The original documents are located in Box D30, folder “Rotary Club, Lowell, MI, August 26, 1970” of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.

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CONGRESSMAN NEWS GERALD R. FORD HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER RELEASE --FOR RELBASE AT 12 NOON-­ 'Hednesday, August 26, 1970

Excerpts from a Speech By Rep. Gerald Ro Ford before the Lowell Rotexl Club

r-.;e have turned the corner into a new era in foreign affairs ..

vie fire embarked on a foreign policy program that can provide the framework

for a durable peace. \>Je are pursuing a policy that contains grefl.t promiS9 and hope

for future ganerationso

I am speaking of the foreign policy enunciated by President Nixon

when he said we will help those of our friends who are wilJing to help themselves ..

The said to Europe, nstay out of tre western hemisphere."

The said to tre Soviet Union, 11Stay out of countries that want to

remain non-Commu.."listo" The says, "The nations of each part of the

world sbonld assume the primary responsibility for their own well-being; and we will

help them do thato 11

The 'Honroe, Truman and Nixon were enunciated at • critical turning

poin~in our histor,y. The Monroe and Truman Doctrines were right for their time; the

Nixon D:>c~ine is right for our timeo

Tm Nixon Doctrine says: •tWe shall be faithful to our treacy commitments,

but vie shall reduce our involvement and our presence in other nations' affairs. 11

Our Vietnam policy corresponds with tm Nixon Doctrine. It is part and

parcel of ito It fits into a special niche in the general framework of our new

foreign pol icy o

Today there is much talk about reordering our priorities. We ~:~re doing

just that--domestically and in foreign affairs.

One of the priorities high on everyone's list is getting American manpower

and dollar commitments out of the war in Southeast Asia. 1Plhere there is disagreement,

it involves the speed cmd circumstances under w-hich we shonld withdraw.

1·Jhen President Nixon took office he WElS faced with three al ternativas in

Vie tnan. rJ J ri tl r •: r..,. One wa.s further escalation of the war in an effort to

"win it.n The second choice was immediate withdrawal. The third choice was to

attempt to build up the ability of the South Vietnamese to maintain tmir own defenoo

Hhile American forces in Vietnam were withdrawn over a period of months.

The President chose the middle course, a policy of Vietn~izing the,~ar, a

~ (' .. policy which would not mdte off the previous investment of American lives an\l~:~treasur~ '~.,____...... ·'

Digitized from Box D30 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library -2-

in Vietnam but would end the Ul!So ground conbat role in Southeast lsiao

The policy of Vietnamijation involved the ability of the North Vietnamese to frustrate the plan. This is why the United States was forced to make a sweep of tr..e Communist sanctuaries in Cambodia even while a policy of winding down the war was ~aing fol2owed in Vietnam.

The fighting in South Vietnam has dropped to a very low laval. American casualties are at the lowest point in four years. We have tvithdravm 110,000 men from Vietnam and v1i1l t·rithdraw another 150,000 by next spring, bringing the total withdrmrals to 260,000. V-'e have al!lo reaffirmed our proposals for a negotiated peace

in Vietnam and have named a new chief negotiator with fresh instruct tons.

As for Viatnamization, it is not just a word. Those who wanted us to pull our immediately are being proved wrong even while they continue with their calls for

It peace now and never mind the price."

The Cambodian Operation Wl!.S a tremendous success despite the domestic furor

it caused. The Communists lost vast stores of supplies, a fact which is reflected

in the current low level of fighting in Vietnam. And now the Communists see a marshaling of South Vietnamese, Cambodian and Thai forces to resist the reestablishment of Comm~~ist sanctuaries in Cambodia while U.So air power continues to interdict their supply routes o

Events in Cambodia have not widened the vmro It has bean an Indochina 'Vlar ever since the Communists violated the neutrality of Laos and Cambodia. to pursue their designs on South Vietnamo k'ihat h a; been widemd is the c ommitrnent of the people of

Cambo4ie. md Thailand to resist a threat to their O'Wll securiey which had been toltiratad too long.

\·ie h!l:we seen the me an ing of the Nixon Doctrine spelled out dramaticalJ Yo It is more than just v.urds9 A s~~rious threat to the safe withdr aval of u.s. troops from South Vietnam has been overcomeo Nations which must:•accept more responsibili"tlf for their own survival under the Nixon Doctrine have shown a willingness to do exactly th~t.

The Nixon Doctrine also is working in the Middle East. t'Thile tl::e cease-fire there is only a first step toward peace ar.rl a tenuous one at that, it is a hig ni.y

important first step. And it came as a result of Nixon Administration initiative 0

Now we must work terribly hard to bring about a peace agraement--an agreement which is fair and lasting.

What aU of these developments mean is that we have adopted a foreign policy with a new sense of purpose--a steadfast spirit that is carrying us toward staliility in the Fsr East and throughout the Worldo

###### ... ~~~ NEWS HOIJSE REPUBLICAN LEADf:R RELEASE

- _-:;- "" •1. • T~'U:..:: ~T 12 N:X N-­ . ·a 1nesday, Aur ust 26, 1970

e r.· ve tnrne, tt.e corr1er into a ne·tl era ir for""irr :- • irs.

C" ·~ .

1 f ~•· i l. t f +}-,~ foreign policy doctri " c:- z. · t> • "'

'1en ~- s. iJ He ""Ul he 1'"' those of our friar. s .. ho ~ "P. . • J · "'~f ', h .,

t ":. m Soviet Unl.on, 115 .,.. <)1 t

:~ .... ~·,., -..,n-Gf"\,...... ,r~~· . ' 1 Tr:~ ::txon i))ctrine ,.,ys, ""'h; ··+;on~· e C" .,... .. :... .. 49:

t .}. '""'"' ..,

Tha ~-:"nroe, TrUJ'I!an and Nixon Doc+rir "S ·re~·e emmciatea at a c:r-itic"~l turn: ·

.•oint in :;,t:- history. ':'l.e l'onroe and '!'ruman .Joctril"lNJ >-~ere "'lf'~~t ~nr their time; tr.e

~·:.x,..,:- U:>ctrine is r i .. ht ~or our ti • t , :'m ~ix m :X,ctrine says: "We shall be fai thf 11 to our • r'3: \ ~ --:. t:--entr,

... .ll.~-·.,...e •t - ...._ ... .

Jur Vietn~m ""C"licy corres;-onds .•ith ... rn .axon .Joc+-r'n" . ... :.s r art and

:::-rca: o.!' it. r+ fits ir.to a special niche in he gemr-1 frt:tr:.~· -·

fore irn pol icy.

7oCey there is much talk ahout reorder~ng our priorities. ·To

just th'3t--dor.:'e~+ical ~Y ::md in foreign aff.airs.

~ne of tho priorities hirh on everyone's list is ~;ct•ir_· ;.:-e,..i~"·!1 rr.~ .... ·.:e!.'

it invoJ ·r<'J s th3 spoed a!lrl c~rcu."llstances under which we SP"'•·l~ wi thdrn·.

"Then Pres i 1-1nt Nixon tock office he wE~c faced with three al tern«tives in

Vie tnan--"1: 1 of them bad. One was ftn"ther escalation of the war in an effort to

"win it. n The second choice was immediate withdrawal. The third choice was to

attempt to build up the ability of tm South Vietnamese to l"'lain:tain treir o-..m defenS9

~·1hile A."lle,..ican forces in Vietnam were withdrawn over a period cf months .

The President chose the middle course, a policy of Vietnamizing t .

policy which would not wite off the previous invel!tment of Am -2- .. . \..._

in 7iet~ but ~ould end the U.S. ground combat role in Southeast Jsia.

The policy of Vietnami1at on involved the ability of the North Vietname~e

to frustrate the plan. This is why the United States was forced to !"''*s a sweep of tr..e Communist sanctuaries in Cambodia even while a p'"'licy of ;rinding doo.n the war

was being fol1owed in Vietnam.

The fighting in South Vietnam has dropped to a very low level. American

casualties are at the lowe~t point in four years. We heve v:ithdralm no, 0 men

fr::>m Vietnam and \-1i1l withdraw another 150,000 by next spring, bringing the total

withdrawals to 260,000. Tle have al~o reaffirmed our proposals for a negotiated peace

in Viatnam and have named a new chief negotiator with fresh instruct!;ns.

As for Vietnamizl\tion, it is not just a word. Those who "tlante:i •lB to pUl

our immediately are being proved wrong even while they continue with their calls for

"peace now and never mind the price. "

The ~mbodian Operation WllS a tre~ndous succo ss despite the domeetic furor

it caused. The Coll!llunists lost vast stores of supplies, ~ fact which is renected

in ~ current low level of fighting in Vietnam. And now the Co:mmunists see a

marshaling of South Vietnamese, CatT'bodian and Thai forces to resist too reestablishment of Co:nmu.11ist sanctuaries in Cambodia while u.s. air po.-1er continues t0 :.nterdiet tee!.!' supply routes.

Events in Cambodia have not widened the war. It has bean an Indochina War

ever since the Commu."lists violated the neutrality of Laos and Cambodia to pursue their ,

designs on Sout.l} Vietnam. What h$ bean widemd is the commitnent of the people of

Cambodia md Thailand to resist a threat to their own securi-tg which had been tolerated

too long.

~ve ha.we seen the meaning of the Nixon Doctrine s~lle 1 out dra:natiealJy. It

is mor9 than just mrds~ A serious threat to the safe withdr a-ral of ~ .s. troops frcn South Vietnam has been overcome . Nations which must·..accept mo::e rec;ponsibilitqr for their

own survival under the Nixon Doctrine have shown a wil~ ingness to do exactly that.

The Nixon Doctrine also 11! working in the Middle East. l·11Ue t rn cease-fire there is only a first step toward peace ani a tenuoue one at that, it is a higtil.y

important first step. And it came as a result of Nixon Administration initiative.

Now lro must l-Iork terribly hard to bring about a peece agreement--an agreement which i!

fair and lasting.

What all o£ these developments mean is that we have adopted a foreign policy

with a mw sense of purpo~e--a steadfast spittlt that is carrying u:::: toward e~ty in

the Fsr Ee.st and throughout the World.

I ##.'111#11