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    "localId": "4525852",
    "label": "Foreign Policy, Montgomery, AL, June 18, 1965",
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    "title": "Foreign Policy, Montgomery, AL, June 18, 1965",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4525852",
    "collections": [
        "Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers",
        "Speeches"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Vietnam War, 1961-1975"
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box D18, folder \"Foreign Policy, Montgomery, AL,\nJune 18, 1965\" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the\nGerald 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 The Council donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain.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.\nCARDS\nMONTOOMERY, ALA,\nJUN. 18,1965\nHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S.\nPUBLIC DOCUMENT\nHerald R. 3nd\nM.C.\nOFFICIAL BUSINESS\nSpeech cards GOP\nMontgomery ala\ntexas June 18, 1965 MICHIGAN.\nGERALD FORD LIBRARY\nDigitized from Box D18 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nExcerpts from a speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford (R-Mich)\n\"Foreign Policy\"\nMontgomery, Ala. June 18, 1965\nCongressional Republican Leadership will continue to support the President in\nhis firm and resolute stand against Communist aggression in Vietnam and elsewhere.\nWe favor measured, meaningful military steps, which have been ordered by the\nPresident, However, we would oppose wild, unbridled expansion of the conflict in\nVietnam to chase an impossible fanatasy of unconditional Communist surrender.\nAlthough everyone hopes for an end to the fighting, bloodshed and death on the\njungle battlefields of Southeast Asia, negotiations on our part from a position of\nmilitary weakness would mean surrender without meaning. It would mean American and\nSouth Vietnamese lives had been given in vain. It would mean the United States\ntoppling from its position of world leadership into the bottomless canyon of\nmediocracy and weakness.\n*\n*\n*\n*\nMost members of Congress--Democrat and Republican--are not expected to have\nfull knowledge of the inside, secret military day-by-day strategy of the war in\nSoutheast Asia. Neither the public at large nor Congress has any idea at this time\nhow far the Administration plans to stretch its military effort.\nThe combat decision-making rightfully belongs to the President as Commander-in-\nChief. This is among the heavy burdens of his high office.\nThe President makes the military decisions, including targets to be bombed, the\nnumber of American troops to be committed on land and in the air. It takes a\nPresidential order to expand our efforts in Vietnam to a larger-scale ground and\nair war. He---and he alone---is responsible for military victories or defeats.\n#\n#\n#\n#\nExcerpts from a speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford (R-Mich.)\nRepublicans in the House of Representatives, who are faced with overwhelming\nopposition in voting strength on legislation and awesome power in the executive\nbranch have at least five major duties and responsibilities.\nFirst, we must exert our influence in a positive manner to help guide our\nNation toward freedom, security, peace and well-being within the framework of sound\nfiscal responsibility and the Constitution,\nSecondly, we should support the Administration when it is right, oppose it\nwhen it is wrong, at the same time presenting constructive alternative proposals.\nOur third duty is to expose any failures of the present Administration to Jeep\npromises made during the 1964 election campaign.\nThe fourth responsibility is to strive for a strong two-party system to over-\ncome the present impalance of power in the legislative, executive and judicial\nbranches of government.\nFinally, we must work with dedication and zeal to maintain and strengthen\nunity in the Republican ranks.\n*\n*\n*\nRepublicans must convince citizens in all segments of our society that we are\nconcerned with their problems, that we care about them individually and collectively.\n*\nAs a Party we must insist that America regain its leadership in the world. Our\nforeign policy should be based on principle, power, patience and perseverance.\nOur Nation cannot capitulate to Communist pressure in Viet Nam and we cannot\nwithdraw. If we retreat our defense line would be at Pearl Har bor. We cannot permit\nthe Pacific Ocean to become a Red Sea.\n* * *\nThere has been talk of a split in the Republican ranks. I answer this by saying\nreunification is already well under way. The division is less sharp in our party\nthan among Democrats.\nIt appears that the majority of Republicans believe in the philosophy of the\nhigh middle road of moderation.\nBy organizing our strength, rallying our forces, creating new ideas and\nearning the respect of the American people, we can expect victories in 1966 and a\nresurgence of strength.\n#####\n#####\n#####\nExcerpts from a speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford (R-Mich)\n\"Republican Opportunity\"\nRumblings of discontent and disenchantment with the way things are going in the\nalleged \"Great Society\" are spreading across the land.\nThe sounds of unrest, signalling a great awakening of the American electorate,\noffer the Republican Perty one of the most important opportunities in years to\nregain strength.\nFor example, millions of Americans are learning with dismay that the Democrat-\ncontrolled Congress has sand-bagged them with more taxes arbitrarily taken from\ntheir paychecks.\nCongressional action so far--with Democrats cringing under White House\npolitical whiplashing means Americans will have less money to spend on necessities,\nslimmer bank accounts, and more choking federal control of their lives.\n*\n*\n*\nThe United States as a country, every citizen as a member of a free society,\nand our form of government would be in jeopardy if one political party becomes so\nstrong that it is unchallenged.\nAlthough outnumbered 2 to 1 in Congress, Republicans are a forceful, optimistic,\narticulate, and united team that will have more members after 1966 elections.\n*\n*\n*\nThere is growing national concern about the present imbalance of power in\ngovernment. A strong two-party system and more balance of strength are essential to\nthe protection of the individual and his best interests,\n*\nThe Republican Party to have a resurgence of strength and to win victories must:\nrecover fumbles made by the Administration be a constructive, responsible force\nusing new ideas to create better legislative proposals---recruit more members and\nenlist more intelligent, articulate and personable candidates establish basic\npositions to broaden the base---reassert our principles that demand preservation of\nindividual freedom and human dignity-- build better communications with the public\nat large raise money to finance a strong effort.\n*\n*\nIf we fail, we will fail the American people. Winning means contributing in\ngreat measure to the strength, the welfare, the health, the growth, the prosperity,\nthe well-being of every citizen in the United States and in the society of the free\nworld nations.\n#\n#\n#\n#\n#\n#"
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