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This file includes comments on Henry Kissinger and on the effects of the Ronald Reagan challenge on President Ford's handling of foreign affairs.
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1511428
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Scranton, William (Ambassador to the United Nations) - Interview, 6/30/78
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1511428
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document
title
Scranton, William (Ambassador to the United Nations) - Interview, 6/30/78
description
This file includes comments on Henry Kissinger and on the effects of the Ronald Reagan challenge on President Ford's handling of foreign affairs.
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collections
A. James Reichley Interview Transcripts
Foreign Policy Interviews
subjects
Africa
Energy policy
Presidential campaign, 1976
International relations
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1511428
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1976-12-31
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1976
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1968-01-01
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1968
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1
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The original documents are located in Box 1, folder "Scranton, William (Ambassador to
the United Nations) - Interview, 6/30/78" of the A. James Reichley Interview Transcripts 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. A. James Reichley 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United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives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.
Interview with Governor William Scranton, June 30, 1978.
FORD & GERALD LIBRARY
Scranton said that he felt that Henry Kissinger had had some moral basis
for
approach to foreign policy but that he did not feel that about President
Nixon. He said that both the Nixon and Kissinger were fasinated with making things
Ks-
work, but that Kissinger deep down felt that there should be a moral direction for
Nx,
policy, a purpose for making them work. Whereas Nixon, as far as Scranton could
tell, was wholly preoccupaied with the mechanism itself.
that
Scranton said/the change in the United States policy toward Africa which
Advice
Kissinger announced in 1976 was promoted by himself and a some others in the
thought he/
State Department. He said that he actually из was given too much credit for it
among the State Department people, but they did feel that a new responsiveness
was necessary in a Africa and that Kissinger followed that. Scranton said that
Ford
during the first part of the Ford administration, X President Ford was totally
dependent on Kissinger but that he eventually began to develop a certain amount of
independence. Scranton said that during 1976 he observed that Kissinger
I
both made at fun of the remarks that Carter was making on human rights but also
Moral
was bothered by them. He said that Kissinger began to emphasize the moral aspect
ASPCK,
of foreign policy partly because he was disturbed about the charges that foreign
policy had no X moral basis but also because he was concerned about that himself.
Frd.
Scranton said that Ford during 1976 moved away from detante in response to
the attacks by Ronald Reagen. Scranton says that Kissinger felt that Don Rumsfeld
was anxious to move in that direction anyhow that he wished to take a harder line
Rmsrld,
toward the X Soviet Union and to some extent use the Reagen attacks as a good
reason for switching in a direction that he substantively believed was desirable.
an
Scranton said that he regarded Rumsfeld as more of a administrator than as a
policymakery that his mind does not work in direction of fa framen policy but
(The
it
Frd,
of carrying/out. Scranton said Ford was very conservative in his fiscal policyx
consy.
that he stood up in 1975 under very heavy pressure to increase federal spending
- 2 -
&
FORD
because he was determined to defeat inflation. Scranton said that in addition
GREATO
LIBRARY
to that Ford was caucious and conservative in his procedures. He was conçervative
in strategy and tactics as well as having conservative fiscal objectives. Beyond
but
that, Scranton said, he did not exactly see how Ford had been conservative The
Nx.
saidx didn't think Nixon had had substantive goals, that The was a complete
70915
epragmatist in his objectives and in that sense was kh not a conservative at all.
Scranton recalled that in February of 1968 Nixon had told him that there were
four things that he planned to do in foreign polciy the first was to repair the
Western Alliance, the second was to get the United States out of Vietnam.
the
third was to bring about the XX opening to China and the fourth was to work out a
new relationship with the Soviet Union. Scranton said that he later told Nixon
in the Oval Office that he had believed that he would do all of the four except
Nv-
the opening to China which he thought that Nixon would not do because of his
For
past attitude and record. Scranton said that Nixon became angry when Scranton
pul
said that he had not really believed that he would proceed with the new China
policy. Nixon, Scranton said, was not a people person, he did not respond to
people, he did not do things out of sensitivity to popular reaction he did things
always on an intellectual basis because he had thought them out as a policy.
Nixon, Scanton said, was very cynical. He did not understand good people he
/body
believed that everydne wanted money and power and that they really no real motive
for action.
In June of 1973, Scranton recalled, Nixon asked him to become the energy
Szar, C the job that later was taken by John Love. Scranton said that he told Nixon
envay
that he thought that the country would not respond to the need to conserve energy
unless Nixon was able to frame as part of America's foreign policy needs, the
need for instance not to become dependent on the OPEC nations. He said that he had
Unit
told Nixon that Nixon would be well-suited to do this because/his great strength
was in foreign policy. He said he told Nixon that he would remembered for his
opening to China and his development of relations with the Soviet Union.
And
- 3 -
LIBRARY GERALD R. FORD
Nixon had turned to him with all his jowals quivering and had said, " % you
really believe that. " It was the day, or very close to the day, Scranton said,
(smoking
P15000
sun)
he later determined on which the so-called smoke and un conservation took place
(
between
)
wxxx Nixon and Bob Halderman. Scranton said in the conservation he went on to
tell Nixon that the way the post of energy czar was designed he really wuld not
really be a guard there would be other energy agencies still reporting directly
to the President and he did not think he could do an effective job in tax that way.
Scranton said Nixon immediately lost interest when he bean began to discuss the
in which
way the job was structured Two days later, Scranton said, he called
General Haigh who had been present at the meeting with Nixon and told him that he
was not going to take the job.
Scranton said that he could not reconcile that Nixon's so-called conservatism
NX
crass
with the great emphasis that Nixon always put on concentrating power in the
Executive Branch. He said that Ford was conservative in addition to the ways that
Frd.
he already mentioned in that XX he believes. in a strong defense in foreign policy.
that
you
He said that Ford does not trust the Russians but that he believes XX some
poli
relationship with the Russians is necessary. Scranton said that he very much
doubted that Ford would run again for President.