been trying to sleep,
but it's a little difficult
with all those lizards
all over the ceiling.
I keep wondering when
they're going to fall off.
Oh, listen, honey, don't pay
any attention to them.
You know, they're
absolutely harmless. Really.
You just, you gotta be sure
to keep your mouth shut
at all times.
You'll be alright.
I'll see you later.
Thanks for dropping by.
Yang ngaipuen, old buddy.
Mac.
How are you?
Are you alright?
I got my kneecaps
on backwards
but outside of that,
I'm a complete wreck. Thanks.
Sawad-dee.
Mac,
I've been worried to death
about you and Marion.
But I wasn't there.
It got out of control.
It was a brute.
But, listen, I... I,
I don't wanna talk
about that now.
I just wanna have
a little grog and...
listen to the frogs
and meet your wife.
- Okay.
- She still up?
- Yes.
- Come and meet her.
Marion just loved
the flowers you sent.
They were beautiful,
and that little stone-god
was exquisite.
Only a small thing, Mac.
Well, you shouldn't be
spending your money on us.
Who else should I spend it on?
Rachani.
This is Mac.
Welcome to our home.
Thank you, Rachani, I am...
I am very happy to be here.
I've looked forward to this
for so many years.
I never believed
it would happen.
Come. Let's sit down.
You know
when I first believed it?
When I was kicking
the, uh, snow off my shoes
just before
I got into the airplane.
I realized that I wasn't
gonna have to have
cold toes
for a long, long time.
I'm so anxious to meet Marion.
Marion is dying to meet you.
She, uh,
she wanted to come tonight,
but I thought after all the fun
she had at the airport
this afternoon that, uh,
she ought to have a night's rest
so, if you're not doing
anything tomorrow night,
how about let's all have
dinner together?
- Wonderful.
- Good.
We have some palm whiskey.
Rachani got
especially for you.
I hope you still like it.
Well...
I was always so drunk
when I drank it,
I can't remember
whether I like it or not.
Ah, here's the rest
of the family.
Mac, this is Sawad.
One of my worst assistants.
He's lazy.
He eats too much.
And he's unpatriotic.
Well, if he's all that,
he sounds like my kind of man.
I'm very pleased to meet you,
sir.
This is a great honor for me.
Your name has been
a legend in this house.
That's fine. You can finish
your speech tomorrow.
Sawad came to me
during our revolution.
And I'm glad to say...
he's never left my side.
Sawad,
will you please help me?
Yes.
- Nice kid.
- Yeah.
Well, you're doin' alright,
buddy.
Nice house.
Who you've been
stealin' from?
It's my prize for being
a great national hero.
I figured.
One man got
the Coca-Cola franchise.
- Another got the Grand Hotel.
- Yeah.
And I got this.
Alright. Here we go.
- Thank you, Rachani.
- Well.
Okay.
What have you got here,
a kosher pickle?
- Homemade.
- That's a kosher pickle.
Good.
Life and the ladies.
Oh, boy.
I forgot what good gasoline
tastes like.
Welcome home.
Have forgot
Will be
And for bonny
Annie Laurie
I would lay
Me doon
And dee
Hey, Deong.
Get a load of this guy.
What?
Things get a little rough,
he goes back in his shell
and slams the door,
and he's out to lunch.
Let's have a drink, huh?
Okay, but just, just one
for medicinal purposes.
Pardon me, sir,
did you want your hamburger
with everything on it?
I wish I'd been a turtle
this afternoon.
I don't mind tellin' ya.
You know,
when I left here in 1945,
everybody was there
and smiling faces
and, and nice people
and, I, I practically
got buried alive in flowers.
Then this afternoon
I just got buried alive.
Something's changed
in 15 years. I don't know.
Mac.
I sent those people
to the airport this afternoon.
You lost me, kid.
I don't follow you.
I don't know
what to do, Mac.
All day I wanted to be dead.
You mean you sent...
6000 people
to demonstrate against me?
Just to demonstrate, Mac.
It wasn't supposed
to be a riot.
Do you know what happened
out there today?
Uh, a battering ram
missed Marion's face
about seven inches.
Six people almost got killed.
And you're tellin' me that there
wasn't supposed to be a riot?
Please, try to understand.
I have to wear two faces now.
One face said to my people,
"He is my friend...
my dear friend."
But the other face
belongs to Sarkhan.
And it had to say...
"He is American.
Let America know
what we insist upon."
You could have come to me
yourself.
I mean, we don't see
eye-to-eye on everything.
No, friends never do.
That's what
they sent me here for!
We're supposed to be able
to talk to one another.
Do they know...
I'm against Freedom Road?
Well, yeah, they got
a pretty good idea of it.
And where do you
stand on that, Mac?
Where do I stand?
Do you still hate warmongering
as much as ever?
What's warmongering got to do
with Freedom Road?
China and North Sarkhan
complain all the time about it.
They say it's an act
of American aggression
against peace-loving people.
I thought Freedom Road
was just supposed
to, uh, benefit the economy.
Whose economy?
Kwen Sai's?
That puppet you keep
in the Government House?
The common
people have nothing.
Not an egg.
Not a piece of fish!
What are you yelling
at me for?
I didn't put him there.
Not you. O... Of course not.
But, but I really get mad
when I hear the talk
about the economy.
Mac, Freedom Road is power.
Power for Kwen Sai,
that's all.
Power to use against us...
with the army
the Pentagon trains...
and the tanks
that Wall Street sells.
The tanks...
that Wall Street sells.
Oh, boy. This...
This is beginning
to sound like a...
Like a what?
Uh, I don't know.
I don't know, kid, I...
Listen, I'm,
I'm just wiped out, kid.
There's nothin' gettin' through.
- Now, let's call it a night.
- Okay.
I'm tired too.
- We'll see each other tomorrow.
- Good.
Okay. Alright. Listen,
now where are my shoes?
What?
In the house.
I'll fetch them.
Okay.
We go round city
two times now, sir.
Where we go now, please?
Just, uh, drive around again.
Oh, I'm sorry
to get you out of bed, kid.
Come in.
I didn't mean
to wake everybody up.
That's all right, Mac.
What's wrong?
I got to talk to you.
Come on.
Let's go in the house.
No, I don't want to disturb
Rachani.
Why don't we just sit over here?
It's just as good.
Alright.
What's happened?
I don't know, it's, uh...
It's a hard one
to get ahold of.
Maybe it was the palm whiskey.
But some of the things that
you were saying here before
just kinda, uh,
just kept flapping back
to me out of the night.
What things did I say, Mac?
Well, American aggression...
warmongering...
tanks that Wall Street sells.
I didn't make them up, Mac.
You can hear them all over.
That's right, but, uh,
the point is they're not true,
they're not,
they're not accurate.
I think they are true.
You don't
actually believe that...
America has aggressive aims
in Sarkhan?
Yes, I do.
Deong...
my staff tells me that you've
been seeing a lot of this
local
Communist Leader Munsang.
Is that true, Deong?
Is one of the magazines
going to write
an editorial about me?
No.
I'm serious, kid.
So am I.
And I don't think
you want to ask me
these questions.
Deong, do you remember
before when we were talking?
You said to me,
"Mac, I gotta wear two faces."
- You remember that?
- Mm-hm.
Well,
I gotta wear two faces too.
You don't know how they've
been sniping at me about you.
The people in Washington,
the people in my embassy.
Now, I'm not
accusing you of anything.
I'm just asking
for a little reassurance.
I'm asking for your
reassurance too, Mac.
All the people
in Sarkhan are united
against the American
military adventure here
and we will not be
compromised.
What military adventure?
Freedom Road!
Freedom Road symbolizes
development here.
And once that happens,
North Sarkhan
can't take this country over
because it's very difficult
to subvert people
that have enough to eat
and a capacity
to defend themselves.
Now, Deong,
if this doesn't begin
to sink in pretty soon,
this country, Sarkhan
is going to end up
just the way Cuba did.
Cuba?
Cuba is what you made it.
You helped Batista,
just as you help Kwen Sai
against the people.
You always make
dictators strong,
then wonder why
you are not loved.
Deong, I don't approve of
dictators any more than you do!
But if supporting dictators
helps to keep
the free world free,
we'll support them.
Expediency!
Well, we're not gonna
sit by and be spectators
to a communist takeover
in this country!
What communist takeover?
America's putting the guns
and tanks into this country.
America's building
that damn military road!
I told you, Deong!
It's not military!
Then force Kwen Sai
to prove it's for my people.
Take your guns and tanks
away from him!
The minute we take our
guns and tanks out of here
there will be a vacuum that
the communists will jump into
faster than
Hitler took Poland.
Now who's spouting slogans?
Where do you think you are?
Little Rock?
And who do you think I am?
Your little brown brother?
No. I'll tell you
who I think you are.
I think you're a dangerously
misinformed man
with a sinister notion
about what
the United States stands for.
This is Sarkhan,
not the United States!
We don't get down on our knees
to the Stars and Stripes here.
You cheap, twisted ingrate.
I am damn proud
of the Stars and Stripes,
and they've been
pretty good to you.
Who do you think's
been buyin' your groceries
for the past seven years?
I'm not talkin' about
the United States Government!
I'm talkin' about
the American people!
From Boise, Idaho,
and Moline, Illinois!
People who've contributed
millions of dollars
out of their own pockets
to Project HOPE
to the CARE packages sent
all over the world
to people like you!
You can't buy gratitude
with your handouts!
We don't need your gratitude!
And we don't want you
down on your knees to us!
Or to Russia
or to Red China either!
Don't preach at me!
- I'm not your pupil anymore!
- I'm warning you, Deong!
For the last time
you better listen...
I will not listen
to your garbage anymore!
This is not your country!
It's mine!
You're a Judas goat.
And you're leading your
people right straight
to the slaughterhouse!
Now, you listen!
You wouldn't care about us
if the Cold War didn't exist!
Millions of us know it!
Wherever you've exploited us,
cheated us,
abandoned us to tyrants
like Kwen Sai,
wherever black or brown
or yellow men
can read the newspapers
and know...
Get your hand out of my face!
Your democracy's a fraud!
It's for white people only!
I warn you.
If we have to die again,
we will die again.
If we have to kill you,
we will kill you!
But we won't let the
Yankee imperialist bastards
tell us what to do!
This is one Yankee...
that isn't even gonna
try to tell you.
You're not a Judas goat,
Deong.
You're just a communist.
It's 6:30.
I thought you got...
killed in an alley
or something.
Sorry, babe.
What's the matter?
Ambassador MacWhite, I'd like to
speak to Mr. Grainger.
Can't you tell me anything?
Grainger?
MacWhite here.
We're
in a political emergency.
I want you to do three things.
I want you to assemble the staff
for an eight o'clock briefing.
Get the code clerk out of bed
and ask him to stand by.
I want to send a night action
cable to the Secretary of State.
And I want to see
Freedom Road this morning.
I'll fill you in
at the embassy.
Mac, can't you tell me
what happened?
Deong's a communist.
A communist?
Yeah.
Yep, every time
he opened his mouth,
right on the party line.
What about the... the present
and, and the flowers and...
and the note, doesn't...
Doesn't it mean anything?
Yeah.
That means we have an excellent
chance of losing Sarkhan...
and then all the rest
of Southeast Asia.
And that Senator Brenner
was right about Deong,
and I was wrong.
For 15 years...
I was wrong.
- Homer Atkins.
- Guilty.
Very pleased to meet you,
Homer,
heard a lot of wonderful things
about you.
Thank you, sir.
I'd like you to meet
my wife Marion.
- How do you do, Mr. Atkins.
- Mr. Atkins.
Call me Homer,
for Pete's sake.
- Hello, Oscar.
- Fine, fine.
I just introduced you to 'em.
- Sawad-dee.
- Sawad-dee-ka.
Ah!
I'd like you to meet,
uh, meet a colleague
of mine, Punjit Chaka.
Punjit, this is Mrs. MacWhite.
- How do you do.
- Ambassador MacWhite.
Very pleased to meet you.
But I wanted
to tell you, Mr. Chaka
that it's, it's impossible
to ride on that road
without realizing what a
wonderful piece of work it is.
Thank you. We are very honored
you have come to see it.
Well, it's our pleasure.
Punjit's the fellow that keeps
the ball bouncing around here.
Come on, let's go down
to the hospital and see Emma.
Well, this is a
children's clinic started by
Emma and Homer entirely
at their own expense.
How marvelous.
We figured, who wants to be the
richest people in the cemetery?
No, actually, Homer,
this is, uh, this exactly
the kind of thing we need.
It's worth a million dollars
in foreign aid.
Hello, Murphy.
What's the good word?
- Save your money.
- "Save your money" is right.
Hey, Emma. Here's our company!
Well!
- Welcome to Chang 'Dong.
- Hello. How are you?
Thanks very much.
Pleasure to see you.
- Hello, Oscar. Punjit.
- Fine, fine.
I was just bedding
the kids down for a nap.
- Mm-hm.
- This is Ti-Ti.
Oh, come now!
None of that shy stuff.
- Say hello, Ti-Ti.
- Hello, Ti-Ti.
Sawad-dee.
That's alright.
Sawadee, Ti-Ti.
Oh, isn't she heaven!
Uh, why don't you girls
go ahead and talk girl talk.
Mr. Ambassador, I'd like
to have you come down
to meet the village head man.
Oh, alright. Good idea.
We'll see you
a little bit later.
- Certainly.
- Bye, Ti-Ti.
I'd just love to look around
before they all go to sleep.
Go ahead.
You get accustomed to sights
like that after a while.
- What's wrong with him?
- Starvation.
They have a lot of it here.
Gee, I really admire you.
What brought you way out here?
Oh, something Homer calls,
"unfinished world business."
And I guess
I feel that way, too.
You know,
once you've been a nurse
you can't keep your nose out.
You hear things,
you see things.
One day,
I was having a shampoo
down by the river.
There was this woman
watching me.
They bathe here all the time,
but they can't afford soap
a lot of 'em.
Anyway,
I knew she wanted to try.
I gave her the shampoo,
and one thing led to another.
Midwives started coming around
asking me how to bathe
the new babies and how
to cut the umbilicus with
a decent knife instead of
that bamboo they use here.
The tetanus here
is simply terrible.
And, well, I don't know.
Looked around,
and here it was...
and here I am.
Emma.
The head man
is convinced of the fact
and he says the people
of Chang 'Dong feel that way.
Tell him
we think that the accident
that killed Johnny Sumpat
was caused by
people who do not want
Freedom Road.
He says they are afraid,
people have come in the night
to threaten them.
What people?
Tell him that it would be
very helpful
if he could tell us
who they are.
Alright, Homer,
I want to see everything now.
We get on some elephants,
go see some jungle felling.
- Alright. Let's go.
- Alright.
When they bed down
the equipment every evening,
they grab their tool, they go
right to work on the hospital.
They want a concrete ward, now,
Punjit's figured a way
to get electricity in there.
What is it, Poona?
Please, you show us where
to build now?
- I'll be right with you.
- Thank you.
Don't be strangers now
and if you can't come,
send your wife.
She has a great talent
with children.
The kids can say my name
already.
- Thanks so much, Emma.
- Bye-bye, dear.
- Emma, pleasure to meet you.
- Bye-bye.
See you soon.
Punjit, nice to see you.
- Sawadee.
- Sawadee.
Homer, it's been
a very instructive day.
Thank you
for being interested enough
to come down to see us, sir.
Oh, we're interested, Homer.
There was,
uh, one more thing.
How far can you pave in a day?
We can pave a quarter of a mile
a day, Mr. Ambassador.
But I'm afraid
we're gonna get slowed down
now with this
Johnny Sumpat trouble.
We're not gonna get slowed down,
Homer, by Johnny Sumpat...
or anybody else.
Yes, sir.
Be hearing from me.
Thank you, sir.
- So long, Oscar.
- Bye, Homer.
Bye.
What's this all about?
Deong began
a fast this morning.
He has sworn not to eat again
until Freedom Road is stopped.
I guess he knew you'd be here,
Mr. Ambassador.
The palace announced you'd be
coming to present credentials.
Your Majesty,
I have been charged
to convey to you
the very best wishes
of my president
and my government.
It is their earnest hope
that the friendship between
our two countries shall
continuing peace and security.
May God have Your Majesty
in His wise keeping.
We have the pleasure
to receive you as ambassador
to our government, and we
welcome the harmonious relations
we enjoy with the
United States of America.
You're a young man
to be an ambassador.
Perhaps,
but then the United States
is still a young country.
Sarkhan is an old country
with a young government.
May I present
our Prime Minister,
His Excellency Kwen Sai.
Mr. Ambassador,
I am happy you could accept
my invitation for lunch.
I look forward
to a frank exchange of views.
So do I, Your Excellency,
and I appreciate
your seeing me so soon.
Your Majesty,
may I present my staff.
My Deputy Mr. Grainger.
I don't flatter myself
that I'm an expert
in human behavior,
Mr. Ambassador.
But I must say...
that your appraisal of Deong
doesn't seem to coincide
with mine at all.
I'm not frightened of
Deong, Mr. Prime Minister.
As to his power, that's a fact.
That's an odious fact.
I don't think it takes
an expert on anything to realize
that Deong won't stop at a riot,
a hunger strike
or anything else.
And I think that
we must let the facts
dictate future decisions.
Don't you agree?
Patience and moderation,
Mr. Ambassador.
To overreact
is often less effective
than not to react at all.
Have another brandy?
No, thank you.
I don't mean to throw cold
water on your fervor.
I'm quite sure you
came in here with some kind
of a countermeasure,
and I'd be interested
to hear you out.
I recommend this...
Face Deong down
while you still have time.
Do everything possible
to split his following
and move the majority
to support your government.
How?
By proving
to the Sarkhanese people
that Freedom Road is
something for their benefit,
and by making it clear
to the communists
that you are going
to put the pressure on
and that you're going
to keep it on.
Now, I think that this can be
accomplished very simply.
Instead of the road moving
east here to Ping Mei,
it should
strike straight north...
all the way
to the Sarkhanese border.
Now, that would produce
two dynamic effects.
It will open up
this whole timber area
for development, which would
benefit the economy
and it would drive
a harpoon right into
the heart of the
communist concentration.
And point number three:
Provoke my enemies.
I'm afraid it would be
too explosive.
My government feels that this
is an extremely worthwhile plan.
Will your government stand by
its military commitments
to Sarkhan
in the event of trouble?
The United States stands by
its military commitments
everywhere in the world.
But there's no reason to regard
this as a military situation.
It's purely
a political maneuver.
That's your opinion.
I must know if your
commitments would apply.
Well, these commitments,
Mr. Prime Minister,
work two ways.
And quite frankly,
my government
is still waiting to see
some evidence of democratic
reforms in Sarkhan.
Mr. Ambassador,
the ideal of democracy
has been the fountain
of my life.
But I've told your government
time and again,
to give freedom
to a politically immature people
is to put a dagger
in the hand of a lawless child.
The lack of democracy
is often a sharper dagger,
Mr. Prime Minister.
And, as it stands now,
your brother is, uh,
commander in chief
of the armed forces,
your, uh, cousin
is director of public works.
And I would make
my mother-in-law
chief of police
if she were qualified,
and sometimes I think she is.
You see, Mr. Ambassador...
we're starved for people with
administrative training here...
and I haven't the luxury
to pick and choose
as your president has.
I grant you that.
But you must
make a start somewhere,
and I'm convinced
that dramatizing the road
could be the beginning of
democratic reforms in Sarkhan.
I'm convinced
that you're convinced
of everything you say.
But before you go on...
have I America's
absolute commitment
to stand behind us
in the event of trouble?
You have.
Under the SEATO Treaty.
The moment that foreign troops
with a hostile intent
cross your borders,
you will have the full support
of American military power.
Alright. We are agreed.
Now, how do you propose
we dramatize the road?
Next week is the anniversary
of Sarkhanese independence.
- Is it not?
- Wednesday, yes.
Now, I propose that
if the king could be persuaded
to cut the ribbon...
Sawadee.
Well, thank you,
now, would you mind getting
your rhinoceros nose
out of my drink
and stop the snorkeling,
if you don't mind?
- Want a sip?
- Mm-hm.
- Oh! No, no.
- Oh, you meanie.
Well, that's coffee.
Hey! Who's that guy
there in the monkey suit?
Hello.
How are you, Homer?
Fine, Mr. Ambassador.
- Good to see you.
- Thank you.
Sit down.
Uh, where's, uh, Emma?
Did you bring her down?
Uh, you can't get her away
from that hospital.
She's got those kids up there,
peerin' down their throats,
makin' 'em all say, "Ah."
Otra vez.
Well, how about another beer,
Homer?
I'll skip this round.
Thank you.
Oh, wait a minute, Homer.
I rode your elephant yesterday.
You're gonna drink
my beer, today.
That's right, Homer.
Fair is fair.
Mr. Ambassador,
my assistant Punjit...
that young man I introduced
you to yesterday.
Yeah?
He's murdered last night.
That young man?
Yes, ma'am.
How did it happen, Homer?
Oh, I, I brought you some
pictures, sir.
They must've got him
out in the jungle.
Good Lord.
That's awful.
I'll take you up on that
beer now, Mrs. MacWhite.
Yeah.
That boy and I have been
together for two years.
Forgive me, Homer,
if I don't know what to say.
- It's just, uh...
- It's alright, sir.
The reason I came here
to see you today...
you remember the head man
telling us about those warnings?
Yeah.
Now, this murder has, has topped
the whole thing right off.
I ordered that security
you requested,
and I think that's going
to help a lot.
No, sir, it's not.
Excuse me, sir. It's not.
The people up there
don't even trust their own
neighbor anymore.
This road means a lot to me,
Mr. Ambassador
and I know what it means to you,
but I think the thing
for us to do right now
is to stop work on this road.
Just ease off.
Let everything
settle down a little bit.
Well, I don't think we can quit,
Homer, just because
we have a couple
of casualties, do you?
Well, we're not at war, sir.
We are at war, Homer.
And the more we back down,
the more they'll attack.
Today I spoke
with the prime minister,
and we agreed that...
the best way to handle this
is to drive
Freedom Road right
straight up to the border.
- Border?
- Mm-hm.
Now, next Wednesday,
the king is coming up
to Chang 'Dong
to dedicate the road.
Mr. Ambassador...
with all due respect, sir,
that is the worst idea
I ever heard.
I know these people.
They're not willing to die
for Freedom Road.
I'll be honest with you.
I don't know what's
gonna happen when we try pull
a stunt like this,
but it's gonna be real bad.
Don't take my word for it.
Don't take Kwen Sai's either.
Ask Deong. He's neutral.
He's honest.
If anyone can tell you what the
people are thinking, he can.
Homer...
whether or not
I talk with Deong,
I think, is irrelevant
at this point
but I think it's a good idea,
and maybe my bones have
more information than yours.
Please, Mr. Ambassador.
Please call this party off, sir.
Give me $50,000,
a little chicken wire.
Let me build a decent hospital
for these people
somewhere down the road.
You saw for yourself how much
they love what Emma's doing.
They'll build that road
themselves,
if it'll take them to their
hospital.
It'll give things time
to quiet down a little.
That's the whole point, Homer.
There isn't any time, none.
Now, there's only one way to go,
and that's the way
we're going.
Okay, sir.
- Good evening, ma'am.
- Bye, Homer.
We'll need a,
uh, pavilion to keep
the sun off the king,
Homer, and, uh...
some exhibition stalls
and, uh...
Well, we'll send you
the plans tomorrow.
Alright, sir.
It'll be done.
- Goodnight, sir.
- Best to Emma.
What's the matter, MacWhite?
It's all upside-down,
isn't it?
It's not upside-down.
It's just tedious.
But it is upside-down.
You say Deong's a communist.
Homer, he seems to think
he's something else.
Homer says, to build,
to build a hospital.
You say...
I don't know.
I have the most
awful feeling that...
nobody really knows
what is going on
or what we're up to...
Ever since I got here
I've been receiving
a lot of misinformation
about the politics
of this country from people
who are not qualified
to talk about it.
Now, if you don't mind,
I would just as soon
not have to face that
when I come home, one.
And if it's not
a great sacrifice,
I would like to have
a martini and a dinner...
- And we will call it a day.
- And, uh, call it a day.
Ah, Deong.
Welcome to our little, uh,
summit conference.
Are you surprised?
Oh.
I admit curiosity,
Ambassador Krupitzyn.
Why did you ask me
to come here?
The Munsang did the inviting.
I'm only here
to give moral support.
Gentlemen...
this is Deong,
the great revolutionary hero.
And may
I present Ambassador Wong
of the People's, uh,
Republic of China.
Uh,
Comrade Reznikoff you know.
Colonel Chee of the People's
Republic of North Sarkhan.
Colonel Chee and I have met.
Yes, at Bandung, 1955.
My associates, Paklit, Sawad.
Uh, some, uh,
some water, gentlemen?
I don't know
how you can drink that water.
I've gotta carry my own tea.
The perfect
Soviet diplomat, huh?
Colonel Chee.
Nice to meet you again.
Well, Deong, it seems
your, uh, friend Mr. MacWhite
has decided to become a,
a man of destiny.
Yes?
He and Kwen Sai have changed
the course of Freedom Road.
They are going to build it
right to my border.
I've heard nothing
about such plans.
But, it will be announced
tomorrow in the newspapers.
They begin construction
next week,
two miles above Chang 'Dong.
Why do you all come
to tell me this,
if I can read it
in the newspapers?
Because, Deong...
we think we can help you.
Help me or...
use me?
What?
China, North Sarkhan,
Russia, even Munsang.
Why?
Why do you all
want to help me?
My friend, forget your
cynicism for five minutes.
The local bickering
of Sarkhanese politicians
and American ambassadors
is not important to us.
What is important,
to us and to you, is peace.
To get rid of tension
on the border,
to get rid of reactionary
governments.
To remove western interference
from Southeast Asia.
That's important.
That's important, yes.
What else?
Kwen Sai and MacWhite
have given you the signal
to lead your people
in a crusade to real
independence.
The country will never be
more united against them
than tomorrow when the news
will become public.
Break your fast.
If you want help...
we will help you.
If not, alright.
We'll, uh,
drink some tea and forget it.
What kind of help are you
offering?
- Colonel Chee.
- Guns, food, medical supplies.
And no soldiers
from North Sarkhan
would cross our border.
- No volunteers?
- None.
If there is a revolution...
only Sarkhanese should do it...
and with as little
bloodshed as possible.
Munsang, would you put your
cadres under my command?
I would.
There are many things
to consider.
I will study
the newspapers tomorrow.
Then I will decide.
Hey! Hey, you guys!
You better have plenty
of film in that camera.
That's a real king
we got comin' there.
Come on! Come on!
Get the king shakin' hands.
Attaboy, Your Majesty.
That was a nice smile.
Hey! Hey! Get the king
over there with the priests!
- Bing.
- Sir.
You report to me
as soon as you get back.
You're all through.
In the name of our subjects,
I dedicate this good work
to the people of our land.
May they and their children
prosper and find relief
from life's suffering
in this great highway,
Freedom Road.
Never mind her. She's dead!
Mr. Ambassador,
the Prime Minister
is anxious to see you.
Oh, there you are, Ambassador.
I have very grave news.
My radio reports
a major coordinated attack.
Villages are being looted,
guerrilla units
are operating
near the capital.
Is there any evidence
of foreign troops
fighting with Deong's forces?
I have reports of that,
and if those reports
are confirmed,
I'll have to invoke our treaty.
Alright, I'll be in touch
with the Seventh Fleet
and the State Department
and please let me know
if it's confirmed.
Homer. Marion.
We have to evacuate
all American personnel.
Now, as soon as
the ambulances get here,
I want you and Emma
to come along.
This is war, Homer,
it's all over the country.
I'll get everybody out
immediately, Mr. Ambassador
but, uh, for Emma
it's not going to be that fast
not with all there
is to do around here.
- Well, alright.
- Take care.
We don't have any security
on the way back.
Well, we don't have
any choice, stranger.
How long
before we get to Haido?
Another hour maybe.
Don't tell me it's impossible.
If we're not
on the first plane outta here,
there's gonna be hell to pay.
Mr. Ambassador,
Mr. Ambassador, we didn't think
you'd make it, sir,
the road's been cut.
- Give me two minutes.
- What's happened here?
It looks like a plastic bomb.
What am I supposed to do,
I got a factory up north.
- Was there anyone killed?
- Gunderson, sir.
And there's a woman
in the hospital.
Not now. Grainger.
I want to talk
to Washington right away.
Now, ladies and gentlemen,
one moment, please.
In just a few minutes,
one of the members of my staff
will listen to your problems
and requests.
And each of you will receive
individual attention and care.
Meantime, we would appreciate
so much your, uh,
being able to remain calm
throughout this.
It would be a big help.
Thank you very much.
Tell him to wait five minutes.
What's the most recent report
on Deong's position?
He was headed toward
Government House
under a white flag and
that's the last we've heard.
We seem, we may have
two separate wars going on.
This mob, destroying
everything in its path,
and Deong's boys being
welcomed with flowers.
The main stronghold
in Haido is right here, sir.
It's a radius of seven blocks
around Deong's headquarters.
Mr. Ambassador.
Mareen, call Kwen Sai,
please
and tell him we're on our way.
Grainger.
Deong will speak.
Now, let Deong speak.
My friends,
this is a moment of joy.
But more than joy,
this is a most crucial moment
in the history of our country.
I ask you
to keep this in mind
as we prepare for the future.
Kwen Sai,
I'm addressing you.
In the name
of the Sarkhanese people,
I call upon you
to transfer the government
to me by midnight,
or we will take it by force.
- Ah, MacWhite.
- Mr. Prime Minister.
Did you have trouble
getting through?
- Uh, no, we, uh...
- Good.
Excuse me a moment.
You know,
in the last revolution,
I was in that crowd,
shrieking the same demands.
It's rather
like an overproduced version
of Julius Caesar, isn't it?
Well, I'm happy
to see you're not intimidated
by this
little gathering, today.
Oh, I'm quite relaxed,
actually.
When the worst part of
a nightmare has been realized,
there's nothing very much left
to be afraid of, is there?
Besides, if my head ends up on
a pike in the market square,
I want to be certain
it's smiling.
Well, I admire your composure.
Now, I'll outline
the situation for you.
Deong has given me
until midnight to transfer
my government to him,
or he'll take it by force.
My troops refuse to fight
against his people.
So it's a fait accompli
unless your Seventh Fleet
put men ashore in time.
We have here proof
that hostile elements
of a foreign power
have invaded this country.
Now, take a look.
Pictures
of paratroops landing.
Grainger.
Communist weapons.
They're all there.
Mm-hm.
You know,
the whole situation's
quite fantastic, really.
It's clear now Deong
was never a communist.
The poor,
ignorant fellow was duped
into leading this revolution.
- Duped?
- Yes, duped.
He wasn't duped,
Your Excellency.
Oh, yes, he was.
If you remember,
Mr. Ambassador,
I had reservations about
your opinion of Deong's...
I am thoroughly aware
of your reservations,
Mr. Prime Minister,
and everyone else's reservations
about this matter,
but I cannot in good conscience
say that I accept them
as valid.
Deong has
created this situation.
It is a clear-cut situation,
and it must be dealt with
in a clear-cut fashion.
Not that it's relevant, sir,
but you astound me,
Mr. Ambassador.
I resisted you about Deong,
but you were right.
I resisted changing
the course of the road,
but you were right.
And now my country explodes,
and you still cling
to your rightness.
It might upset
you vaguely, sir,
if I tell you
that you are wrong.
Deong is not a communist.
He has never been a communist.
And as Caesar was betrayed,
so was he!
He knows nothing
about his own situation,
nothing about the paratroops,
nothing about invasion.
And as soon as my
government falls to him,
he is going
to be assassinated!
And, Mr. Ambassador...
if you want a signed confession
to that effect,
that gentleman with the lumps
on his head will provide it.
Here is Colonel Chee of the
North Sarkhanese Invasion Force.
And if you want to prove
to him how right you are,
you're welcome to try.
I now make the formal request
that the Seventh Fleet land
troops here immediately
to guarantee the integrity
of this government.
In order for the, uh,
Seventh Fleet to land troops
here by midnight...
I'll have to notify them
within two hours.
I'll take those two hours
to try to find Deong.
Grainger will stand by here.
He'll be in constant touch
with Washington.
If you haven't heard
from me by then,
well, he has the authority
to begin landing operations.
I'd like to know the name
of Deong's assassin.
I can't tell you that.
Nobody knows.
And while we're
in the field of errors,
I better correct one of mine.
Democratic reforms
are essential now, I agree.
And if you can find Deong,
please tell him that.
Perhaps
a coalition between us
can solve this situation
without further bloodshed.
Thank you.
Uh, Grainger, would you...
would you inform
Mrs. MacWhite?
I'll do that,
Mr. Ambassador.
Thank you.
I must talk with Deong.
It's very important.
Take the driver's keys.
You are
the American ambassador?
- I am.
- Come.
Deong, MacWhite
is here to see you.
Please say why you have come.
I haven't much time.
I'd like to speak with
you alone, if I could, Deong.
Paklit will stay.
Alright.
You've been betrayed.
You're going to be killed.
That's interesting.
North Sarkhanese paratroopers
have landed here.
Your revolution is now
in communist hands.
I see.
What else?
Or have you finished?
No.
I could recite
the, uh, catalog of mistakes
that I've made,
things that I have done
to you, myself.
But there just aren't...
aren't enough years
left in my life
to tell you what I feel...
or how to make it up to you.
You tell Kwen Sai
I don't believe these lies,
and I'm not going to make my
people put down their arms.
I'm not tricked so easily.
Kwen Sai wants to talk to
you about a coalition, Deong.
He's willing to make reforms.
Kwen Sai has nothing
to say to me.
We've gained what we wanted.
You haven't gained anything,
Deong.
I understand that you
don't trust me,
but you can trust
your own people.
Call your northern outposts.
Ask about the paratroopers.
Call Kwen Sai and ask to
speak to Colonel Chee.
How do you know
about Colonel Chee?
I saw him.
He's a prisoner there.
You see communists
in your dreams.
Maybe, but when the Red flag
goes up tomorrow
and you're dead, it really won't
matter much, will it?
I am sorry.
I have no more time.
Deong, if you don't call
on that radio,
you will not only be throwing
away your own life,
but you'll be killing Sarkhan.
Believe me.
Suppose it's true.
What would you want me to do?
It's not my country, Deong.
It's yours.
You said, uh, that you're not
my pupil anymore...
and you're right.
Paklit.
What happened to us, Deong?
We used to want the same
things for each other.
Freedom, peace.
What happened?
Maybe the headlines got to us.
Fear, suspicion.
Ten thousand miles,
and what do ya got?
A couple of political cartoons,
shouting slogans at each other,
hating,
not even trying to understand.
There's no immunity against
a disease like that,
not if it can happen with us.
And you catch it while you're
lookin' the other way.
I'm thinking of the people
who followed me.
Some of them died today.
What... what have I done to them,
Mac?
We can't save those who
are already gone,
but we can keep others
from dying.
You got little more than
an hour to reach Kwen Sai.
Who's going to kill me?
I don't know, kid.
Please wait.
Don't react to what I say.
The revolution is betrayed.
I'm to be killed.
Killed?
How do you know?
Walk with me to the command car.
When I'm in, get those
who have been with me longest.
I must get to Government House
right away.
Yes, Deong.
Deong?
I... I have to get to Kwen Sai.
Help me, Mac.
Come on.
You better lie down, Deong.
Get the doctor.
Come on. No.
Come on.
- Paklit?
- Yes, Deong?
You must tell
the people about this.
Yes, Deong.
Make the new constitution
with Kwen Sai.
Insist...
on our rights.
You understand?
Yes, Deong.
Munsang
is the enemy,
not...
not this man.
Easy, kid.
Please.
Please.
Sawad.
I... I can't believe it.
Goodbye, Mac.
Mr. Ambassador.
Tyler, sir, NBC.
Would you give us a statement
for a delayed telecast
to the States, sir?
I'm sorry, Mr. Tyler.
I have, uh, no statement
to make at this time.
The word is out, Mr. Ambassador,
the word is out
that Deong has been killed.
Is that true?
Yes, that's true.
We gonna lose this country, sir?
Well, we never had this country.
Mr. Ambassador,
who killed Deong?
The, uh, communists.
The communists killed Deong
and, uh, misunderstanding.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I've... I've had
a very difficult day, and I...
- Mr. Ambassador?
- How 'bout one more picture?
A couple of hours ago,
Senator Brenner
called your tenure here
a total failure.
Would you agree
with that?
Yes, uh,
it certainly was a
partial failure, Mr. Tyler.
When I, uh...
when I said that...
that misunderstanding
helped kill Deong,
I meant my own misunderstanding.
See,
Deong had a kind of passion
that,
well,
maybe all revolutionaries have.
It's kind of a feeling that, uh,
it's easy for us
to misinterpret.
We forget that the men
who started our country
had that same kind of passion
that Deong had,
and that these other
new leaders have,
and unless we recognize
their fight
for independence
to be part of our own,
then we... we drive them to seek
understanding
in some other place.
Are you saying that America's
losing the Cold War
because we're pushing
these countries
into the hands
of the communists?
I'm not saying that.
I'm saying we can't hope
to win the Cold War...
unless we... we remember
what we're for,
as well as, uh,
what we're against.
I've learned in a very
personal way, Mr. Tyler,
that I can't preach
the American heritage
and expect to be believed
if I act out of impatience
or sacrifice my principles
for expediency.
I've learned that
the only time we're hated
is when we stop trying
to be
what we started out to be
two hundred years ago.
Now, I'm... I'm not
blaming my country.
I'm blaming
the indifference...
that some of us
show to its promises.
If the Cold War
disappeared right now..
the American people
would still be in this fight
against ignorance
and hunger and disease,
because it's right.
It's right to be in it.
And if I had one appeal...
to make to every American,
it would be that...