OPINION IN THE CAPITAL' -- INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR DODD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000200320034-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 18, 1999
• Sequence Number: 34
• Publication Date: March 15, 1965
• Content Type: OPEN

S. an J,iz6d ; App ~`o~e.d For Release's' CIA R0010woq'F49 t0 02 032 034-1
4822 STATINTL
the Senate of the United States. Senator DODD. I think we're right about know when the point has been reached where
s
e
ht t
the Senator from Connecticut has spoken ought w e v ewe a p .
_ .. _.,.. A ...4..,,,.. ?r, the fl, ,,r of Mr. BELL. What about the problem of marl- speech that our intelligence is not very goon Id`s
situation in Vietnam, concerning which be dealt with separately. But, generally they risks.
o le Mr BELL You made the point in your
411
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are coming to the floor and it looks as though answer to that. I suppose the F: cslclent
something might happen. The House, last would say as much as it takes to get them
r week, passed a unanimous decision on the to cease and desist from their aggression,
i "goofball" bill which has been very much subversion, infiltration.
__ - -- --- ____ JJJ in your mind. Are you expecting success Mr. EVANS. From your speech, Senator, I
,Op !"JCN IN THE CAPITAL"-IN- on this too? , get the feeling you feel the Red Chinese will
TERV'IEW WITH SENATOR DODD Senator DODD. Oh sure. The Senate passed not come to the aid of the North Vietnamese
that bill last year unanimously. It was with troops. You also pointed out that they
Mr. HARRIS. Mr. President, on Sun- the bill I introduced in the Senate, Con- are too vulnerable on the Coast with their
day, march 14, 1965, the regular "Opin- gressman HARRIS took it up in the House, did industrial cities.
ion In the Capitial" program, originating a good job with it. No one deserves any Senator DODD. This is a risked judgment.
on channel 5, in Washington, D.C., car- particular credit. These things only needed Who can say? It seems that way to me from
rieda interview with the distinguished -emphasis, education, as far as the public all I can learn about their situation-their
was concerned. They needed to be done, geographical situation, their economic situ=
senior Senator from Connecticut IMr. and they are getting done. ation, their differences with the Moscow
DODD], by Mark Evans, vice president for . Mr. EVANS. There has been much said in Communists, all add up to me, to an un-
public affairs for Metromedia, Inc., and the past, of the British system in allocating 'likelihood that they would take us on if I
Jack Bell, chief Senate correspondent of narcotics. I know that you've studied this may put it that way in an all-out struggle.
the Associated Press. long and hard. Do you have any feelings I don't think that will happen, but I could
I watched the program, personally, on the British system? Does It have any- be proved wrong In the next minute. You've
and was once again impressed by the thing in its favor? got to take risks in life-you've got to take
calm and knowledgeable manner in Senator DODD. I have this feeling. I think risks to protect freedom. We can't just sit
that we should really take the approach that back and worry all the time. "If we do this,
which the Senator from Connecticut dis- - they do with respect to the narcotic addict. I that will happen to us"-get into a state of
penes common sense on many of the think he's truly a sick man. Some of them do-nothingism. I think all of life is risks-
major issues of our day particularly the get into criminal activities and this has to freedom and we've got to take some of those
opportunity to view this program, Mr. this I know. There are those who say there is
President, I ask unanimous consent that nothing really addictive about it. That It's
a transcript of the interview be printed : just a step beyond tobacco or something of
in the RECORD. that sort. The best information I get is
There being no objection, the inter-, that this is not so. That it is addictive, that
view was ordered to be -printed in the - it Is damaging, that it leads to other addic-
t,
rious . Like heroin -
s
ous m
e
.KECORD, as IOiIOWS: Mr. BELL. Is there anything about mari-
OPINION rN THE CAprrAL huana that's been ofnclal-that we need It In
(Produced by Florence Lowe, a Metropolitan a "drug" sense? -
Broadcasting television production, S Senator DODD. Not that I know of. I don't
p.m., March 14, 1965) - . .. know of any.
Mr. EvANS. You said that these people are
Democrat
Guest: Senator THOMAS DODD
,
,
of Connecticut. - sick, Senator. Do you mean by that that
t e .
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_ able
g~
rug
ople
uld
to
o
been a rotation of our own leadership and
ou also feted out that In the 5 ears,
lates.tr.,....? 7-1, --h ?-men with nc menu Beaus T some ere misgivings rnrii(rerenees inn our society Y 1~ Y
at least in retreat? -
Senator DODD. I guess again, that we would
hear through so-called neutral sources,
friends, I assume, I'm confident that those
channels are open. When they are ready to
we see it in the military sense? I suppose so.
I think we ought to know the result of their
reprisals on our attacks-economic centers, .
military centers. I think we ought to know
that. _ I think we ought to hear-I hope our .
intelligence improves and I think it Is Im-
proving. I think it's better than it was, from
what I'm told.
Mr. EVANS. I think one of the most en-
lightened statements in your speech is where
message on crime In dealing with this gun Y could bind
can't describe. I don't know all the forces together. Have you
.
Mr. BELL. Senator, are you prepared to go seem to do better with some things-maybe letter to the President urging that these 10
as far as the President as suggested in. his the can do better with-for some reasons I or 12 men be sent back there to see if we
for a long time, Senator. Did you sell the strong statement In the Senate in favor of . viduals. Sometimes I find that there are
I'm now prepared to say "Let's bar all mail- treated, eased back into life through the use, - he thought there was something to it. He
order traffic in guns." Because the situation of stopover houses.. I think there are a lot was looking into it and so on. I think it
has worsened progressively. I say we're at a of things we can do short of allowing them received consideration and is receiving con-
point where we ought to put an end to all of get drugs freely. sideration. In the letter, I don't think I
originally proposed. I then amended it to 'ion, go ,u nuu Iuno uuan - .,,e u,..,?" m ? staff people. The President has written back
Include the long gun: the rifle, the shotgun. - that way. I'd rather see them hospitalized, and answered my letter. He said in effect,
vee am some eaucationai wore: generally witn of the escalation of that war? to dwell on personalities and their difficul-
t,
e public: we held hearings: we conducted Senator Donn. I said on other occasions. ? .ties. If - there are more than two involved
? NAB"'=rte Some of .the- same medicine they've ? been wonderful man: 1. don't know. him. well
Mr., EVANS. Many of these bills'that you've dishing' out to the free Vietnamese. -HOW .'really, but I've observed. him at committee
been fosterin;; for a long time 'now Senator muon-how far? I truly -don't. know the . hearings'and I"ve had a low few oontaote with
see nothing in this proposal or the bill which cause them to withdraw from their aggres- satisflod with 'T'aylor operations there? - .? ?
Y've introduced, which will in any, way, im Sion in Vietnam? .Well, the President ob- Senator DoDD.,Yes, I have a very high
glair the legitimate sportsman., viously feels that we have got to give them 'opinion of General Taylor. I think he's a
a
Mr. BSLL. Senator, you're a hunter. Is this- - .q ought
going to affect hunters materially? after consulting with his top military tech to go back, and they want to go back,
nicians and strategists. I think it's fair to - and they could be helpful If they went back.
Senator DODD. No. You're quite right, I've point out that the escalation lthsn't , been Mr. BELL. One of your colleagues, Senator
been a Bunter, I own guns. I'm not against initiated by us. It's the Communists that .Young of Ohio, called for the replacement of
legitimate sports activity I'm for !t. But I - have escalated the war. What do we do to General Taylor as our ambassador. Are you
' to the President's better understanding of If a If oom etence of an unusual character is in-
question menace we're facing. questIo ion of that kind. I think that really is P
uestion that the President can answer volved and it is in some of these people, they