Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Ford pursues l1 Once in Chelm, the mythical village of the East European Jews, a man was appointed to sit at the village gate and wait for the coming of the promised Messiah. He complained to the village elders that his pay was too low. "You are right," they said to him. "But consider: the work is steady." Whatever the final assessment on the wisdom of American involvement in Southeast Asia, there is no denying that for hundreds of American bureaucrats it has provided steady work-never mind that success there proved to be as elusive as the coming of the promised Messiah. The latest Harris poll shows Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to any military aid to Cambodia. Latest indications are that Congress may yet approve the President's request for additional military funds for Cambodia. In a political system that prides itself on being representative, the chief executive's insularity is remarkable. But then,Gerald Ford is not the first American president to be at odds with the rest of the nation over this wretched issue of aid to Indochina. His immediate predecessors in the White House incurred more than their share of public wrath for their dogged defiance of public opinion. Much maligned, both Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon left the White House firm in their conviction that "history" will exonerate their intervention in Vietnam and that posterity will applaud their policy towards Indochina. While expressing pain that American bombers were damaging Vietnam, both Johnson and Nixon argued that the killing and the maiming, the havoc and the destruction were necessary: necessary for maintainning American credibility, necessary for the survival of the Free World. There were many who contested the Th questions was carefu Free University ched. A Free Unive mittee member visitedi defends course business related to the s of the course. Selec TO THE EDITOR: amount of cooDeratio The Free University Committee fraingvnt of the University Union deter-comte mmbr mined it necessary to respond to dvda eetda n the letter from Mr. Lonnie Readyfetobehemstq printed in the February 27 issue of Fe nvriyi The Gamecock in which he Raycoentt criticized the choice of the in-matrothcmi structor for the course on aquarednRay'lte pets. mte netgtda The philosophy of the Free acstost euf University Committee is to provide ThFreUirst interesting and educationaliscnttlinea courses to supplement the Carolina students curriculum. Courses aremebrannw offered at no charge, or a veryexndaopnivti minimum charge, to the student. an ayotein Once the members of the Coin-didustobcma mittee have nominated a list ofouoraiton courses, each committee member MTE takes the responsibility of finding a Ui possible instructor for the courses. The list of possible instructors is evaluated and the Committee thenArSG eeci votes for the most qualified in dividual. A letter of agreement is contracted with each instructor for,staw te f the duration of the period of in struction. T H DTR The curse hich eady istuldletor ay bas sing policy in In By Mo legitimacy of these assumptions. Apologists of American intervention told these critics they were shortsighted and cowardly-shortsighted in not seeing the future benefits of American policy, cowardly in demanding a sudden end to e righting. The White House acknowledged-a lot of people were being killed and wounded in Indochina and was aware the numbers of the refugees and the homeless were increasing. But, it argued, nations destined to play a glorious role in history do not give in easily; people chosen to be the last defenders of human liberty have to learn to take a little suffering in their crusade against the enemies of democracy. Americans were, as Walt Rostow told President Johnson, "the greatest people in the world-if we act like it." There was something demonic in the arrogance of people like Rostow and Johnson and Kissinger and Nixon who, knowing they were wreaking certain havoc and destruction, fully aware that their policies were repulsive to most of the people in this world, were never theless prepared to take their chance that sometime in the distant fiture "history" will find that all this bloodshed and misery was necessary and justified. One would have thought that by now the 15 years of active involvement in Indochina would have cured American policymakers of the notion . they could instill republican values there. One would have hoped the traumatic domestic upheaveal over American intervention in Vietnam would have been lesson enough for the White House. Alas, President Ford's desire for continued intervention in Indochina sub stantiates the cynical observation that the only thing history teaches us is that history teaches us nothing. Once again Administration spokesmen are exhorting Americans not to forsake Indochina. e Gamecock's mt ly resear- regard to the recent SGA elections must ask sity Com- situation. vice presit B places of Why should anyone get upset water. I a ibject area over the postponement of the Rosmer, on of the elections? When a government has against tli dl on the no power, then they are called I hope i and in- something quite removed from a draw his s e visiting government. though he The in- I personally don't care to play I also hopi ructor was the game. will file sl ilified. JACK E. TURNER my opinic sorry that act of gre resent this tee. After Rosmer should drop - ,the corn I found his mded. law suit on election Committee :ha ofe TO THE EDITOR: ea to Re Because of human error, bad rested in- planning and numberous other member of malfunctions, Student Government elections on March 4 were halted No LST O-and closed down. BI" SYCM Because of Immediate action by the student senate the elections "ei rsity Union were held Tuesday and runoff cHuI elections will be held today. It is ns true that many candidates have The Ga, suffered, especially those running * " timne? for higher offices. circumsta The student seznate's action to your maml make sure that the elections were right to *' held as soon as possible should be campus c mething In recognized and appreciated. One [ochina by Salahuddin Once again Americans are being asked not to give up the opportunity to "move the levers of history." For the U.S. to reject military aid to In dochina, argues columnist James Kilpatrick, would be to renounce her role as the guardian of Western civilization.-"Such a policy will be seen universally as a loss of face, a loss of credibility, a loss of will. What then, fellow trustees, will remain of our diminished, neglected estate?" It is time to put an end to such humbug. Enough of the bogey that if South Vietnam and Cambodia "fall" to the communists so will Laos, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Pakistan-all the way up to Seattle, Wash. Even if all these countries were to turn communist, itself a very dubious assumption, they cannot harm the U.S. By continuing military aid to Indochina the United States is only prolonging the righting, with its attendant misery, and serving the in terests of dictators like Thieu and Lol Nol. By itself, President Ford's request for military aid seems innocuous enough. The danger lies in the momentum that usually accompanies any such commitment. In 1963, when President Kenedy was con sidering putting 16,000 troops in Vietnam, Under Secretary of State George Ball told him it would take 300,000 to get them out. Kennedy, too, foresaw the eventual consequences. "The troops will march in, the bands will play," he told his advisors. "Then we will be told to send in more troops. It is like taking a drink. The effect- wears off and you have to take another." A Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee has already voted in favor of granting $125 million in military aid to. Cambodia. It is only a matter of time before this subcommittee convenes again to consider yet more military aid for Indochina. President Ford will be back for more. why one candidate for In running for political office one lent should muddy up the must assume the possibility of im referring to Davis L. financial loss. The other can who plans to file suit ddtsivse ra elo e SGA. termnyadvlal iei that Rosmer will with- teeeto,as.Wa ae uit against the SGA, even Rse uha xetoa ae did not win the election. A o h u omrak:$1 that no other candidate mgtb osdrdjsiibe uit against the SGA. Inbu$50frtmspnsestoe n filing such a suit is an smwa fa xgeain finaciaRlos. DTe tEercN ditesivsedagetrelo ManagsmgrEdithrandvxctitinnaMacager S dior hoogAph fdior theosum Editerak:$1 Ld PRTRARNDSNGPTEFHLEySEVN inment Editor Production Manager Copy Desk Chief .KCRoMER TERRYCOON FRANKDELOACHE necock welcomes oetters from readers. Letters should be limited to a single 1 a maximum of 300 words. They must be signed with the writer's true name. ns or other aliases will not be used, but the writer's name will be withheld if ices warrant. To assist us in verifying the identity of writers, please include rg address and a telephone number where you can be reached, We reserve the linlltes not f r tn, butto met our space limitations. 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