THE HOLDING STRATEGY EXTENSION OF REMARKS OF HON. RICHARD D. MCCARTHY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP67B00446R000400010007-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 21, 2005
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: January 24, 1966
• Content Type: OPEN

January 25, 1966
Approved For Release 2006/11/06: CIA-RDP67B00446R000400010007-9
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -APPENDIX A339
I choose not to talk about this in terms
of an "oceanography gap," even though I'm
convinced we are not preeminent in the field.
But I hope we don't wait for a sharp stimu-
lus which forces us into a competition. Per-
haps we should move more rapidly because
we have the capability and it ought to be
done for the benefits it can provide for us
and the rest of mankind. How fast we move
to meet the challenge of the ocean depends
in large measure on the political action we
take today.
The 9,500 Fourth-Class Post Offices
HON. J.
OF REMARKS
OF
J. PICKLE
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Tuesday, January 25, 1966
Mr. PICKLE. Mr. Speaker, the De-
cember 1965 issue of Postmasters Ad-
vocate, the official publication of the
National League of Postmasters of the
United States, devoted its cover picture
to a recent historic event in the 10th
Congressional District of Texas.
I refer to the swearing-in ceremonies
rence F. "Larry" O'Brien, in the little
champion of the small postmasters and post has expressed a similar view: George F.
offices. Kennan, former U.S. Ambassador to the
We hail-and salute-President Lyndon B. Soviet Union,. who recently advocated a
Johnson on this historic occasion. c mpaign to. deescalate the Vietnam
The Holding Strategy
tar.
Since last July, the distinguished
Columnist Walter Lippmann has held
this basic view of the situation.
REMARKS In the latest issue of Newsweek maga-
EXTENSION OF zine, dated January 31, 1966, Mr. Lipp-
OF mann again asserts this view stating
HON. RICHARD D. McCARTHY that:
or NEW YORK The holding strategy enables us to honor
our commitments to the South Vietnamese,
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES who would be lost if we withdrew precipi-
Monday, January 24, 1966 tately from the whole country. The holding
strategy, moreover, relieves our troops of the
McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, sup- impossible task of occupying the villages of
Mr
.
port for the views of Lt. Gen. James M. South Vietnam and keeping the Vietcong
Gavin relative to the war in Vietnam from overrunning them when we leave. The
is growing. holding strategy is built upon our seapower,
The New York Times on Friday, Jan- which is our strong right arm, not upon
uary 21, editorially declared as follows: the ability of American soldiers fighting 8,000
miles away to make secure 2,500 villages.
At the present, American forces are secure
in their coastal positions and cannot be in- Mr. Lippmann goes on to note that the
voluntarily dislodged. General Gavin's re- holding strategy advocated by General
cent advice not to expand the war but to Gavin "is now receiving wide support in
continue efforts to negotiate the peace, has the Congress and in the press."
the force of logic on its side. In an identical vein in his column in
On January 17, in an interview tele- today's Washington Post, Mr. Lippmann
cast in New York over station WNDT and makes the point that:
reported the following day by the New It is often said by the President's sup-
porters that his critics propose no alterna-
ociate Editor James B
A
T
.
ss
York
imes,Reston, of the New York Times, took a tive to what he is doing. If that was ever
post office at Hye, Tex. almost identical to that ex- true, it is no longer true today. It is not
Under leave to extend my remarks, I position true since the Mansfield report and since
wish to include from this issue of Post- pressed by General Gavin. Mr. Reston the Gavin statement. The President should
masters Advocate a splendid editorial of asserted that the war in Vietnam should reduce his war aims, which today are im-
tribute to President Lyndon B. Johnson, be pursued as one of limited objectives, possibly high in the light of the conditions
for the special recognition he gave on that the correct way was "the middle described in the Mansfield report. He
this occasion to our Nation's 9,540 fourth- way" This, he said would rule out both should alter his strategy along the lines
continued intensification of the war or proposed by General Gavin, making it a
class post offices. peace on terms that would lose the coun- holding operation pending the eventual
The article follows: try. negotiation of a political settlement.
THANK You, MR. PRESIDENT The United States can defend the pe- Under leave to extend my remarks and
Who said that fourth-class post offices rimeter of Saigon, Mr. Reston said, and include extraneous matter, I include here
are a thing of the past and all washed the coastal areas where most of the peo- Mr. Lippmann's column from the Janu-
up? pie of South Vietnam live. This is very ary 31 issue of Newsweek magazine and
Observe our cover this month; that plc- different, he added, from searching out the January 25 issue of the Washington
tore was made in a post office of the fourth the enemy through the elephant grass. Post.
dss-at Hye, Tex., which is located 3 mile- Mr. Reston said: [From Newsweek, Jan. 31, 1968]
from the LBJ Ranch, home of our Pres-
ident. We are just at the beginning of an enor- THE HOLDING STRATEGY
Yes, President Lyndon B. Johnson de- mous battle of Asia. That battle will go on (By Walter Lippmann)
liberately chose a fourth-class post office as for the rest of the century and Vietnam is Toward the end of the year we had arrived
the site for the swearing-in ceremony of the not the end of it but the beginning. If we at a turning point in the Vietnamese war.
new Postmaster General, Lawrence F. "Larry" win in Vietnam, the battle will still go on There had to be new and great decisions
O'Brien, as a reminder that the large and and what I am afraid of is that we will try about the strategy and objectives of the war
the small are equally the concern of ' to score a great smashing victory, thinking The turning has been marked by a suspen-
Government. that will end it all, which it won't. There- sion of bombing in North Vietnam and by
Incidentally, Hye Postmaster Levi A, Deike, fore, I would limit the objective. the President's worldwide diplomatic cam-
who is a member of the National League of In an interview published in the Mil- paign to bring about a negotiated truce.,
mPostmasters,
Deike,awho has been the President's Waukee, Wis., Journal, on January 16, At the sametime, just as Congress was
eassembling
friend since childhood, showed his twb dis- Senator GAYLORD NELSON conceded that r, Senator MANSFIELD published
his report, which Is the first official, respon-
sible, guests around the combination "there are no easy answers to the ago- sible, and adequately informed account of
post office, general store, bus stop, and feed- nizing dilemma facing America in Viet- the state of the war. The Mansfield report
store-following a snack of crackers and nam." He continued: was followed by the first deep criticism of the
cheese in the backroom. But of all the grim alternatives, the wisest strategy of the war on the part of a military
We're thrilled that our President has em- choice is to continue with great patience to man especially competent to judge it. The
phasized the importance of rural America in seek a negotiated settlement, while firmly judgment came in a letter to_Harper's mag-
his thinking. As he pointed out, both the refusing to escalate the conflict further. azine from Lt. Gen. James M. Gavin, Zvho was
rural post office and the country store made the Army's Chief of Plans and operations at
very important contributions in the develop- Senator NELSON said he believed that the time when the French were facing de-
ment of the frontier lands. there was ,,no practical hope in achieving feat at Dienbienphu.
We state unequivocally that the small post our aims" through escalation. There was also a movement of popular
offices, and the postmasters thereof, will al- He warned that escalation carried with opinion, which is, I believe, just under the
ways make a significant and important con- it "a very real possibility of an Asian- surface of what the polls report. It was
tribution to the development of America. wide war in which America would waste precipitated by the proven failure of the
We thank President Johnson for this rec- her resources and young men in a slaugh- strategical decisions taken last July. After
ognition of the 9,500 fourth-class post offices ter that could achieve nothing but those all the bombing and the multiplication of
and their postmasters. our forces, the best that can be said is that
After all, the Postmasters Advocate was desperate conditions of chaos ideal for out of the impending defeat of the Saigonese
originally named, the Fourth Class Postmas- the spread of communism." forces a year ago we have snatched not ..a vic-
er. And, everyone knows, that the National Senator NELSON said he agreed with tory, nor any credible prospect of victory, but
League of Postmasters has long been the still another distinguished American who . a bloody and costly stalemate.
Approved For Release 2006/11/06: CIA-RDP67B00446R000400010007-9
 Approved For Release 2006/11/06: CIA-RDP67B00446R000400010007-9
A340 CONGRESSIONAL. RECORD - APPENDIX
The President has three choices open to
him. One is to expand the war by bombing
Ilaiphong and Hanoi. But that opens up the
possibility that the crowded harbor and city
of Saigon will be bombed in return, and also
that China, perhaps even the Soviet Union,
will be drawn actively into the war. A sec-
ond choice is to expand our ground forces for
At big land war. The third choice is to con-
centrate the U.S. military forces along the
coast, and, holding fast, try then to nego-
tiate a truce.
UNDECIDED BASIC ISSUE
As I write this article, the President has
'made it reasonably clear that he is resisting
the idea of a much bigger war. Thus, he has
continued the pause In the bombing of North
Vietnam. But the basic issue is not, it ap-
pears, decided. He has not yet adopted the
strategy of restricting the American. Inter-
vention. to a holding operation in Saigon and
along the coast.
If he does this, he will not be adopting a
new idea. He will be adopting a strategy
which was urged upon him last July before
he escalated and Americanized the war and
event American troops out into the jungle to
find and destroy the Vietcong. The Presi-
dent rejected the holding strategy last July.
There is it strong case why he should now
!all back upon it. For, as it was argued last
July, the holding strategy enables us to
honor our commitments to the South Viet-
namese, who would be lost if we withdrew
precipitately from the whole country. The
holding strategy, moreover, relieves our
troops of the impossible task of occupying
1:110 villages of South Vietnam and keeping
the Vietcong from overrunning them when
we leave. The holding strategy is built upon
our seapower, which is our strong right arm,
not upon the ability of American soldiers
fighting 8.000 miles away to make secure
::,500 villages.
POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES
The holding strategy is what General Gavin
advocates, and it is now receiving wide sup-
port in the Congress and in the press. It
would be, I have thought since last July, ,he
best of a bad. business, not glorious, but the
least costly way of repairing the grievous
mistakes of the past.
Out we must. not deceive ourselves about
Cie probable political consequences. The
adoption of the holding strategy would
amount to ,in acknowledgment that the
Vietcong have defeated the Saigonese forces
in most nl South Vietnam. It recognize:; a
de facto military partition of South Vietnam.
If we are indeed committed, as some people
say we are, to reconquer the whole of South
Vietnam in(] to get rid of all of the Vietcong
and to establish. General Ky as the ruler of
all South Vietnam, then in the holding stra-
tegy we would indeed renege on our commit-
ments.
The question is whether the American
Government under any of the three Presi-
dents who have dealt with South Vietnam
ever made such an absurd, such a fantas-
tically unreal, commitment. I do not think
so, and if someone turned up a piece of paper
signed by John Foster Dulles or Dean Rusk,
I would feel about it as I would if they had
signed a piece of' paper ceding Alaska to the
Eskimos. An absurd and impossible coin-
Initment is not a true commitment in law
or in morals, and a commitment to make
General Ey the accepted ruler of South Viet-
nam is both absurd and impossible.
We can with It good conscience adopt a
holding strategy. If it enables us eventually
to disengage our military forces from the
Asian mainland and to retire to the sea and
the islands where our power is at its maxi-
mum, we shall have acted honorably, hu-
manely, and wisely.
[From the Washington (D.C.) Post,
Jan. 25, 1966]
TODAY AND TOMORROW-WELL. WHAT CAN
HE Do?
(By Walter Lippmann)
The reason why the peace offensive failed
is most cogently revealed in the Mansfield re-
port on the state of the war. Mr. Johnson
has been trying to obtain by propaganda the
victory which he has not been able to obtain
on the battlefield-that is to say, the accept-
ance in the whole of South Vietnam of a gov-
ernment which has lost control of a very
large part of South Vietnam. The peace
offensive was bound to fail, and the grave
decisions which the President hoped to cir-
cumvent and avoid. are now bet ore him.
If he is to make these decisions wisely, he
must recognize that in international poli-
tics peace settlements are possible only as
and when they reflect the real balance of
power. In the World War, for example,
Churchill and Roosevelt had to settle with
Stalin for a Soviet political frontier in the
midst of Germany and of Europe. That is
where the Red army had arrived when the
peace negotiations began. The same prin-
ciple will hold in Vietnam. There will be
no settlement until the terms of peace re-
flect the military reality.
The President will be disappointed again
and again as long as he and Secretary Rusk
'ask for a settlement which in effect demands
that the defeat of the Saigon forces be trans-
muted at the conference table into a vic-
tory for the Saigon forces. Nor should he
indulge in. any illusion that the informed
opinion of mankind really thinks as Secre-,
terry Rusk talks merely because American
envoys have been politely and sympa.thetical-
ly received in so many capitals.
What then should the President do? It is
often said by the President's supporters that
his critics propose no alternative to what he
is doing. If that was ever true, it is no
longer true today. It is not true since the
Mansfield report and since the Gavin state-
ment. The President should reduce his war
aims, which today are impossibly high in the
light of the conditions described in the
Mansfield report. He should alter his stra-
tegy along the lines proposed by General
Gavin, making it a holding operation pend-
ing the eventual negotiation of a political
settlement.
The Mansfield report shows that Mr.
Rusk's objective-the rule of General Ky or
his successor over the whole of South Viet-
nam-is unattainable no matter how much
the war is escalated. The burden of disprov-
iug, the conclusions of the Mansfield report
is on those who have been proved wrong
about the escalation of last summer, on those
who are now asking for another escalation
in order to redeem their failure, on those
who want to redouble the sta i;es in order
to recoup their losses.
If the Mansfield report contains the truth
of the matter, it follows inevitably that our
war aims should be reduced and our strategy
revised. We should put aside the hopeless
task of searching out and destroying the
Vietcong, and we should take our stand, as
General Gavin advises, on a holding opera-
tion in the coastal cities.
This is not a policy for a glorious victory
or for some kind of dazzling political tri-
umph. It is no trick for pulling rabbits
out of a hat. It is a formula for liquidating
a mistake, for ending a war that cannot be
won at any tolerable price, for cutting our
losses before they escalate Into bankruptcy,
and for listening to commonsense rather
than to war whoops and tomtoms.
Because we are neither omniscient nor
omnipotent? we, even we Americans, cannot
always win. But I cannot help feeling in
Januarys 5, 1966
my bones that a display of commonsense
by a proud and imperious nation would be
a good moral investment for the future.
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
OF
HON. DONALD .J. IRWIN
OF CONNECTICUT
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, January 19, 1966
Mr. IRWIN. Mr. Speaker, recently I
received a copy of a letter Mrs. Richard
Shaffer, of Norwalk, Conn.. wrote to
President Johnson.
Mrs. Shaffer expresses a feeling that
many of us have about the possibility
of draft card burners and other similar
types undermining the morale of our
fighting men in Vietnam. I agree that
it is important that our service men and
women know we are solidly behind them.
In the belief that Mrs. Shaffer's letter
will be of interest to my colleagues, I
am inserting it and a letter sent to our
men in Vietnam in the CONGRESSIONAL
RECORD, The letters follow:
To the Officers and Enlisted Merv:
Enclosed is a copy of a letter written by me
today to President Johnson, Never before
have I felt so strongly that I would bother
him with a letter from soneone as plain and
ordinary as me and I'm sure in the course
of human events my letter is unimportant.
But I can't think of a better way to let you
know how so many millions of Isis feel.
Sincerely,
SHOREFRONT PARK,
Norwalk, Conn., December 10. 1963.
THE PRESIDENT,
The White House,
Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: The publicity given to
peace marches and draft-card burners is un-
dermining the morale and spirit of our light-
ing forces in Vietnam and our service men
and women around the world. The Ameri-
can forces have never been defeated and the
only thing that will ever defeat them will be
a complete breakdown in their morale and
the inner spirit that helps to create the
best trained, best equipped fighting force
this world has ever known.
We know why our men are in Vietnam-_
our great freedom carries with it it grave
responsibility, and they are carrying out our
responsibility. The men know why they are
there. But unless we, the plain ordinary
people here at home, back them up with
strong encouragement and make clear to
them our appreciation and understanding
for the job they are doing, they will surely
be defeated, not by the enemy, but by their
own broken morale caused by our seeming
indifference.
We ask that you help us get the message
to each fighting man this Christmas that
there are millions of Americans at horse
backing up their efforts and their sacrifices
in Vietnam. We are backing them and will
continue to do so with hard work, sacrifice,
and prayer. We will do whatever you ask
of us to help reinforce the spirit so necessary
to maintain each member of our forces.
If you take this opportunity to speak for
all of us in a dramatic and forceful way, the
headlines of your message and the radio and
iNUM'gIHSIIRIRXAIkuiINIMIIp4NFJmMi ,fl mmmrmmm r;mE MIIIl*i Uri I mErF;, I~Au^ wlpn a;upq~ IIII tldl
, pprovec for a ease / 1 " tl41
 Approved For Release 2006/11/06: CIA-RDP67B00446R000400010007
January 25, 1966 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -APPENDIX A351
alternate plan of development. Such non- does anything to overshadow his son; but Policy Statement on Vietnam
reimbursable credit. should be utilized en- the fame of the father just rubs off on his
tirely at the discretion of the affected State. son's shoulders. EXTENSION OF REMARKS
I ask you as reclamationists to weigh care- One of my dear friends, and a constit- OF
fully the merit of the plan I suggest here. uent, has a son who already has made a
This plan is definitely in the interest of wise
use and proper conservation of our land and name for himself. His father, Dr. V. D. HON. WILLIAM F. RYAN
water resources without imposing undue Mattia, 340 Kingsland Road, Nutley, has OF NEW YORK
burden on any area.. I urge the proponents capped a brilliant career recently when IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
and the sponsors of S. 1446 to join me in my he was chosen to be the president of Hoff- Tuesday, January 25, 1966
effort to make a wild river bill workable and Mann-LaRoche, Inc., one of the world's
equitable. major pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Mr. RYAN. Mr. Speaker, the Syna-
The amendment should be written in gen Mattis served with distinction at sea in gogue Council of America, in a statement
oral language to cover all dislocations in all the Naval Medical Corps during World approved on January 14, 1966, has added
other simply where wild rivers are involved.
This is s the application of the ac- War II and Korea, and combining a bril- its voice to the chorus of thoughtful:.
cepted rule in water resource development liant business sense with his equally bril- Americans who are asking for a peace-
that recreation and fish and wildlife en- liant medical aptitude, has risen rapidly ful solution to the war in Vietnam,
hancement are nonreimbursable items. through the ranks to the very top of his The Synagogue Council of America;
What is Idaho's stake in such an amend- company, and his profession. which represents the united voice of
merit? Let us look at some figures on S. His son, Peter, is a fine student and Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform
1446 which are used here for illustrative athlete who a few days ago was honored Judaism, is an organization of the fol-
prop purposes only, research subjwillect to provide. O refin the nement that credit in his hometown as the Athlete-Student lowing six national Jewish religious
side of the account the e Northwest will gain of the Year. Such an award is always bodies: Central Conference of American
the preservation of a fish resource calcu- worthy of praise, but this year especially Rabbis, Rabbinical Assembly, Rabbinical
lated by the Fish and Wildlife Service to be so, for Peter does not attend the local Council of America, Union of American
worth $11,062,000 per year. high school in Nutley. And this year Hebrew Congregations, Union of Ortho-
On the debit side Idaho will lose potential marked the first time in the long history dox Jewish Congregations of America,
hydroelectric production estimated in House of the award that the selection commit- United Synagogue of America.
Document No. 631 as being in excess of 2 mil- tee chose a young man who did not The council's policy statement ex
lion kilowatts r. valued c Idaho will also o will also ly lose e the $40 attend the local school system. This will plains:
op per yea r.
flood protection that proper-stream regula- help give an idea what a superlative lad Having searched our conscience, we have
tion would provide. But, from a reclamation Peter must be. But the story is better come to the conclusion that peace and the
standpoint by far the most important point, told in an editorial by the publisher of cessation of hostilities must, remain our
is that Idaho will also lose the reclamation the Nutley Sun, Frank A. Orechio, in major objective.
assistance that this hydroelectric production the current edition of his paper. The statement goes on to commend
would provide in a total amount not less As you will see, in Nutley they will be the President's current peace offensive
than $400 million based on the fact that a referring not to "the doctor's son," but and to urge the administration not to be
Dam provides that hydroelectric hat amount of as- t~Grand to "Peter's father" when they talk about swayed from this course by those who
coulee comparable
od t
sistance to about 1 million acres of new land. a Mattia these days : would escalate and expand the war.
I have spent enough time at the bargaining (From the Nutley (N.J.) Sun] I am pleased to call to the attention
table with our Canadian neighbors on similar LIKE FATHER, LIKE Sow of my colleagues the thoughtful state-
water resource problems to know that Idaho Three weeks ago a proud son with beaming merit of the Synagogue Council of
an In has t interest to wadrivers
defenddeded la by p proper that eyes observed the Nation applaud the spec- America, as follows:
the bill Is passedy, tacular achievement of a famous father. POLICY STATEMENT ON VIETNAM ISSUED BY THE
amendment ntotef before and
amre On Saturday night the roles were reversed. SYNAGOGUE COUNCIL OF AMERICA
an equally A decisive contribution of Judaism to the
are the what I greatest said
stumbling tthe be-A proud roud mother, father, in the the company silently in of the audience
ginning: sum m Finaup: nces are repeat
listening to speakers extol the virtues of morality of international affair?; Is the af-
block to Idaho's future reclamation develop- proud
ment. There is general unanimity for such firmation that nations, like individuals, must
projects as Lower Teton, Lynn Crandall, for their honored son. be guided in their actions by justice and
The proud father was Dr. Virginius (Bar- morality.
supplemental water for Salmon Falls, new ney) Mattis, who, at the age of 42, on Janu-
water and supplemental for other vast areas Nations, like individuals, cannot. escape
on both sides of the Snake River in eastern try 1, became president of Hoffmann-La- God's judgment, for "He will Judge the
Roche, Inc., one of the world's largest phar- universe with justice, and nations with
and southern Idaho, the southwestern Idaho
development project which must include rnaceutical companies.
The honored son is Peter Mattis, a cham- righteousness" ("vehu yishpmt tevel betze-
also thq Weiser, Payette, and pumping prof- pion wrestler and recipient of all-State hon- dek, yadin le'umin bemesharim" ). Because
acts in the Bruneau and Wickahoney areas.. nations are comprised of individuals, it is
Idaho's reclamation future depends on de- ors as a linesman at St. Benedict's football ultimately the Individual who must assume
team. On Saturday evening Peter was moral responsibility and moral judgment in
veloping ment wahat the e water reliable paying users can partner pay. . supple- awarded the American Legion's Annual
merit what affairs of his country. This we must do
Scholastic Award. s Young were only because of the imperatives of our
Idaho must look to the output of its own achievements is s a at loSt. cal such ch but also because we
watersheds ds for this source. This is Idaho's magnitude
responsible cal American weerican Legion of- religious cherish the prerogative commitments of citizens In a demo-
Before our resource heritage. ficials reapmnaible for the selection broke to express their views.
Before we surrender---without compensa- precedence this year to name a non-Nutley cratic society of action their
this compli-
to reclamation's potential cashbox High School athlete as the award winner. No one course clearly Inlve she moral
to a National Wild Rivers System, let us be It is not easy for a son to establish his cated situation find ly ourselves. the moral The U.S.
sure we know what we are doing. own identity while living in the shadows of dilemma commitment ile emma whic tch can n the Government of South
a famous father. His father's attainments Vietnam has created a moral responsibility
have proven to be a stimulating inspiration which we cannot ignore in our quest for
for Peter. Peter has been offered 30 full 4- peace. Yet, having searched our conscience,
Like Father, Like Son year scholarships to the Nation's leading col- we have come to the conclusion that peace
standing plithat his out- and the cessation of hostilities must remain
accomplishments iserve to carry out objective.
EXTENSION OF REMARKS his own unmistakable image. our major obj
or The American Legion officials who headed Along with Americans of all faiths, we con-
up the selection committee were Vincent front with deep sorrow the loss of American
HON. PETER W..RODINO, JR. Donohue and William Pratt. They and their and Vietnamese lives, both North and South,
of NEW JERSEY committee members are to be congratulated and the suffering of the civilian population
IN TIIE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES for developing nomination procedures which in that agonized and war-torn country. Our
permit our community to honor our most religious conscience compels us to exert ev-
Tuesday, January 25, 1966 outstanding athletes by throwing the con- ery influence so that the action in Vietnam
test open to all local students regardless of can be moved from the battlefield to the
Mr. RODINO. Mr. Speaker, one of the school attended. negotiating table.
the greatest handicaps any young man The Donohue-Pratt committee is also en- We therefore note with gratification that
may experience in growing into manhood titled to congratulations for awarding the President Johnson has on numerous occasions
is following in the footsteps of an illus- Legion's. Amateur Award to a former Nutley committed the administration to the princi-
trious father.. Not that dad deliberately High School star, ple of unconditional discussions leading to
Approved For Release 2006/11/06: CIA-RDP67B00446R000400010007-9
 Approved For Release 2006/11/06: CIA-RDP67B00446R000400010007-9
A352 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - APPENDIX
the negotiation of the cessation of hostilities
and a peace settlement.
We particularly wish to commend Presi-
dent Johnson and the administration for the
recent halt in bombing of North Vietnam.
I.I. serves as a convincing demonstration that
despite pressures from some quarters for a
military solution to the problem, the pur-
pose of our military effort in Vietnam re-
mains one that is aimed at speeding an
honorable settlement. It is also a convincing
demonstration of the integrity of President
Johnson's public expressions of our willing-
ness to negotiate unconditionally.
We are deeply concerned that in the event
the present halt in the bombing of North
Vietnam fails to elicit the prayed-for response
from, flarioi and the administration feels
-onstrrined to resume these bombings, dis-
'souragem?nt and frustration may alter the
present; character of the conflict as a limited
war for limited goals; i.e., the integrity of
Louth Vietnam. The danger of new pressures
or unlimited escalation of the war resulting
ro?m impatience and disappointment is grave
indeed. Such an escalation would not only
fail to achieve our goals, but would ultimately
involve the world in a war of mutual
destruction.
We therefore urge the administration--
'1'o persist in its present efforts to pursue
every possible avenue, including channels of
the United Nations, that may create more
favorable 'circumstances in which negotia-
tions can begin; and
To steadfastly adhere to the principle that
there cannot be a satisfactory military solu-
tion. to this problem, and until a negotiated
settlement is achieved. not to permit a
change in the restrained character of this
conflict through military escalation.
We further recommend that the United
:states should consider the following sug-
t:;eetions :
1. Request the United Nations to begin
negotiations wherever and whenever possible
for a cease-fire agreement (including cessa-
tion of terrorist activities) under United
Nations supervision, among the governments
ut the. United States, of North and South
Vietnam, including representation for the
National Liberation Front, and other iitter-
ested parties, and to convene a peace con-
ference to explore the basis of a settlement
of the long-term issues and the means to
give such a settlement effective international
guarantees.
2. Make clear that a primary objective of
a settlement of the Vietnam conflict is the
independence of South Vietnam from out-
s,de interference, with complete liberty to
determine the character of its future govern-
ment by the result of a peaceful, free, and
verified choice of its people.
3. Declare itself in favor of the phased
withdrawal of all its troops and bases from
the Vietnamese territory, if and when they
can be replaced by adequate international
peacekeeping forces, composed of military
contingents capable of maintaining order
while the peace settlement is being carried
ou.It.
4. Mace available, through Congress, in
fulfillment of the President's proposal, ini-
fnediate reconstruction assistance and long-
range economic development funds for
s,,uthcaat Asia, preferably through an effec-
Live international organization in which the
beneficiary governments fully participate,
We do not lay claim to moral certitude
,nd refrain from moral dogmatism in this
"aomplcx and agonizing situation. Within
!slue range of religious commitment and con-
~tern, elf ferences as to specific policies can
trod do exist. We recognize that those who
ace the need for checking Communist sub-
i:_rsion oy military means are no less clcdf-
o:a.tcd to the cause of a just world peace than
:,hose wain believe the United States roust
cease hostilities in Vietnam. We do believe,
however, that the imperatives of our religious
commitments call for the recommendations
we prayerfully put, forward and commend. to
the attention of our synagogues throughout
the land.
Rabbi SEYMOIIR J. COHEN,
President, Synagogue Council of America,
Rabbi JABOB J. WEINSTEIN,
President, Central Conference of Amer-
ican Rabbis.
Rabbi MAURICE N. EISENDRATH,
President, Union of American Hebrew
Congregation. s.
Rabbi MAX ROUTTENItERG,
President, Rabbinical Assembly.
MOSES I. FEUERSTEIN
President, Union of Orf"todox Jewish
Congregations of Amen Ca.
Rabbi ISRAEL MILLER.
President, Rabbinical CoUnr It of America.
HENRY N. RAPAPORT,
President, United. Synagogue of America.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Birthday
Anniversary
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
OF'
('ION. J. J. PICKLE
OF TEXAS
TN THE HOUSE OF REPRE'ENTATIVES
Tuesday, January 25, 1966
Mr. PICKLE. Mr. Speaker, yesterday
was the 84th birthday anniversary of the
late Franklin Delano Roosevelt-one of
the greatest Presidents of all time. I ask
my colleagues to join with me in paying
special tribute to this truh, outstanding
humanitarian and distinguished world
leader.
Under leave to extend my remarks in
the RECORD, I call to your attention a
portion of page 809 of the CONGRESSIONAL
RECORD of January 30, 1948. The letter
published therein and reproduced below
was written by the late Fleetwood Rich-
ards, Sr., of Lockhart, Tex., whose son,
Fleetwood Richards, Jr., now serves as
my administrative assistant in Austin.
Senator Richards was one of the greatest
honest-to-goodness humanitarian lead-
ers who ever lived. He knew human na-
ture better than any man I. have known.
Few men have been more loyal to the
ideals of a President than Mr. Richards,
Sr., was to President Roosevelt, His let-
ter to his lovely wife is a warm and touch-
ing reflection of the love our country held
for President Roosevelt. Similarly, the
letter written to the then Congressman
Lyndon 13. Johnson was a tribute to the
love and affection he held for Mr. John-
son whose cause he supported from the
first day. He recognized then, as we all
do now, that Mr. Johnson, a close friend
and supporter of President Roosevelt,
was an unusual leader-a warmhearted
man whose star was ascending, and who
possessed qualities similar to those of
President. Roosevelt.
The letter was placed in the RECORD
18 years ago yesterday by the Honorable
Lyndon B. Johnson, my predecessor, who
now serves as our great President.
Both the letter and Mr. Johnson's re-
marks, then as now, are fitting memo-
rials to the late F.D.R. They are as
follows:
THE LATE FRANKLIn DELANO ROOSEVELT
Mr. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on this
day in 11382 was born a man destined to guide
his country through its greatest perils. As
Franklin Delano Roosevelt loved his country-
men, so they loved him. That affection of
one most for the mane-and of the many for
Januar ij 1:5,
one man-bound our Nation together in a
unity we have missed since he left us.
The altogether personal affection so many
millions Of us felt for Mr. Roosevelt was
brought into poignant focus when he died.
In our, teeming cities, in small towns, at
crossroad stores, and along lonely country
trails, almost unbearable grief came to the
people of America.
To those shocking words, "Roosevelt is
dead," men, women, and children reacted at.
though the news concerned one near and
dear to them. Some wept. Some were swept
by black despair. Some were appalled at the
unfillable gap left in the world's leadership
In the small town of Lockhart, Tex., in my
congressional district, one who loved Roose-
velt found some comfort in the way so many
of us find it: He told his wife what was in
his heart. She was away from home, and he
wrote her. I lately obtained ,e copy of that
letter, written by Fleetwood Richards, of
Lockhart.
Mr. Richards has a distinguished record of
public service in our Texas Legislature. Be-
cause his letter so beautifully expressed the
sorrow so many of us felt on that fateful
day in 1945, and expressed it in language
beyond our capacity, I have p esumed upon
my friendship with Mr. Richards to offer the
letter today as a memorial to Franklin Delano
Roosevelt:
LOCKHART, TE:X.,
April 13, 1945.
MY DEAREST GUSSIE: Roosevelt is dead.
Sorrow and gloom shrouds the town of Lock-
hart and its people, Business and people are
almost at a standstill. Golf has not been
mentioned in almost a full day. The report
of his death reached me in the Domino Hall.
That is where Americanism lingers in the
rough. There is where it is most typical.
There is where Roosevelt is most loved and
appreciated. There is where labor relaxes
and recreates. The news stopped every game.
No sounds were audible, except sighs. The
leader of their hopes, the prince of their
cause, their refuge, had gone. Silently, they
went away. They walked slower, they talked
less, and they thought more. lt. was the sad-
dest moment in all American life. Their
ship was without a rudder.
In his going, anxiety reached its greatest
peak. Determination did not seefn to filter
or hesitate. It seemed to absorb vengeance.
Hope was uncertain. It must wait. The fu-
ture must build and sustain it. World peace
took a body blow. It did not fall. It did not
take the count. It is disappointed, and that
disappointment should be. and must be, its
inspiration and determination to work, to
sacrifice, and to succeed. It is humanity's
only hope.
In a weak and humble way, on every (ces-
sion, and at every call, I have tried to shoul-
der my :responsibility to him and the cause
that he represents. Maybe I have. been a
small part of a great undertaking. I feel so.
I served him and his cause, and the people's
cause, as I see it, with an apostle's devn,ion,
free of selfish motive.
I say, and maybe I never could have said it
before, a man is dead that I never dnnOted
or questioned. Somehow, I followed him and
his leadership with a faith and confidence,
free of every doubt. He gave a part of his
lire's span to the cause of humanity and
liberty. In it all, I think that he was con-
scientious. To the downtrodden, he was as
faithful as Paul was to Christ. He served
and saved others. "Himself he could not
save."
T never committed an act or ,:poke ,c'ord
that made his road longer or his butdcn
heavier. I never added weight to his; weak-
ened body or his troubled mind. I tried to
give him strength. I might have been, and
I think that I was, a little more diligent and
devoted to him, and the purposes and ideals
that he championed, than I have been to my-
self and ray own soul. In it all, I am satisied.
Love,
"Approved"or lfel'ea