Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
7345707
label
At the White House with Ron Nessen [Press Conference]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
7345707
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
At the White House with Ron Nessen [Press Conference]
citationUrl
collections
White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
7345707
levelOfDescription
item
productionDates
day
16
logicalDate
1976-09-16
month
9
year
1976
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
dbbbc79b9106f6d5
ocrText
Digitized from Box 30 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
This Copy For
NEWS CONFERENCE
#581
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
WITH RON NESSEN
AT 11:45 A.M. EDT
SEPTEMBER 16, 1976
THURSDAY
MR. NESSEN: The Economic Policy Board did have
its meeting today, postponed from the other day. It was for
the purpose that I mentioned, which was to review at least
some of the features of the tax bill. The President did
not make any decisions there at the meeting.
Q
Ron, you were sitting in on the whole
meeting?
MR. NESSEN: John was.
Q
Did the President make any comment about
it at all that might be of interest to us?
MR. NESSEN: It was mostly an informal and
discussion meeting and not a decision-making meeting.
Q Did they talk about tax breaks for college
parents who have given to colleges that are non-public
schools that he talked about last night?
MR. NESSEN: That is not in the bill.
Q I am sorry. No, I understand that.
MR. NESSEN: At 11:00, the President had a
meeting with Ambassador Volpe and Jeno Paulucci. The
purpose of this was to discuss the Italian earthquake.
As you may know, Mr. Paulucci was in Italy earlier this
month and before he went, the President asked him to make
an assessment of the earthquake relief program and determine
how the U.S. relief efforts were going and any suggestions
he might have for improving them, and also, his more general
impressions of the earthquake area and the general Italian
situation.
So, just by way of background, the United
States has provided Italy with $25 million in earthquake
relief assistance since the initial earthquake, which
was on May 6th. In case you don't recall, an estimated 1,000
people were killed and about 70,000 were left homeless. I think
you may recall that Vice President Rockefeller and the
AID Administrator, Daniel Parker, went to Italy at the
President's direction later in May to survey the damage
and to recommend an American effort.
MORE
#581
- 2 -
#581-9/16
There have been fresh tremors ever since May,
the last of which were last weekend. The damage and
deaths were not anywhere near as heavy as the initial
earthquake on May 6th. So, that was the purpose of that.
Q
Is the President thinking about proposing
more aid, more quake relief money?
MR. NESSEN: It is possible.
Q
Did Paulucci tell him more aid was needed?
MR. NESSEN: I did not attend the meeting and I
did not have time to talk to them since the meeting.
Q
Could we find out what Mr. Volpe told the
President about what you said was the general Italian
situation?
MR. NESSEN: I will check with Volpe and Paulucci
and see what we can tell you.
I think tonight you know the President is going
to attend the Italian-American Foundation Bicentennial
Tribute dinner. That is at the Washington Hilton. The
President will be leaving the White House at 7:05. There
will be a travel pool going with him and the President
will make remarks at the dinner and then leave.
Q Ron, is that a change? You said he is going
to attend it, but actually, is he?
MR. NESSEN: There will be a reception for head-
table guests which he will attend, and then he will go to
the head table. About 1,800 people will attend, and the
Star Spangled Banner will be sung by Enzo Stuarti
The President will take his seat and will attend those
opening ceremonies of the color guard, the national anthem
and the invocation. Then, he will be introduced and he
will speak shortly before 8:00.
Q
Will he sit in the same chair that Carter
sat in?
MR. NESSEN: I thought Carter was supposed to be
there but apparently, he decided to delay his arrival so
he wouldn't have to listen to the President.
Q
Is that another flip-flop?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know. I don't expect we will
have the remarks in advance. They will be relatively brief.
Q What does "relatively" mean?
MR. NESSEN: I would say five to ten minutes, but
closer to five than to ten. The President is still working
on them but he indicated that he would like to talk about
some substantive issues involving --
MORE
#581
- 3 -
#581-9/16
Q
Such as earthquake aid for Italy?
Q
Involving Communism --
MR. NESSEN: He is still working on his remarks,
so I don't have exactly what he is going to say.
0
At what time will they come, do you know?
MR. NESSEN: Shortly before 8:00.
Q
Could we get them by 7:30?
MR. NESSEN: I don't think there will be an
advance, Helen. I don't think so because 3:00 this
afternoon is the time when he is going to sit down and
really focus on finishing the speech. I will take a
reading of that and see whether they are in finished
enough form to hand out.
0
Ron, on the issue of earthquake aid, could
I ask -- Dan sort of facetiously suggested -- is it
possible that might be unveiled this evening?
MR. NESSEN: It is not planned to do anything
like that.
0
Ron, you still have not answered my question
about whethr he is going to attend the dinner or not.
MR. NESSEN: The answer is he is going to attend
to the extent of being there and seated at the head table
for the opening ceremonies. Then he will speak and will
leave. He will not eat there.
Q
Why is that?
MR. NESSEN: Because he has to go from there to
attend the reception for members of the Hispanic community
and the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception afterward.
Q
Why doesn't he have dinner with the Italians?
MR. NESSEN: Then he would miss the reception.
Q
The Italian thing was scheduled long before
this Hispanic thing.
MR. NESSEN: But he wants to do both and he is
going to do both.
There is open press coverage.
MORE
#581
- 4 -
#581-9/16
Q
Is this a change which you are telling us?
Had he planned to do something more?
MR. NESSEN: He had not planned to attend the
dinner at all from the beginning.
Q
You asked us to assume that it is Carter
who is avoiding a meeting with the President but why is it --
MR. NESSEN: No, I am not asking you to do that.
I am not speaking for Carter here.
Q
You said last night in the pool report that
Carter backed out.
MR. NESSEN: I said it looks like he is backing
out. That was offered as a personal observation.
Q
My question is, with the President cutting
out of the dinner early, isn't the President just as
equally liable to the charge that he is trying to avoid
Mn. Carter?
MR. NESSEN: The President has not planned to
attend the whole dinner and he does want to get over and
attend this other event.
Q
Was the President not invited to the dinner?
MP.. NESSEN: Let me see what he said in his
letter to Paulucci, which I have here.
In his letter to Paulucci he did not discuss
food. But, he likes Italian food.
Q
Ron, on the earthquake aid, how much of
that $25 million has actually been spent? Do you know
what has happened to the $25 million? Has it all been
spent? Is more needed?
MR. NESSEN: We have provided the money. We
have given the money to the Italians. You would have
to check with them on how they have used it. I know
one thing. the Italians have decided to do is to put the
emphasis on rebuilding homes, and whereas originally
70,000 people were homeless, they have put the initial
emphasis on building homes and they have now housed
30,000 of the 70,000 who were without homes immediately
after the earthquake, and I suspect some of the relief
funds have gone for that.
MORE
#581
- 5 -
#581-9/16
Q
When did the President put the appearance
at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the
schedule?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know.
Q
My recollection is when you handed out
today's schedule in Ann Arbor yesterday that was not on
it and that was subsequently added. Is that right?
MR. NESSEN: It was accidentally left off the
printed schedule and I told the pool.coming home last
night that it had been accidentally left off. I don't
know if the pool report reflected that or not, but I
said it had been accidentally left off and I wanted them
to know about it so they could catch up with the schedule.
I didn't see that pool report, though.
Q
Did you ever get straightened out on
whether he was invited to the dinner tonight?
MR. NESSEN: No, we have not because -- he did
not force his way to the dinner. He was invited to attend
by Jeno Paulucci. I know he was invited.
Q
The point is, Ron, you were implying that
Jimmy Carter is trying to avoid the President when it
appears it is the other way around.
MR. NESSEN: No, I did not, Bob. I offered that
as an offhand comment last night because last week I
heard that Carter was going to come and then the President
was going to come and they would be there at the same
time. The next thing I heard was that Carter had
decided to delay his arrival until after the time the
President had departed.
Q
When did the President decide to depart
early?
MR. NESSEN: It has always been planned that he
would leave after his remarks, that he would not stay
for dinner.
Q
It was always planned --
MR. NESSEN: -- that he would make remarks at the
beginning and leave, that is correct.
Q
Does the President not want to be there
when Carter is?
MR. NESSEN: He would be delighted to be there
when Carter is.
MORE
#581
- 6 -
#581-9/16
Q
Why doesn't he stay?
MR. NESSEN: Because he does not want to miss
the reception at the Shrine.
Q
It is on the way back.
Q
Why don't they go up there together after-
wards? (Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: Anyhow, they are going to meet next
Thursday in Philadelphia.
Q
Any details on the coverage of tonight?
MR. NESSEN: I was hoping somebody would ask that.
There will be open coverage at the dinner.
Q
He is not staying for the dinner.
MR. NESSEN: There will be open coverage of the
President's remarks. The travel pool should plan to wear
dark suits. It is a black tie dinner. Set-up time
for
of you who want to set up your cameras is before
6:00. In other words, at 6:00 they will close the doors
and sweep the place so you should have your cameras in
place by 6:00.
For those of you interested in such things,
from the camera platform to the podium is 50 feet and
there will be a mult for making recordings. After
leaving the Hilton, the President will go to the Shrine
of the Immaculate Conception, which you know is on
the grounds of Catholic University.
He will attend a reception being held for members
of the Washington Hispanic Community. This reception
follows a religious mass which is being held as part of the
activities of National Hispanic Heritage Week, which is
this.
Q
Does the President speak Spanish?
MR. NESSEN: He does not. The President will
make brief remarks at the reception.
Q
Open or closed?
MR. NESSEN: There will be pool coverage of
both the reception and his remarks at the reception.
The reason for the pool coverage is because the space
is limited.
MORE
#581
- 7 -
581-9/16
Q
Will he speak on abort lon?
MR. NESSEN: No. the remarks really are brief
and in keeping with the nature of the event, which is a
reception following a religious mass.
I think the President will be back in the White
House about 9:10 or 9:15, something like that.
Q
Is there any connection between the morning's
meeting on Italian affairs and the evening's speech?
MR. NESSEN: According to the briefing paper,
the subjects of the meeting are to receive Paulucci's
report on what he observed of the earthquake, to
primarily talk about the earthquake and general matters
in Italy as reported on by both Volpe and Paulucci.
There is nothing in here about the dinner tonight.
Q
Ron, has he been to Italy between his last
visit here about ten days ago and today . Paulucci, that
is.
MR. NESSEN: He met with Paulucci on September 2
and then Paulucci went to Italy after the meeting of
September 2.
Q
At the President's behest?
MR. NESSEN: He was going there on his own, but
when the President learned he was going there on his own,
the President asked him to do certain chores for him in
terms of making an assessment of the earthquake damage
and the relief effort.
Now that we have plowed our way through that,
the rest of the schedule you have seen. There are no
changes in that.
Q
How about the Governors?
MR. NESSEN: What Governors?
Q Southern chairmen?
MR. NESSEN: Are you interested in talking to
them afterward?
Q Yes.
MR. NESSEN: I can make them aware of your
interest and see if we can arrange for them to come out
to the driveway and talk to you.
MORE
#581
- 8 -
#581-9/16
Q
It is raining. That is especially fitting.
Q
What about coverage for the reception? Is
that closed?
MR. NESSEN: The Young Presidents reception?
Q
No, the Southern chairmen.
MR. NESSEN: Yes, it will be closed.
Q
How about the Young Presidents?
MR. NESSEN: That is also closed.
Q
Why?
MR. NESSEN: It is just a brief social reception
for members and their wives.
Q
We have been allowed to cover social
receptions.
MR. NESSEN: There is no plan for this one.
Q
Is this because it is political?
MR. NESSEN: It is not political.
Q
Then why can't we cover it?
MR. NESSEN: I will look into it. Currently
there are no plans to but let me check and see what the
reasoning behind that is.
Q
Now that negotiations are not going on any-
more, are you willing to say anything about the auto
strike and the impact it might have?
MR. NESSEN: No, I am not.
Q
What is the excuse now for not talking
about it? You would not when the negotiations were going
on.
MR. NESSEN: The President believes in letting
the collective bargaining process resolve the differences.
Q
You were going to check on whether the CEA
or anybody in the Administration had been doing a study
of the impact of the strike. Can you tell us anything
on that?
MR. NESSEN: I have not got anything on that, no.
MORE
#581
- 9 -
#581-9/16
Q
Has the President discussed with Leo Cherne
the loss of the little green book?
Q
You don't seem to be as concerned about this
strike as you have been about past strikes. Are you
downplaying this purposely?
MR. NESSEN: I am not up-playing it or downplaying
it. You asked me whether the President had any comment and
I said only that he -- as with all labor disputes, contract
disputes, rather -- believes in letting the collective
bargaining process resolve the differences.
I have a question hanging about the little green
book, from Helen. What was your question again?
Q Has the President discussed the loss of
this book, and is he going to keep Cherne in his present
position and what are the developments?
MR. NESSEN: As I understand it, the whole matter
is being reviewed and while it is, I just don't have
anything to say on it.
Q
Being reviewed by whom?
MR. NESSEN: My understanding is it is being
reviewed at the Justice Department.
Q
Ron, on Tuesday you said that you would
check to see whether the Economic Policy Board has made
any study or analysis -- or whatever you want to
call it -- of the economic impact of a strike against the
Ford Motor Company.
Have you checked? Has the EPB done any such
study?
MR. NESSEN: They have not done any such study.
It is difficult to gauge the economic impact when you
don't know the length of the strike.
Q
I would assume -- perhaps I am wrong -- that
they would make a study examining various scenarios.
MR. NESSEN: At the moment, as far as I know, they
have not done an estimate of any economic impact of the
strike.
MORE
#581
- 10 -
#581-9/15
Q
Has anyone in the Government, as far as you
know?
MR. NESSEN: I can't speak for anyone in the
Government.
Q
As far as you know.
MR. NESSEN: As far as I know, I just don't know
beyond what goes on in the White House.
Q
I would like to know -- to follow up on the
green book -- has there been any personal involvement on
the part of the President? When did he first learn about
it since this occurred last March, and so forth? Has he
been aware all along?
MR. NESSEN: He learned about it several months
ago and has been kept abreast of developments.
Q
Did he learn about it before or after he
named Mr. Cherne to the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know what the exact date was.
Q
It was February.
Q
Is he concerned?
MR. NESSEN: The matter is being reviewed and I
don't have anything to say while it is.
Q
Did he direct the review?
MR. NESSEN: No. I believe the review got under-
way in the normal procedure of things.
Q
After Cherne reported it to the Justice
Department?
MR. NESSEN: I just don't know the details and
it is under review. I can't say anything more while it
is under review.
Q
When he learned about it is sort of crucial.
Could you find out for us when he learned about it?
MR. NESSEN: I know it was several months ago.
I could pin it down better than that. I will check.
Q
Also, what happened when the President found
out. What did he do? What did he say? What did he
think?
MR. NESSEN: He has just been kept abreast of
it, Helen, and it is under review.
MORE
#581
- 11 -
#581-9/16
Q
Ron, you said it is being reviewed by the
Justice Department?
MR. NESSEN: Right.
Q
Do you think it is also being reviewed by the
Central Intelligence Agency?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know enough about the details,
myself.
Q
Ron, I apologize if this question has been
asked before, but last week, the President, when he
was speaking to the B'nai B'rith, suggested that he favored
some kind of anti-boycott legislation. We tried to get
Mr. Baker, his campaign chairman, to explain what kind of
anti-boycott legislation the President favors.
MR. NESSEN: Why would you ask Jim Baker?
Q
Because he was available and he is the
campaign chairman.
MR. NESSEN: A target of opportunity.
Q
We thought possibly this was a political
maneuver on the President's part and Mr. Baker was absolutely
astounded to learn that the President favored anti-boycott
legislation since he opposed it on the Hill. Could you tell
us what kind of anti-boycott legislation he now favors?
MR. NESSEN: Do you have the transcript of what
the President said?
Q
At the B'nai B'rith?
MR. NESSEN: Yes.
Q
I am sure it is available in your office.
MR. NESSEN: What he said was -- he went on and
talked about the whole boycott situation and what he had
done about it and at one point, he said something about
"legislation if necessary," and that is an unchanged position,
that the steps he has taken, steps to deal with this practice,
those steps are working and somewhere down the line, if they
don't work fully and adequately, at that point, he would then
support some kind of legislation, if necessary, to deal
with the problem.
Q
He does not favor anti-boycott legislation
as of this moment?
MR. NESSEN: He has not changed his position
at all, Bob.
MORE
#581
- 12 -
#581-9/16
Q
There is some in the tax bill pending and
apparently, there has been no decision on vetoing or not
vetoing the tax bill, right?
MR. NESSEN: That is correct.
Q
What does he think about the provision in
the tax bill that would deny tax breaks to people who
honor the boycott?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know what specific wording
was finally agreed to in that area. I know that some versions
of that were opposed in testimony by Administration witnesses
on grounds that the President, last November, took action
to deal with the boycott.
Q
Did that come up today in the review?
MR. NESSEN: I did not attend that entire
meeting. I will have to ask, John.
Q Ron, can I go back to the auto strike for a
minute? While the President was in his residence yesterday
afternoon at Ann Arbor -- that period when you said old
friends would drop in on him -- did he by any chance see
anybody connected with either the Ford Motor Company or
with the United Auto Workers?
MR. NESSEN: Not that I know of. I will check
and see who came to see him but I am not aware of any
plan to do that.
Q
Ron, as long as we returned to the Ford
strike, if my memory is correct, this is the largest --
in terms of number of workers out -- the largest strike in
the United States in six years. Does the President have any
comment whatever, recognizing his economic philosophy and
all the rest of it-nevertheless, I think it is the largest
strike in the United States in six years -- does the Presi-
dent of the United States have any comment whatever to
offer to reporters and from them to the public on this
strike?
MR. NESSEN: I think, Jim, he has commented each
time he has been asked about this over the past few days.
I have commented on it each time I have been asked about
it over the past few days and the comment is always the
same, because it is his view, and that is that the collective
bargaining process should be allowed to work, and it is
working.
Q
Michigan is one of the few States where
published polls show Ford ahead of Carter. Is there any
concern if the strike goes on close to the election, or
beyond, that it will hurt him politically in Michigan?
MORE
#581
- 13 -
#581-9/16
MR. NESSEN: Lou, I don't think I should comment,
or speculate, really, on how long a strike will go on and
what, if any, political effect it would have. I just don't
think it is the right thing to do.
Q
Ron, could you tell us, and if you don't
have it, could you get it for us, what kind of reaction
has been coming into the White House on Secretary Kissinger's
trip to Africa?
MR. NESSEN: What do you mean, coming into the
White House? Do you mean in the way of letters and mail
and so forth?
Q
And telegrams.
MR. NESSEN: Let's see what the last mail report
shows. This was for last week. A minor amount of mail,
129 letters on the overall performance of Secretary
Kissinger, not broken down by any specific area.
Q
Was it pro or con?
MR. NESSEN: It is not broken down. The memo
reporting on last week's mail count simply says there were
129 letters commenting on Secretary of State Kissinger.
Q
Have you followed that? Is that a lot of
letters?
MR. NESSEN: 129 letters. For instance, there
were 2573 letters asking for birthday and anniversary
messages, so that will give you an idea.
Q
My point is, do you normally get that many
letters on Kissinger in a week?
MR. NESSEN: I would have to look back on
previous week reports and see how that ranks.
MORE
#581
- 14 -
#581-9/16
Q
Ron, would the President like to see the
abortion amendment stay in the current bill that
is being considered on the Hill?
MR. NESSEN: We have not seen the final wording
of that other than what the newspaper reported this
morning. It was not clear to me even from the newspaper
what the language is and until we have had a chance
to see what the precise language is, we don't have any
comment on it.
Q
Let me ask you a related question. After
the President told the Catholic bishops that he had
directed Mr. Cannon to make a study seeking to restrict
Federal aid for abortion only to those programs required
by law --
MR. NESSEN: And court decisions.
Q
-- and court decisions required by the law.
One or more womens' organizations stated that the
President's position was unconstitutional in that it was a
Fourteenth Amendment deprivation of due process,
discrimination against a very large class of citizens;
that is to say, women.
What is the President's or the White House
response to the charge that his instructions to Mr.
Cannon are to accomplish an unconstitutional purpose?
MR, NESSEN: I don't have any response to that.
I did not see the remarks. I just don't have any comment
other than the fact that this morning when I told the
President I anticipated some questions based on the
action in Congress concerning the amendment, he said,
"Where is that study that I asked for?" He said, "I
want it without delay." So, that was relayed then to the
Domestic Council and I take it from that that he wants it
soon.
Q
That study that Cannon is doing, that the
Domestic Council is doing, will it go into the constitu-
tional legal questions of what the President can and
can't do in this area?
MR. NESSEN: I think when I told you, Jim, about
how the request was worded it seemed to me the wording
was that he wants the study done of various programs of
the Federal Government, various funds that are used for
abortions, reviewed to make sure that the spending is
kept to the minimum required by law and court decisions.
Court decisions I think go to constitutional questions.
MORE
#581
- 15 -
#581-9/16
Q
Ron, there was a news report about 15
months ago to the effect that a similar study was being
carried out then by the Domestic Council. What was the
result of that one and why is there need for another
one?
MR. NESSEN: I have not heard of such a prior
study and Jim Cannon has never mentioned to me that there
was prior study.
Q
Ron, you added "by law" today in this.
You previously only referred to this Supreme Court
decision.
MR. NESSEN: No, I think Jim was quoting back
to me --
Q
I happened to be reading it. He said,
"in the Counsel's Office to undertake to make a study
to make sure Federally financed abortions were kept to
the minimum required by court decisions and law."
Q
Why are you adding "and law"?
MR. NESSEN: I don't tend to change anything that
I said the other day, but I think court decisions deal
with whether programs are being run according to the
law, it seems to me.
Q
Why does the President oppose abortion
that is sought by women who simply seek to not have an
unwanted child?
MR. NESSEN: Why are we having a philosophical
discussion today when nothing new has happened in this
area except the President was asked where his study is.
Q
There has never been any reason why the
President in some way wanted to minimize the amount of
abortions that take place. Why is it?
MR. NESSEN: I think what he said before, Pye--
and I will just get out the transcripts of what he said
before, including yesterday to the students and let
you read it.
Q
Has the President been in touch with Dole
at all in view of the stories --
MR. NESSEN: He saw him on Sunday.
MORE
#581
- 16 -
#581-9/16
Q
There have been a lot of critical stories
both ways.
MR. NESSEN: I have not seen any of those.
Q
You haven't seen any stories?
MR. NESSEN: You started mentioning some to
me yesterday but I have not seen any. What stories are
you talking about?
Q
That he is not happy with the way things
are going; they have bad organization; bad coordination.
MR. NESSEN: I have not heard any of that. As
far as I know, the President told him last Saturday or
Sunday, whenever it was -- and many of you were present --
that he was very pleased with Senator Dole's activities
and campaigning.
Q
Ron, has anybody been detailed to Dole from
the White House?
Q
Does the President agree with Secretary
General Luns' proposal yesterday that the Russians don't
want a SALT agreement until after the Presidential election?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know. I will have to ask
the President his views on that subject. Your question was,
has anybody been detailed to Dole from the White House?
Q
Have any additional White House aides been
detailed?
MR. NESSEN: Larry Speakes has gone over there
and a couple of press advance people have left the White
House and gone over there.
Q
No one from the speechwriting office has gone
over and if not, are there plans to send someone over?
MR. NESSEN: A speechwriter?
Q
From the speechwriting office.
MR. NESSEN: Do you know a name? I just don't
keep up with it that closely. Peter Wallison has gone
over there from the Vice President's staff.
Q
I would like to return to a question that
Ed asked earlier about the marked difference, or perhaps
the marked indifference, in the attitude of the White
House toward this Ford strike as opposed to previous
strikes which we have discussed here.
MORE
#581
- 17 -
#581-9/16
MR. NESSEN: I don't know what the basis of that is.
Q
It just seems there is a marked difference
and a marked indifference to the strike at Ford Motor
plantsin the White House attitude here.
MR. NESSEN: I think if you check the record,
Walt, you will see this is the attitude that the President
always takes because it reflects his view that --
Q
I understand that, but you always come out
and say the President is taking an active interest in
keeping posted on the strike and is concerned about its
long-range economic impact. You have not said any of
that impact. You have not even said the President is
interested in the outcome of the strike.
Q
Particularly now when Greenspan admits we are
in a pause in the recovery.
Q
In any event, is the President even in touch
with the Labor Department as to what is going on in that
strike?
MR. NESSEN: He is kept informed of all economic
developments.
Q
By whom?
MR. NESSEN: By his Economic Policy Board or
Alan Greenspan or --
Q
What have they told him about the Ford
strike?
MR. NESSEN: It just started the other day, Walt,
last night or the night before last.
Q
And no long-range prospectus on the economic
effects if it lasts one week as opposed to two weeks, as
opposed --
MR. NESSEN: As I told Jim when he asked about
it, to my knowledge, the EPB has'nt done that work.
Q
They did it very quickly on the vegetable
strike in California earlier this year.
MR. NESSEN: I have given you the President's
view every day this week that has been asked about. Even
over the weekend, I was asked about it. The President's
view is the same.
Q
Ron, is Senator Mansfield going to carry
out any message or errand for the President on the trip to
China?
MORE
#581
- 18 -
#581-9/16
MR. NESSEN: The President expects to call Senator
Mansfield today -- or may have already called him -- just
to wish him well and to note the fact this is probably his
last day in which he will attend a session of the Senate
as a Member because by the time he gets back from China
the session will probably be adjourned. Senator Mansfield
will carry a verbal greeting to the Chinese: "Best wishes
from the President."
Q
To the Chinese Government?
MR. NESSEN: To the Chinese officials he meets.
Q
Anything in particular?
MR. NESSEN: No, it is an informal and verbal
greeting.
Q
Has Schlesinger been asked for his report
on China yet?
MR. NESSEN: To my knowledge, he is not back
yet. The last I saw, he was setting out to visit the
provinces.
Q
But you have a liaison in Peking and he,
in turn, hasn't even contacted Schlesinger yet on it.
MR. NESSEN: I think last week when I was asked,
I indicated that the appropriate people would certainly
want to talk to Jim Schlesinger when he got back.
Q
Has he been contacted through the Liaison
Office?
MR. NESSEN: I will check and find out.
Q
Did the President make any further
comments to you, to anybody you are aware of, about that
firecracker last night?
MR. NESSEN: No. He hasn't mentioned it.
THE PRESS: Thank you, Ron.
END
(AT 12:20 P.M. EDT)
#581