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    "label": "Republican Ox Roast, Oakland County, Birmingham, MI, September 23, 1965",
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    "id": "4525872",
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    "title": "Republican Ox Roast, Oakland County, Birmingham, MI, September 23, 1965",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4525872",
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        "Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers",
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        "Vietnam War, 1961-1975"
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box D18, folder \"Republican Ox Roast, Oakland\nCounty, Birmingham, MI, September 23, 1965\" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press\nSecretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDigitized from Box D18 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nREADING TEXT\nRepublican Ox-Roast\nOakland County, Birmingham, Michigan\nSeptember 25, 1965\nIt is a very pleasant experience to attend this fifth annual\nox-roast sponsored by the Republicans of the 18th and 19th\nDistricts of Oakland County.\nall of\nI will not spend your time today tearing into the Democrats\nfor running the Nation in the direction of bankruptcy. However,\nwe should keep in mind that the Democrat's welfare state is\nrun for the benefit of everyone but not the taxpayer.\nYou know, the way things are going with the Democrats on a wild\nspending spree, we should have saved during the Depression so we\ncould live through this prosperity!\n*\n*\n*\nWe are here today to reward the hard-working Republican volunteers\nand to kick off the 1966 campaign in the 18th and 19th Districts.\nI join you in applauding the work of the folks who have given so\nunselfishly of their time to help the Republican Party.\nFORD is LIBRARY 077870\n-more-\nBirmingham 9/25/65\nVolunteers are helping our Par_ty to earn the respect of the\nelectorate a job that must be accomplished everywhere in America.\nThrough the accomplishments of Republican volunteers in Oakland\nCounty, Michigan and all over the country we can maintain America\nas a place where a person can live deeper, reach higher, see farther,\nthink bigger, and grow greater than anywhere else on earth!\nI am particularly happy to help you to get Bill Broomfield off to\na fast start in his race for refecitionz re-election in 1966.\nWhen voters sent Bill to Congress by electing him on Nov. 6, 1956,\nthey chose an exceptionally qualified man to represent them in\nWashington. His re-election four times is a tribute to his\ndedication, his keen S ense of civic duty, and his performance\nas a public servant.\nRepublican troops in the House---out-numbered 2 to ---remain unbowed,\nthanks to the help of Bill Broomfield and others like him.\n-more-\nBirmingham 9/25/65\n3-\nWe need more help! A Republican Congressman from the 19th District\nwill bolster our strength, increase our numbers, and give Billie\nFarnum another title he can then be the EX-Auditor\nGeneral and the EX-Representative. I have confidence the 19th\nDistrict Republicans will come through with a victory.\n*\n*\n*\nFor a few minutes today, I will discuss the present 12-party\ngovernment in the United States, the major issues that can mean\nvictory for our Party, and how you can help as individuals to\naccomplish a mutual goal.\nIn Congress, in too many States, counties and townships a lop-sided\nmajority on the Democrat side has created 12-party government.\nI would be less than honest with myself to say we have true\ntwo-party government.\nThis is not to say I am wringing my hands in anguish. I am\nfacing a hard, cold, fact.\nFORD & LIBRARY GENALD\n-more-\nBirmingham 9/25/65\n4\nIn politics, in football, in the game of life--winning may\nnot be everything, but it sure beats coming in second.\nLet's accept this fact. Instead of bemoaning our fate, let's set\nto work building a record as a unified political party--one\nRepublican Party--one family of Republicans.\nThere is no other choice. Unless we leave the splintering an d the\nselfish going-it-alone by segments to the Democrats and become\nTHE Republican Party, we will belong to a myth...a ghost of a party.\nThe net result will be ONE party government in America--and it won't\nbe our party. The single party dominating our beloved land will be\nthat of the \"big city political bossses,\" a few power-hungry labpr\nbosses, and theoretical, way-out liberals.\nAs we kick off the 1966 campaign, let us keep one objective clearly\nin sight. We will fight the Democrats on issues, not among ourselves.\n-more-\nFORD VIBRARY\nBirmingham 9/25/65\n5\nMany Americans are dissastisfied with both political parties at\npresent. There is a sense of frustration and despair among those\nwho feel this way. This sense of dissatisfaction offers the Republican\nParty a worthy challenge and a great opportunity to prove our\npolitical philosophy is best for America.\nIt seems to be the major issues are:\nFiscal sanity\nAn explosion of Federal spending.\nThe crumbling of State and city governments in an era of\ngrowing Potomac paternalism and take-over\nThe haunting image of inflation\nThe frightening cost of the alleged Great Society\nThe lack of liason between the Executive and Legislative\nbranches in considering the crucial Viet Nam war with the\nWhite House running the conflict.\nFor a few minutes I will speak particularly about the Viet Nam war---\nthe roots of its beginning, its escalation, its meaning to America\nand the rest of the free world.\n(more)\nBirmingahm 9/25/65\nThis year was still young when the American people were perhaps\nfor the first time shocked into some sense of being at war.\nLate in February, soldiers--the wounded living and the dead---began\narriving in the United States aboard huge jet transports. Their numbers\nincreased.\nAs the casualty lists mounted...as the heaviest Communist a ssaults\nyet against American installations were stepped up...as our military\nforces in the air struck hard against North Viet Nam..not only\nAmericans, but people everywhere experienced a sudden chill.\nThere were sudden fears that a so-called brush-fire conflict--perhaps\nthrough miscalculation----could flare into a holocaust that would\nblot out civilization as we know it.\nThe Nation and the world soon learned that this is the most curious,\nbaffling, frustrating war the United States has ever had to fight.\nAs the size and scope of the war expanded, the United States faced four\npossible courses of action.\nGERALD FORD VIBRARY\n-more-\nBirmingham 9/25/65\n-7-\nWe could retreat and withdraw.\nWe could concentrate our military efforts against Communist\nguerrillas in South Viet Nam.\nWe could make an all-out assault against the enemy's heartland\nin North Viet Nam.\nOr, we could strengthen our military efforts- on the land, in the\nair, and at sea--with the goal of showing the Communist enemy we\nmean business.\nLet us consider each of these alternatives.\nBy withdrawing from Viet Nam, United States honor and prestige\nwould be struck a devastating blow. Our influence, in the form of\nhelping to ward off Communist aggression against the entire mainland\nof Southeast Asia, would probably be overwhelmed by \"ed China.\nOur defense line would be brought all the way back to Pearl Harbor.\n-more\nBirmingham 9/25/65\n-8-\nThe\nsecond\nalternative\nthat of concentrating on guerrilla war in\nSouth Viet Nam proved ineffective. If continued if could have\nmeant a tremendous drain on our economy, a great loss of life\nand military equipment, and a long, drawn-out conflict in swamp and\njungle.\nThe third alternative an all-out assault on North Viet Nam, including\nsome Experts claim\nattacks against non-military targets\ncould, result in massive\nretaliation by Red China. It could lead to a senseless ground war.\nAnd, it could mean the kind of casualties to possibly trigger a\npublic outcry in the United States for the use of nuclear weapons.\nOur fourth possible alternative the strengthening of air, sea and\nland military operations, aimed at proving to the Communist enemy\nthat it would be folly to continue aggression\nis the plan I\npersonally favor. It is this type of operation I believe will bring\nNorth Viet Nam to the negotiation table under our terms.\nGERALO FORD LIBRAR,\nIt should be remembered that the involvement of the United States in\nViet Nam occurred shortly after the end of World War II.\n(more)\nBirmingham 9/25/65\n-9-\nIt began with a decision by the Truman Administration to provide\neconomic and military aid.\nIn 1954, a fragile, delicate peace was achieved by the Geneva\nagreements. During the Eisenhower Administration, Viet Nam was\npartitioned into a Communist north and a non-Communist south.\nContrary to most expectations, South Viet Nam survived for six years.\nDefense Secretary McNamara has described South Viet Nam's history\nduring the period of 1954 to 1960 as a \"success story.\" The late\nPresident John F. Kennedy referred to it as a \"near miracle.\"\nThe Democrat Administration taking office in 1961 faced acute\ndifficulties in the neighboring nation of Laos. While there were\nsporadic guerrilla attacks in Viet Nam, Communist forces had launched\na full-scale offensive in Laos-threatening the government.\nAfter months of fighting and high-level diplomatic foot-shuffling in\nthe State \"epartment, a declaration of neutrality was signed. It is\na worthless document. Laos today is ripe for picking by the Communists\nwhenever they choose.\n-more-\nBirmingham 9/25/65\n-10-\nThe resoluteness of the United States was tested in Laos. At the\ntime it was revealed as being weak.\nThe Administration said it would not permit aggression against\nLaos to succeed...it did permit aggression.\nThe Administration said it would refuse to negotiate until a\ncease-fire was in effect...it did negotiate.\nThe method used by the Democrat Administration to deal with the\nproblem of Communist aggression against Laos is reflected in today's\nViet Nam situation.\nAs the military efforts of the United States in Viet Nam have\nbroadened, the pronouncements by President Johnson defining our\nobjective have been progressively watered down.\nThe past July 28, the President seemed to disregard the independence\nof South Viet Nam as an objective.\n- more-\nInclaring that the purposes of the 2954 Geneva agreements are still\nFORD & LIBRARY 0.1839\nour own\nBirmingham 9/25/65\n-11-\nDeclaring that the purposes of the 1954 Geneva agreements are still\nour own, he asserted that the people of South Viet Nam shall have the\nright to shape their own destiny in free elections in the south and in\nall Viet Nam under international supervision.\nThis statement raises the disquieting possibility of accepting now\nin Viet Nam the type of election which the United States refjected\nadecade ago--- an election which would be stacked and subverted\nin advance.\nThe President now tells the Nation. in his words, \"this is really war.\"\nTo what degree miscalculation on the part of the enemy has brought\nabout this state of affairs, no one can be sure.\nMany times I have stated publicly that I support the President in\nfirmness against Communist aggression in Southeast Asia or elsewhere.\nHowever, I believe at this time that neither the Congress,nor the\npublig, are being adequately informed about the Nation's involvement\nin Viet Nam.\n-more-\nBirmingham 9/25/65\n-12-\nLiason between the Executive and Legislative branches is insufficient\nconsidering the crucial nature of the problem in Viet Nam.\nUnder present circumstances, Congress is being by-passed as far as\nany effective participation, or decision-making, is concerned.\nPresident Johnson is running the war. I sincerely hope his decisions\nare right because the situation is serious.\nIn the tradition of the late Senator Arthur Vandenberg, I believe\nour best course lies in a bi-partisanship approach to foreign policy.\nBi-partisanship does not mean, however, that the opposition party\nmay not offer proposals to the Administration; nor that the opposition\nmay not criticise Administration actions.\nGuided by the single standard of the security and well-being of the\nNation, I will continue with other members of our party to offer\nsuggestions and to criticise.\n-more-\nFORD & LIBRARY 07V839\nBirmingham 9/25/65\n-13-\nWell-founded criticism helps the Nation to steer a surer and\nsteadier course in foreign policy--and tattain its objectives\nwithout unnecessary loss or delay.\n*\n*\n*\nIn conclusion I remind you of some important objectives our\nParty was reach to win victories.\nWe must be broadly-based, dynamic, united. We must ddevelop strong\nfund-raising campaigns. We must conduct a neighbor-to-neighbor\ncampaign telling the electorate day after day, week afterw eek, what\nis wrong and how we will change the situation domestically and\nin foreign affairs.\nI have confidence in Oakland County Republicans...and \"epublicans\neverywhere. Now, let's get to work. Thank you.\n# # #\nFORD is LIBRARY\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\nExcerpts from a speech\nFor release at time of\nBirmingham, Michigan September 25, 1965\ndelivery of speech\nIn Congress, in too many States, counties and townships a lop-sided majority\non the Democrat side has created 12-party government.\nLet's accept this fact. Instead of bemoaning our fate, let's set to work\nbuilding a record as a unified political party--one Republican Party--\none family of Republicans.\nThere is no other choice. Unless we leave the splintering and the selfish\ngoing-it-alone by segments to the Democrats and become THE Republican Party,\nwe will belong to a myth...a ghost of a party.\nThe net result will be a one-party government in America, and it won't be\nour Party. The single political party dominating our beloved land will be that\nof the \"big city political bosses,\" a few power-hungry labor bosses, and\ntheoretical, way-out liberals.\nMany Americans are dissatisfied with both political parties at present.\nThere is a sense of frustration and despair among those who feel this way.\nThis sense of dissatisfaction offers the Republican Party a worthy challenge\nand a great opportunity to prove our political philosophy is best for America.\n*\n*\n*\nIt seems to me the major issues are:\n*\nFiscal sanity\nAn explosion of Federal spending\nThe crumbling of State and city governments in an era of growing\nPotomac paternalism and take-over\nThe haunting image of inflation\nThe frightening cost of the alleged Great Society\nThe lack of liason between the Executive and Legislative branches in\nconsidering the crucial Viet Nam war, with the White House running\nthe conflict.\n*\nOur party must be broadly-based, dynamic, united. We must develop strong\nfund-raising campaigns. We must conduct a neighbor-to-neighbor campaign telling\nthe electorate what is wrong and how we will change the situation.\n*\n*\n*\nExcerpts from a speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford\nAs the size and scope of the war expanded, the United States faced four\npossible courses of action,\n*By withdrawing from Viet Nam, United States honor and prestige would have\nbeen struck a devastating blow. Our influence, in the form of helping\nward off Communist aggression against the entire mainland of Southeast\nAsia, would probably be overwhelmed by Red China. Our defense line would\nby at Pearl Harbor.\n*The second alternative that of concentrating on guerrilla war in South\nViet Nam--proved ineffective. If continued it could have meant a great\ndrain on our economy, a tremendous loss of life and military equipment,\nand a long, drawn-out conflict in swamp and jungle.\n*The third alternative an all-out assault on North Viet Nam, including\nattacks against non-military targets---could result in massive retaliation\nby Red China, according to some experts. It could mean the kind of ground\nwar that would possibly trigger a public shout in the United States for\nthe use of nuclear weapons.\n* Our fourth possible alternative the strengthening of air, sea and land\nmilitary operations aimed at proving to the Communist enemy we mean\nbusiness and it would be folly to continue the aggression is the plan I\npersonally favor. It is this type of operation I believe will bring North\nViet Nam to the negotiation table under our terms.\n*\n*\n*\nMany times I have stated publicly that I support the President in firmness\nagainst Communist aggression in Southeast Asia or elsewhere.\nHowever, I believe at this time that neither the Congress, nor the public,\nare being adequately informed about the Nation's involvement in Viet Nam.\nUnder present circumstances, Congress is being by-passed as far as any\neffective participation, or decision-making, is concerned. President Johnson\nis running the war. I sincerely hope his decisions are right because the\nsituation is serious.\n*\n*\nOur best course lies in a bi-partisanship approach to foreign policy. This\ndoes not mean however that the opposition party may not offer proposals to the\nAdministration nor criticise Administration actions,\nWell-founded criticism helps the Nation to steer a surer and steadier course\nin foreign policy and to attain its objectives without unnecessary loss or delay.\n#########\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\nExcerpts from a speech\nFor release at time of\nBirmingham, Michigan September 25, 1965\ndelivery of speech\nIn Congress, in too many States, counties and townships a lop-sided majority\non the Democrat side has created 12-party government.\nLet's accept this fact. Instead of bemoaning our fate, let's set to work\nbuilding a record as a unified political party--one Republican Party---\none family of Republicans.\nThere is no other choice. Unless are leave the splintering and the selfish\ngoing-it-alone by segments to the Democrats and become THE Republican Party,\nwe will belong to a myth...a ghost of a party.\nThe net result will be acone-party government in America, and it won't be\nour Party. The single politica party dominating our beloved land will be that\nof the \"big city political bosses,\" a few power-hungry labor bosses, and\ntheoretical, way=out liberals.\nMany Americans are dissatisfied with both political parties at present.\nThere is a sense of frustration ndi despair among those who feel this way.\nThis sense of dissatisfaction offers the Republican Party a worthy challenge\nand a great opportunity to prove our political philosophy is best for America.\n*\n*\nIt seems to me the major issues are:\n* Fiscal sanity\n* An explosion of Federal spending\n*\nThe crumbling of State and city governments in an era of growing\nPotomac paternalism and take-over\nThe haunting image of inflation\nThe frightening cost of the alleged Great Society\nThe lack of liason between the Executive and Legislative branches in\nconsidering the crucial Viet Nam war, with the White House running\nthe conflict.\n*\n*\nOur party must be broadly-based, dynamic, united. We must develop strong\nFORD\nfund-raising campaigns. We must conduct a neighbor-to-neighbor campaign telling\nthe electorate what is wrong and how we will change the situation.\nLIBRARY\n*\n*\n*\nExcerpts from a speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford\nAs the size and scope of the war expanded, the United States faced four\npossible courses of action.\n*By withdrawing from Viet Nam, United States honor and prestige would have\nbeen struck a devastating blow. Our influence, in the form of helping\nward off Communist aggression against the entire mainland of Southeast\nAsia, would probably be overwhelmed by Red China. Our defense line would\nby at Pearl Harbor.\n*The second alternative-- that of concentrating on guerrilla war in South\nViet Nam--proved ineffective. If continued it could have meant a great\ndrain on our economy, a tremendous loss of life and military equipment,\nand a long, drawn-out conflict in swamp and jungle.\n*The third alternative an all-out assault on North Viet Nam, including\nattacks against non-military targets---could result in massive retaliation\nby Red China, according to some experts. It could mean the kind of ground\nwar that would possibly trigger a public shout in the United States for\nthe use of nuclear weapons.\n* Our fourth possible alternative the strengthening of air, sea and land\nmilitary operations aimed at proving to the Communist enemy we mean\nbusiness and it would be folly to continue the aggression is the plan I\npersonally favor. It is this type of operation I believe will bring North\nViet Nam to the negotiation table under our terms.\n*\n*\n*\nMany times I have stated publicly that I support the President in firmness\nagainst Communist aggression in Southeast Asia or elsewhere.\nHowever, I believe at this time that neither the Congress, nor the public,\nare being adequately informed about the Nation's involvement in Viet Nam.\nUnder present circumstances, Congress is being by-passed as far as any\neffective participation, or decision-making, is concerned. President Johnson\nis running the war. I sincerely hope his decisions are right because the\nsituation is serious.\n*\n*\n*\nOur best course lies in a bi-partisanship approach to foreign policy. This\ndoes not mean however that the opposition party may not offer proposals to the\nAdministration nor criticise Administration actions.\nWell-founded criticism helps the Nation to steer a surer and steadier course\nin foreign policy and to attain its objectives without unnecessary loss or delay,\n#########"
}