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
4526166
label
Celebration of Latvia's 50th Independence Day Anniversary, St. Cecelia Society Auditorium, Grand Rapids, MI, October 19, 1968
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
4526166
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Celebration of Latvia's 50th Independence Day Anniversary, St. Cecelia Society Auditorium, Grand Rapids, MI, October 19, 1968
citationUrl
collections
Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
Speeches
subjects
Czechoslovakia
Latvia
Soviet Union
iiifBase
thumbnailUrl
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
4526166
coverageEndDate
logicalDate
1968-10-31
month
10
year
1968
coverageStartDate
logicalDate
1968-10-01
month
10
year
1968
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
url
mediaId
faa5eaa2089c49a7
ocrText
The original documents are located in Box D25, folder "Celebration of Latvia's 50th
Independence Day Anniversary, St. Cecelia Society Auditorium, Grand Rapids, MI,
October 19, 1968" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File 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. The Council 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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.
GRAND RAPIDS CELEBRATION OF LATVIA'S 50TH INDEPENDENCE
DAY ANNIVERSARY, 7 P.M. SATURDAY, OCT. 19, AT
ST. CECELIA SOCIETY AUDITORIUM, 24 RANSOM AVE. N.E.
(AFTER FORMAL PROGRAM, REFRESHMENTS AT 504 GRAND AVE. N.E.)
IN A LITTLE LESS THAN A MONTH, LATVIANS EVERWHERE WILL
MARK'A PROUD DAY IN THEIR HISTORY THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
OF LATVIA'S DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IN 1918. I KNOW THAT
OF NOV. 18
THIS DAY IS FOR LATVIANS LIKE THE FOURTH OF JULY
IS FOR AMERICANS ... A DAY THAT STANDS FOR FREEDOMM AND
LIBERTY AND THE CASTING OFF OF T HE YOKE OF OPPRESSION.
2/ Latvian
MUCH HAS HAPPENED IN THE WORLD SINCE THAT GLORIOUS DAY
IN 1918 WHEN THE TREATY OF BREST-LITOVSK WAS SIGNED, AND THE
RUSSIANS WITHDREW FROM LA TVIA AND THE OTHER BALTIC TERRITORIES.
YES, THE WORLD HAS SEEN MUCH OF GLORY AND MUCH OF SHAME
SINCE THAT DATE. AND CERTAINLY ONE OF T HE MOST SHAMEFUL
HAPPENINGS OCCURRED WHEN THE SOVIET UNION
BRUTALLY
SEIZED LATVIA, ESTHONIA AND LITHUANIA IN JULY OF 1940.
Digitized from Box D25 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
31 LATVIANS
AND so ONCE AGAIN THE DARK CURTAIN OF OPPRESSION SETTLED
OVER LATVIA AND THE PEOPLE LIVED UNDER THE HEEL
The Russians again but this time an win morth withless
OF THE OPPRESSOR. BUT I CAN SEE IN YOUR FACES AS I TALK distates.
1
TO YOU TONIGHT THAT NO NATIVE OF LATVIA HAS EVER GIVEN UP
HOPE THAT THE YOKE OF THE OPPRESSOR WILL BE LIFTED AND THAT
FREEDOM ONCE MORE WILL BE RESTORED TO THE PROUD PEOPLE OF
LIBRARY
LATVIA.
# LATVIANS
LET ME TELL YOU THAT I ADMIRE YOU. I ADMIRE YOU FOR
YOUR SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE, YOUR REFUSAL TO ACCEPT THE
you & others come form Capture desirve Nations
SOVIET OCCUPATION AS INHVITABLE AND NEVER*ENDING.
1
AND I ADMIRE YOU, TOO, FOR THE CONTRIBUTION
LATVIANS
CHARACTER
I KNOW
WHO HAVE COME TO AMERICA ARE MAKING TO THIS COUNTRY.
1
WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN GRAND RAPIDS AND OTHER COMMUNITIES IN
WHICH LATVIANS HAVE LOCATED. YOU ARE MUCH LIKE THE EARLY
AMERICANS WHO SETTLED AND BUILT THIS COUNTRY.
5/ LATVIANS
YOU WORK HARD, AND
YOU ASK ONLY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
TO WORK HARD AND TO MAKE YOUR OWN WAY. THOSE ARE THE KIND
OF DEOPLE WHO CARVED A NATION OUT OF A WILDERNESS WHEN
AMERICA WAS YOUNG THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO MADE AMERICA THE
GREAT
NATION IT IS.
I KNOW THAT AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY HERE IN AMERICA YOUR
HEARTS GRIEVE FOR PRESIDE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES IN YOUR
NATIVE LATVIA WHERE THE OPPRESSOR RULES.
6/ LATVIANS
I HOPE, AS YOU DO, THAT THE DAY WILL COME WHEN FREEDOM'S
LIGHT AGAIN WILL BURN BRIGHTLY IN YOUR NATIVE LAND. I HAVE
NOT
GIVEN UP ON THAT DREAM, AND I KNOW YOU
HAVE
NOT EITHER.
IT IS NOT FOOLISH TO DREAM THAT DREAM, EVEN IN THIS MOMENT
WHEN WE SEE THE SPARKS OF A NEWFOUND FREEDOM EXTINGUISHED
IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA BY THE ROUGH PAW OF THE RUSSIAN BEAR.
GA
INSERT LATVIANS?
THERE ARE S OME WHO EXCUSE THE SOVIET-LED INVASION OF
CZECH69LOVAKIA BY COMPARING IT WITH THE U.S. PRESENCE IN
VIETNAM AND THE DISPETCH OF U.S. TROOPS TO THE DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. OUR TROOPS ENTERED BOTH
VIETNAM AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC BY INVITATION OF T HE R ULING
GOVERNMENT. AND OUR MILITARY ACTIONS WERE TAKEN TO DEFEND
LIBERTY -- NOT TO STAMP IT OUT. The Russians moved into
cz Is enslave people. america who to free people + save G nature
7/ LATVIANS
I
READ IN THE PAPER TODAY WHERE THE C ZECHOSLOVAKIAN
NETIONAL ASSEMBLY VOTED ALMOST UNANIMOUSLY TO RATIFY A TREATY
PROVIDING FOR THE INDEFINITE STAY OF 70,000 SOVIET TROOPS IN
Ohimidy this was fraud -
(
EZECHOSLOVAKIA. THE MOST INTERESTING ASPECT OF THIS
1
R.FORD
IS THAT WHILE THE VOTE WAS BEING TAKEN, GROUPS OF CZECHOSLOVAKS
STOOD OUTSIDE IN THE STREETS CRYING, "SHAME." THIS TELLS US
THAT THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM MAY BE DEAD ON PAPER
IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA AS A RESULT OF THE SOVIET-LED INVASION AME
8/ LATVIANS
OF THAT COUNTRY, BUT IT IS VERY MUCH ALIVE IN THE HEARTS OF
THE PEOPLE. THAT — FLAME BURNS BRIGHTLY, TOO,
IN THE HEARTS OF THE IATVIANS AND OTHER CAPTIVE PEOPLES. AND
THE RUSSIANS KNOW THIS. THE KREMLIN LEADERS KNOW, TOO, THAT
MANY OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE FEEL THE SHAME THAT THE CZECHOSLOVAKS
HAVE CALLED TO THE ATTENTION OF THE WORLD.
9/ LATVIANS
THERE ARE CASHS REPEATED CALLS IN OUR TIMES FOR A DETENTE
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION.
I WANT PEACE AS MUCH AS ANYONE. BUT I DO NOT THINK WE WILL
EVER ACHIEVE PEACE BY IGNOR ING REALITY AND PRETENDING THAT
THE COMMUNIST LEADERS IN THE KREMLIN ALSO ARE MEN OF PEACE.
humberlour
ONLY IF
NEX WE WILL ACHIEVE PEACE IN THE WORLD WE INSIST
Latter
THAT ALL NATIONS OF THE WORLD LIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH
INTERNATIONAL LAW, AND ALL UNITED NATIONS MEMBERS LIVE UP
10/ LATVIANS
TO THE PRI CIPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER.
THAT IS WHY I SAY THAT THE SOVIET UNION MUST BE CONDEMNED
BEFORE THE WORLD FOR VIOLATING THE SOVEREIGNTY OF & CZECHO
SLOVAKIA, JUST AS SHE WAS CONDEMNED IN 1956 FOR HER
SAVAGE AND BLOODY SUPPRESSION OF THE HUNGARIAN REVOLT.
YOU EMBRACE THE PRINCIPLES OF THE UN CHARTER, THE
PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM AND INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE.
11/Latvian
AND YOU BELIEVE IN THE ULTIMATE RESTORATIONS OF FREEDOM TO
THE NNK LATVIAN REPUBLIC WHOSE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
CELEBRATE
WE Mank TONIGHT.
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT ONE PROVISION IN THE NEW
RUSSIAN-CZECHOSLOVAK TREATY SBANS ANY KIND OF PUBLIC
CELEBRATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CRECHOSLOVAK
REPUBLIC ON OCT. 28.
LIBRARY
12/ Latvian
HOW STUPID IT IS OF THE RUSSIANS TO ABELIEVE THAT BECAUSE
THEY PROHIBIT A PUBLIC CELEBRATION OF AN INDEPENDENCE DAY
THAT THIS WILL
MISSETT ERASE IT FROM THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF
THE PEOPLE !
YOU KNOW AND I KNOW THAT NOTHING IS GREATER T HAN THE PROUD
SPIRIT OF AN INDEPENDENT HUMAN BEING. THIS THE COMMUNIST
OPPRESSORS THROUGHOUT T HE WORLD WILL NEVER DEFEAT.
I
13/ LAtvian
CANNOT
THEY
DEFEAT THE HUMAN SPIRIT.
A
AND THAT IS WHY I BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL THAT
SOME DAY THERE WILL AGAIN BE AN INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC OF
-YoudI-
LATVIA
-- AND WEAWILL CELEBRATE THAT DAY, TOO,
TOGETHER.
THANK YOU.
####
NOTE CARDS
GRAND RAPIDS
OCT. 19,1968
Congress of the United States
Office of the Minority Leader
Herald R. 3nd
house of Representatives
M.C.
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
SATURDAY
7:00 P.M.
LATVIA'S 50TH INDEPENDENCE
DAY ANNIVERSARY
ST. CECELIA SOCIETY AUDITORIUM
FORD