REPUBLICANS MONOPOLIZE FORUM STAGE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000201400030-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 7, 2010
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: October 5, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/07: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201400030-3
PROVIDENCE BULLETIN (RI)
5 October 1982
STAT
Republicans monopolize forum stage
By RICHARD C. DUJARDIN
Journal - Bulletin Religion Writer
PROVIDENCE - Rhode Island's
three Republican congressional candi-
dates - Sen. John H. Chafee, Rep.
Claudine Schneider and Lincoln town
administrator Burton Staliwood - had
the stage to themselves last night
when their three Democratic counter-
parts failed to show up for an open
forum at St. Xavier's Academy on
nuclear weapons and U.S. policies in
Central America
Although Mrs. Schneider's opponent,
James Aukerman, attended the open-
ing minutes of the forum, he never
took the stage, telling a reporter he
was going off to a meeting with
members of a machinists' union. John
McGrath, who was sent as a stand-in
for Chafee's opponent.: Julius C. Mi-
chaelson, was barred from speaking by
the event's organizers, who clearly
were miffed by the candidate's
absence.
Despite the absence of the Demo-
crats, the meeting, which was spon-
sored by a coalition of peace and social
justice groups, had many elements of a
debate. with Mrs. Schneider and Cha-
fee taking opposite sides on such issues
as military aid to El Salvador and the
development of a neutron bomb.
Although Mrs. Schneider reiterated
her view that military aid to El Salva?
dor should be stopped, Chafee insisted
that such a course would be a
"mistake."
"The best way to end this slaughter
(in )rl Salvador) is with the leverage
we have in our aid," said Chafee. who
said earlier in the evening that he did
not believe either the U.S, government
or any multinational corporations were
responsible for injustices inflicted
against ?l;atin American poor. "I don't
believe--that ending our aid would
guarantee an end to the slaughter. In
fact I think it would accelerate the
slaughter that exists."
To back is position, Chafee read a
letter from William Doherty of the
Americans for Free Labor Develop=
ment. Although some of the members
of the audience charged. that Doherty
had been identified as a CIA.tlerative,
Chafee said he knew nothing about
that, and that to his knowledge the
group was linked rather to the AFL-
CIO.
Although Chafee did not appear to
win any points with the predominantly
liberal audience with his El Salvador
position, he got applause when he
declared that the United States "has
been overconcerned by communisrl."
"First of all, everyone against us
Isn't a Communist. And I don't think
there is any danger of anyone from
Honduras Invading the United States.
If we lift our sights and stop worrying
about -Communism, we'll all be better
off," he said.
The two Republican incumbents also
clashed over the issue of the neutron
bomb, with Mrs. Schneider vowing ttl
continue her fight against it and Cha,
fee insisting such weapons must be
part of the U.S. arsenal, to be given up
only if the Soviets agree to do the same
as part of a negotiated arms reduction.
While all three candidates favored a
mutual, verifiable freeze on nuclear
weapons, they also reacted quite dif-
ferently to a proposal that funds be
allocated to planning for conversion of
El,e t.3be manufacturer of the
a Tr dent -submarine, to more peaceful
projects.
Chafee argued that such a conver-
sion would be tantamount to unilateral
disarmament by the United States.
But Mrs. Schneider told the audience
that she and Chafee were of the vie%'
that such a conversion would be desir-
able, but only after an agreement on a
freeze on nuclear weapons.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/07: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201400030-3