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4525695
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Holland American Legion, July 4, 1951
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4525695
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document
title
Holland American Legion, July 4, 1951
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
Speeches
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Korean War, 1950-1953
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4525695
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1951-07-31
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7
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1951
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1951-07-01
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7
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1951
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The original documents are located in Box D14, folder "Holland American Legion, July 4,
1951" 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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.
Digitized from Box D14 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Excerpts from Comments by Representative Gerald R. Ford, Jr.
at the Holland American Legion Fourth of July celebration, 1951
"The United States and some of the other free nations in the United
Nations during the past year have forcefully demonstrated to the Kremlin
that bullets can and will be met with bullets. If a just and honorable
peace is achieved in Korea, the United States must thereafter combat ideas
with ideas. The truth is a flaming sword. Let America carry the sword of
truth to the oppressed peoples of the world who have long been subjected to the
deceitful propaganda of ruthless leaders behind the Iron Curtain. The ideas
of the free world can be as successful in peacetime in defeating communism
as our military forces have been in conquering the armies of communism on
the battlefields.
"The United Nations should enter into peace negotiations ready to
satisfy the desire of humanity for world peace but our citizens should not
surrender to temporary emotionalism and false propaganda. We are dealing
with the shrewdest and most diabolical bargainers on earth, and our repre-
sentatives in the crucial negotiations should be equally shrewd lest the
United States and the United Nations lose on the conference table what we
have gained on the battlefield. The American people and our allies should be
wary of any superficial armistice."
*****
"Every American prays the terrible war in Korea can be ended on just
and honorable terms without further bloodshed. General Ridgeway has my full
support in his great task. I sincerely hope the President will make full use
of our most competent negotiators, both military and civilian, without regard
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
Page Two
to political affiliation. Bipartisanship in Far Eastern foreign policy mat-
ters could be re-established if the President would use in the negotiations
the best informed authorities and top leaders in both major political
parties. The situation is so critical the United States needs its best
team at the conference table to avoid another Yalta. Our negotiators
must make certain our heroic and valiant defenders of freedom have not
sacrificed in vain. =