• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

February 8, 1968 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 2821 EXTEN,SIONS O·F REMARKS President Johnson's Burdens [From the Washington (D.C.) Evening Star, risking new credibility gap charges, he feels Feb. 6, 1968] sure such a move is not likely and knows TRYING TIMES FOR JOHNSON it is not under active consideration now. HON. JACK BROOKS So reports to the contrary could only escalate (By Garnett D. Horner) his frustration. OF TEXAS Life is trying for President Johnson these Unquestionably it is particularly irksome IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES days. to a man of Johnson's "can-do" disposition to He has no reason to complain about having Thursday, February 8, 1968 be able to do little or nothing about state­ to deal with such crises as the massive Com­ ments and reports that seem to play into Mr. BROOKS. Mr. Speaker, these have munist offensive in Vietnam and the North the hands of the enemy. proven to be a difficult few weeks for Korean seizure of the USS Pueblo. That's But he recognizes that free speech and a President Johnson and the Nation. part of his job. free press are mainstays of the American But it can only be frustrating for him to system. About all he can do is hope that peo­ We can only imagine the pressures of see his job complicated by fellow country­ ple quoted in the news, and the news media the weighty decisions that are confront­ men who, from his point of view, might be themselves, will always keep in mind the ing our President. He has not com­ giving comfort to the enemy-innocently, national interest and their responsibility to plained. Crisis and tough decisions are in most cases-by promoting the Communist it. part and parcel of the office. propaganda line. He must feel something like But as reporter Garnett D. Horner of a man trying to swim upstream in choppy the Washington Evening Star pointed waters with lead weights around his legs New Concepts and New Tasks Ahead as out recently, the difficulties of the Presi­ and arms. dent's job are being complicated by STRESS ON UNCERTAINTY Efforts Continue in Water Resource those--who innocently, in most cases­ Knowing that one of the Communist ob­ Developm•mt are "promoting the Communist propa­ jectives in their coordinated attacks on South ganda line." Vietnamese cities and the U.S. Embassy in Saigon was a psychological and propaganda HON. JENNINGS RANDOLPH I am referring, of course, to the stories, victory, Johnson must have trouble keeping articles, and editorials in our press sug­ his temper when he hears Americans of OF WEST VIRGINIA gesting that the United States has suf­ some standing, or reads newspaper stories IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES fered humiliation and defeat at the and editorials, suggesting that the U.S. side Thursday, February 8, 1968 hands of the North Vietnamese in there­ suffered a defeat in the raids. cent terrorist raids on Saigon and other He might ask: "Isn't it a defeat for the Mr. RANDOLPH. Mr. PrEsident, in South Vietnamese cities. enemy when they lose on the order of 20,000 addressing the Mississippi Valley Asso­ We know that the Communists have men to our 400? What would it be if it was ciation at a convention banquet session the other way around? What if the American in the Chase-Park Plaza Hotel, St. Louis, lost 20,000 men in these raids. We know, Embassy was in their hands?" too, that their hope of sparking wide­ When critics emphasize that Secretary of Mo., February 5, 1968, I stressed my be­ spread defections among the South Viet­ Defense Robert S. McNamara and Secretary lief that few programs are more essential namese have failed miserably. of State Dean Rusk are uncertain whether to the economic and social well-being of As Mr. Horner writes: the Pueblo intruded into North Korean ter­ our people than that of our compre­ He (the President) might ask: "Isn't it a ritorial waters, the President must feel es­ hensive water resources development. defeat for the enemy when they lose on the pecially frustrated. Another area of vital importance for order of 20,000 men to our 400? What would Of course, that is legitimate news and the extension of water resources plan­ it be if it was the other way around? What Johnson would not blame anyone for re­ ning which I emphasized was the view if the American Embassy was in their porting it. The galling part is to emphasize the uncertainty while subordinating the fact that we should use our refined techniques hands?" that McNamara said he is sure from clear of economic evaluation to identify regions There have been other complicating evidence that the Pueblo was in interna­ of the country which, with water re­ reports, too. We have seen dispatches giv­ tional waters when seized, there is no indica­ sources development, could support large ing unverified reports that the North tion it strayed too close to North Korea dur­ population increases. In almost every Koreans have agreed to release the ing preceeding days of radio silence, and he major urban area we observe the con­ doesn't believe it did. tinued increase in crime and juvenile Pueblo's crew in exchange for an Ameri­ It is as if someone asked the President can apology. Yet, there is no such agree­ if one of his trusted aides ever robbed a delinquency, in civil disorders, and a gen­ ment. bank, and he said the aide never had while eral degradation of the quality of life, We have read that the South Koreans he knew him, he didn't believe he ever had, and in congestion and environmental might pull out 50,000 troops from Viet­ but of course he couldn't be absolutely posi­ pollution. It is also a fact that few of nam in retaliation against American bi­ tive what the aide did before he knew him our cities today offer a foundation for a lateral negotiations with North Vietnam. until he checked all the records-and a head­ good life, much less the basis for a great line reported "President Uncertain Whether society. The President, as Mr. Horner notes, is Aide Robbed Bank." well aware that a prime Communist ob­ Yet the march from rural areas to the jective is to divide the allies in South FALSE HOPES FED cities continues at a rate of about a half­ Vietnam and send the Korean troops Adding to the President's troubles is the million to 600,000 a year. And current prominence given unverified reports that the home. North Koreans have agreed to release the population projections indicate that by In short, Mr. Speaker, the American Pueblo's crew in exchange for an admission the end of this century, unless the trend people have the right to expect the best that the Pueblo violated territorial waters, is r,evel'lsed, there will be an additional performance from their President during and an apology-when there is no agreement. 100 million people occupying the urban times of grave international crises. I He might well feel that his effort to guard spaces now occupied by 140 million per­ think we can say with assurance that against raising false or premature hopes is sons. We now have the social, economic, President Johnson has not let them endangered. and technological tools to disperse our down. To see a television news program play­ population and to resist the inertia which ing up reports that South Korea might pull Yet, I think our people also have the some or all of her nearly 50,000 troops out continues to crowd more and more peo­ right to expect the best possible perform­ of South Vietnam to meet the threat of re­ ple into less and less space. I believe that ance from the news media. This means newed North Korean aggression, in the ab­ water resources planners should lead in careful and responsible coverage of dan­ sence of· fresh U.S. support, must sorely this effort and thereby stimulate a new gerous and delicate situations. tempt the President to blow his stack. surge of social and economic develop­ I think the record will clearly show His intelligence reports indicate that a ment in America. that we have not quite enjoyed such wise prime objective of North Korean and other Communist leaders is to divide the allies in Mr. President, I ask unanimous con­ and mature news coverage during these South Vietnam and divert the South Korean sent that my speech be printed in the di:Hicult days. troops there homeward. Extensions of Remarks. The article by Garnett D. Horner, en­ While he could not rule out forever the There being no objection, the speech titled "Trying Times for Johnson," fol­ possibil1ty of South Korea withdrawing some was ordered to be printed in the REcoRD, lows: · of its forces from South Vietnam without as follows: 2822 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS February 8, 1968 SPEECH BY SENATOR JENNINGS RANDOLPH, lie works programs have succeeded far beyond fort to provide a greater share of the national CHAmMAN, COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS, our expectations. growth for the lesser developed regions, to­ BEFORE THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ASSOCIA­ Water has become so important to indus­ assure the protection and enhancement of TION, FEBRUARY 5, 1968 try that it is now regarded as an indispens­ the quality of our physical environment, and NEW CONCEPTS AND NEW TASKS FOR WATER able raw material, for processing purposes to provide opportunity for our citizens to en­ RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT as well as for the transportation of its prod­ joy the physical and spiritual enjoyment of ucts.

Load more

  27

Copy Link