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Fund-raising Dinner for Senator Howard Baker, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, September 28, 1972
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Fund-raising Dinner for Senator Howard Baker, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, September 28, 1972
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This file contains material relating to George McGovern.
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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The original documents are located in Box D33, folder "Fund-raising Dinner for Senator
Howard Baker, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, September 28, 1972" of
the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford
Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Distribution Full
Galleries 4:00 p.m. 9/28/72
Cffice Copy
Mail D.M. 9/28/72
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
--FOR RELEASE AT 6:30 P.M. THURSDAY--
September 28, 1972
Excerpts from a Speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford at a fund-raising dinner for Sen.
Howard Baker at the East Tennessee State University Ballroom at Johnson City, Tenn.
It is a tremendous pleasure for me to be here in the most Republican part of
Tennessee. I feel right at home. And it is a great pleasure for me to appear here
with your great senator, Howard Baker. I guess I don't have to tell you about
Sen. Baker's leadership qualities. He is easily one of the most outstanding members
of the United States Senate. He is respected by all of his colleagues for his
integrity and his ability, and he is a fine spokesman not only for the state of
Tennessee but for the entire Nation.
Tonight I would like to talk with you about our national security -- and
national survival.
I would urge you to be on guard against those who argue that humanity has
now reached the point where the possibility of armed aggression can be safely
disregarded.
The man who contends the proper policy is for the United States to disarm
unilaterally because the Soviet Union then would follow suit with hand outstretched
in friendship is pitifully naive.
And anyone who talks of cutting defense outlays by $30 billion is either
badly misinformed or incredibly irresponsible.
I am speaking, of course, of Sen. George McGovern. There is no need to mince
words. When a candidate for President makes a proposal which is so shockingly
dangerous, the only proper course is to meet it head on.
We all know that the financial burden military preparedness imposes on the
taxpayer is great. But would the American people accept the argument that because
of our unmet domestic needs we cannot afford an adequate national defense? I think
not.
I think, too, that unlike the spokesman for retreat the American people do
not believe war is so horrible that it is better to suffer defeat than to fight.
The American people are rejecting George McGovern because he is the apostle
of retreat abroad and radicalism at home.
(more)
Digitized from Box D33 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
-2-
Cut the fat out of the defense budget? Absolutely. The House of
Representatives recently trimmed $4.3 billion from the fiscal 1973 defense appropria-
tions bill. But should we cut the muscle to get at the fat? Never.
Don't let muddle-headed characters like McGovern kid you. This Nation has
no future if it allows itself to become a second-rate power militarily. And that's
what would happen if we cut our defense outlays by $30 billion. This holds true
whether you believe a permanent East-West detente can be negotiated or that we will
some day have to fight a world war again to retain our liberties.
Let's heed the lessons of history. Weakness invites attack. Of that there
can be no doubt. It takes but one aggressor to plunge the entire world into war
no matter how fervently other nations yearn for peace and how willing they are to
turn their swords into plowshares. An America that is militarily strong is an
America that keeps the peace.
What folly it would be for us to abandon a policy of maintaining at least
military equality with the Soviet Union simply because other nations have accepted
a decline from first to second or third ranking!
Let no one interpret my remarks to mean I do not favor curbing the nuclear
arms race.
I strongly favor the SALT agreements. I salute the President for this
accomplishment and for his other initiatives in the interests of world peace.
Where I part company with some Americans is that they favor unilateral
disarmament. They would steer their ship of peace into the dangerous shoals of
isolationism.
I maintain that we have achieved limitations on nuclear arms because we
negotiated with the Russians from a position of strength.
We have reached other agreements with the Russians and we have opened the
door to China because we are strong -- and we will make further progress toward
peace only if we remain strong.
Now we must move toward the second phase of SALT. We must move toward
further limitations on nuclear weapons and eventually the reduction of armaments
in the nuclear area.
But our opponents have proposed massive cuts in our defense budget, cuts
that would have the inevitable effect of making the United States a second-rate
power and of destroying our initiatives toward a mutual reduction of arms and
military manpower.
Let us continue to seek peace and the mutual reduction of arms. But while
we do this let us have a military force second to none.
Let us always be sure that our President negotiates from a position of strengt
# # #
Full distribution
alfre
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
--FOR RELEASE AT 6:30 P.M. THURSDAY--
September 28, 1972
Excerpts from a Speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford at a fund-raising dinner for Sen.
Howard Baker at the East Tennessee State University Ballroom at Johnson City, Tenn.
It is a tremendous pleasure for me to be here in the most Republican part of
Tennessee. I feel right at home. And it is a great pleasure for me to appear here
with your great senator, Howard Baker. I guess I don't have to tell you about
Sen. Baker's leadership qualities. He is easily one of the most outstanding members
of the United States Senate. He is respected by all of his colleagues for his
integrity and his ability, and he is a fine spokesman not only for the state of
Tennessee but for the entire Nation.
Tonight I would like to talk with you about our national security -- and
national survival.
I would urge you to be on guard against those who argue that humanity has
now reached the point where the possibility of armed aggression can be safely
disregarded.
The man who contends the proper policy is for the United States to disarm
unilaterally because the Soviet Union then would follow suit with hand outstretched
in friendship is pitifully naive.
And anyone who talks of cutting defense outlays by $30 billion is either
badly misinformed or incredibly irresponsible.
I am speaking, of course, of Sen. George McGovern. There is no need to mince
words. When a candidate for President makes a proposal which is so shockingly
dangerous, the only proper course is to meet it head on.
We all know that the financial burden military preparedness imposes on the
taxpayer is great. But would the American people accept the argument that because
of our unmet domestic needs we cannot afford an adequate national defense? I think
not.
I think, too, that unlike the spokesman for retreat the American people do
not believe war is so horrible that it is better to suffer defeat than to fight.
The American people are rejecting George McGovern because he is the apostle
of retreat abroad and radicalism at home.
(more)
-2-
Cut the fat out of the defense budget? Absolutely. The House of
Representatives recently trimmed $4.3 billion from the fiscal 1973 defense appropria-
tions bill. But should we cut the muscle to get at the fat? Never.
Don't let muddle-headed characters like McGovern kid you. This Nation has
no future if it allows itself to become a second-rate power militarily. And that's
what would happen if we cut our defense outlays by $30 billion. This holds true
whether you believe a permanent East-West detente can be negotiated or that we will
some day have to fight a world war again to retain our liberties.
Let's heed the lessons of history. Weakness invites attack. Of that there
can be no doubt. It takes but one aggressor to plunge the entire world into war
no matter how fervently other nations yearn for peace and how willing they are to
turn their swords into plowshares. An America that is militarily strong is an
America that keeps the peace.
What folly it would be for us to abandon a policy of maintaining at least
military equality with the Soviet Union simply because other nations have accepted
a decline from first to second or third ranking!
Let no one interpret my remarks to mean I do not favor curbing the nuclear
arms race.
I strongly favor the SALT agreements. I salute the President for this
accomplishment and for his other initiatives in the interests of world peace.
Where I part company with some Americans is that they favor unilateral
disarmament. They would steer their ship of peace into the dangerous shoals of
isolationism.
I maintain that we have achieved limitations on nuclear arms because we
negotiated with the Russians from a position of strength.
We have reached other agreements with the Russians and we have opened the
door to China because we are strong -- and we will make further progress toward
peace only if we remain strong.
Now we must move toward the second phase of SALT. We must move toward
further limitations on nuclear weapons and eventually the reduction of armaments
in the nuclear area.
But our opponents have proposed massive cuts in our defense budget, cuts
that would have the inevitable effect of making the United States a second-rate
power and of destroying our initiatives toward a mutual reduction of arms and
military manpower.
Let us continue to seek peace and the mutual reduction of arms. But while
we do this let us have a military force second to none.
Let us always be sure that our President negotiates from a position of strengt
# # #