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12/2/74 - Press Conference Opening Remarks, The Economy and Asian Trip
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1252160
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12/2/74 - Press Conference Opening Remarks, The Economy and Asian Trip
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
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1974
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The original documents are located in Box 3, folder "12/2/74 - Press Conference Opening
Remarks, The Economy and Asian Trip" of the President's Speeches and Statements:
Reading Copies 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. Gerald Ford 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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 3 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
PRESS CONFERENCE
MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1974
OPENING REMARKS (THE ECONOMY)
- I -
BEFORE TURNING TO DOMESTIC QUESTIONS, WHICH I'M
SURE WILL CONCENTRATE ON OUR ECONOMIC PROBLEMS, I WOULD
LIKE TO SAY THIS: WE ARE CURRENTLY FACING THREE SERIOUS
CHALLENGES, ALL AT THE SAME TIME: INFLATION, RECESSION, ENERGY.
- 2 -
INFLATION, WHICH IS A DEADLY LONG-RANGE ENEMY THAT
CANNOT BE IGNORED.
RECESSION, WHICH IS.A SERIOUS THREAT THAT ALREADY
HAS HURT MANY CITIZENS AND ALARMS MANY MORE.
HOPEFULLY,
IT IS A SHORTER-RANGE EVIL BUT NEITHER CAN IT BE IGNORED, NOR
WILL IT BE.
- 3 -
our
ASSURING ADEQUATE ENERGY WILL REQUIRE THE BEST EFFORTS .
OF ALL AMERICANS TO OVERCOME.
THE ENERGY CRISIS ALSO
CONTRIBUTES TO BOTH INFLATIONARY AND RECESSIONARY PRESSURES.
MUCH OF THE PROGRAM I RECOMMENDED TO CONGRESS AND THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ON OCTOBER 8 IS STILL PENDING BEFORE THE CONGRESS.
IT WAS DESIGNED TO MEET ALL THREE OF THESE CHALLENGES.
IT WAS
BALANCED TO DEAL WITH ALREADY RAMPAGING INFLATION AND ALREADY
ANTICIPATED RECESSIONARY FORCES.
- 4 -
AND MAKE NO MISTAKE -- IT IS IMPERATIVE TO FIGHT
BOTH INFLATION AND RECESSION AT THE SAME TIME.
THE QUESTION
IS ONE OF BALANCE AND OF CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES.
AT LEAST FOUR MEASURES DESERVE SPECIAL AND IMMEDIATE
ATTENTION BY THIS CONGRESS.
THEY CANNOT WAIT UNTIL NEXT
MARCH OR APRIL.
- 5 -
I HAVE RECOMMENDED A SERIES OF BUDGET-REDUC ING ACTIONS
TOTALLING 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS so THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
CAN SET AN EXAMPLE OF FISCAL RESTRAINT.
FURTHERMORE, I URGE
THE CONGRESS NOT TO ADD MORE SPENDING -- AS YOU CAN SEE FROM
THIS CHART, THE CONGRESS ALREADY HAS ADDED OR IS ABOUT TO
ADD OVER ONE BILLION DOLLARS TO THIS YEAR'S SPENDING, AGAINST
MY RECOMMENDATIONS.
- 6 -
ANTICIPATING RISING UNEMPLOYMENT, TWO MONTHS AGO
I ASKED FOR A NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE ACT TO PROVIDE
USEFUL WORK FOR THOSE WHO HAD EXHAUSTED THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS AND OTHERS NOT PREVIOUSLY COVERED.
ACTION ON THIS
IS ESSENTIAL BEFORE THE PRESENT CONGRESS ADJOURNS TO AVOID
REAL HARDSHIPS THIS WINTER.
- 7 -
ACTION IS NEEDED ON THE TRADE REFORM ACT.
THIS CAN
HELP IMMEASURABLY IN FIGHTING BOTH RECESSION AND INFLATION,
BY CREATING MORE JOBS AND PROVIDING MORE GOODS AS WELL.
- 8 -
THE TAX REFORM BILL REPORTED BY THE COMMITTEE ON
WAYS AND MEANS OF THE HOUSE PROVIDES NEEDED TAX RELIEF FOR
LOW-INCOME CITIZENS WHILE TAXING WINDFALL PROFITS OF CERTAIN
OIL COMPANIES.
I DON'T SUPPORT EVERY PROVISION OF THIS
LEGISLATION BUT ON BALANCE IT IS A GOOD BILL AND BADLY NEEDED
AT THIS TIME.
CONGRESS HAS NOT ONLY AMPLE TIME BUT THE CLEAR OBLIGATION
TO COMPLETE ACTION ON SEVERAL VITAL ENERGY PROPOSALS BEFORE
ADJOURNMENT.
- 9 -
TIMES ARE NOWHERE NEAR-DESPERATE ENOUGH TO PARAPHRASE
PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT'S GREAT RALLYING CRY THAT THE
ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF.
STILL, IT IS A GOOD
THING TO REMEMBER.
BUT I DO WANT TO SAY TO MY FELLOW
COUNTRYMEN THAT OUR GREATEST DANGER TODAY IS TO FALL VICTIM
TO THE MORE EXAGGERATED ALARMS THAT ARE BEING GENERATED ABOUT
THE UNDERLYING HEALTH AND STRENGTH OF OUR ECONOMY.
WE ARE
GOING TO TAKE SOME LUMPS AND BUMPS, BUT WITH THE HELP OF
CONGRESS AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WE ARE PERFECTLY ABLE TO COPE
WITH OUR PRESENT AND FORESEEABLE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.
- IO -
BUT ACTION IS MORE HELPFUL THAN CRITICISM AT THIS
STAGE AND EVERY WEEK THE CONGRESS DELAYS MAKES THE PROSPECTS
A LITTLE BLEAKER.
END OF TEXT
PRESS CONFERENCE
DECEMBER 2, 1974
OPENING REMARKS (ASIAN TRIP)
- I -
PERHAPS I CAN ANTICIPATE SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS BY
SUMMARIZING MY RECENT VISITS TO JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF
KOREA AND THE SOVIET UNION.
- 2 -
IN JAPAN, WE SUCCEEDED IN ESTABLISHING A NEW ERA OF
RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR TWO NATIONS.
WE DEMONSTRATED OUR
CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO THE INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY OF
SOUTH KOREA.
AT VLADIVOSTOK WE PUT A FIRM CEILING ON
THE STRATEGIC ARMS RACE WHICH HAS HERETOFORE ELUDED US SINCE
THE NUCLEAR AGE BEGAN.
I BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING FOR
WHICH FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL THANK US.
AND FINALLY,
SECRETARY KISSINGER'S MISSION MAINTAINED THE MOMENTUM OF OUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
- 3 -
MY MEETINGS IN VLADIVOSTOK WITH GENERAL SECRETARY BREZHNEV
WERE A VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW SOVIET-AMERICAN RELATIONS
AND CHART THEIR FUTURE COURSE.
ALTHOUGH THIS WAS OUR ORIGINAL
PURPOSE, SECRETARY BREZHNEV AND I FOUND IT POSSIBLE TO GO
BEYOND THIS GET-ACQUAINTED STAGE.
BUILDING ON THE
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PAST THREE YEARS WE AGREED THAT PROSPECTS
WERE FAVORABLE FOR MORE SUBSTANTIAL, AND I MAY SAY, VERY
INTENSIVE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE PRIMARY ISSUE OF LIMITATION OF
STRATEGIC ARMS.
IN THE END, WE AGREED ON THE GENERAL FRAMEWORK
FOR A NEW AGREEMENT THAT WILL LAST THROUGH 1985.
- 4 -
WE AGREED IT IS REALISTIC TO AIM AT COMPLETING THIS
AGREEMENT NEXT YEAR.
THIS IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE MADE MAJOR
BREAKTHROUGHS ON TWO CRITICAL ISSUES:
(I) WE AGREED TO PUT A CEILING OF 2,400 EACH ON THE
TOTAL NUMBER OF INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES, SUBMARINE-
LAUNCHED MISSILES AND HEAVY BOMBERS.
- 5 -
(2) WE AGREED TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF MISSILES THAT
CAN BE ARMED WITH MULTIPLE WARHEADS (MIRVS). OF EACH
SIDE'S TOTAL OF 2,400, 1,320 CAN BE so ARMED.
- 6 -
THESE CEILINGS ARE WELL BELOW THE FORCE LEVELS WHICH
WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS,
AND VERY SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE FORCES WHICH WOULD RESULT
FROM AN ALL-OUT ARMS RACE OVER THAT SAME PERIOD.
- 7 -
WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS TO SET FIRM AND EQUAL LIMITS ON
THE STRATEGIC FORCES OF EACH SIDE, THUS PREVENTING AN ARMS
RACE WITH ALL ITS TERROR, INSTABILITY, WAR-BREEDING TENSION
AND ECONOMIC WASTE.
WE HAVE IN ADDITION CREATED THE SOLID
BASIS FROM WHICH FUTURE ARMS REDUCTIONS CAN BE.
AND
...
HOPEFULLY WILL BE.
.NEGOTIATED.
- 8 -
IT WILL TAKE MORE DETAILED NEGOTIATI ONS TO CONVERT
THIS AGREED FRAMEWORK INTO A COMPREHENSIVE ACCORD.
BUT WE
HAVE MADE A LONG FORWARD STEP TOWARD PEACE, ON A BASIS OF
EQUALITY, THE ONLY BASIS ON WHICH AGREEMENT WAS POSSIBLE.
- 9 -
BEYOND THIS, OUR IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH THE OTHER
NATIONS OF ASIA DEVELOPED ON THIS JOURNEY WILL CONTINUE TO
SERVE THE INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CAUSE OF PEACE
FOR MONTHS TO COME.
ECONOMIC, ENERGY, SECURITY AND TRADE
RELATIONSHIPS WERE DISCUSSED WHICH WILL BE OF MUTUAL BENEFIT
TO US ALL.
- IO -
I WOULD LIKE TO REPEAT PUBLICLY MY THANKS AND
GRATITUDE FOR THE HOSPITALITY EXTENDED TO ME BY ALL MY
HOSTS, AND THROUGH ME TO THE. AMERICAN PEOPLE.
END OF TEXT