FULBRIGHT'S CASE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000200930020-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 4, 2000
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: March 27, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

STATINTL
rT
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : CIA
WASHING .'ON POST
A.ND: TIMES HERALD
MAR Z 7 1964
olicy Debate ? ? By. Chalmers M. Roberts
Fulbright's Case
PLAIN speaking used to
be considered a great Amer-
ican virtue, but nowadays
it seems to be considered
something
just short of
treason to
mother, God,
home and
country.
Take the.
'case of J.
William Ful-
bright, t h e
Arkansas
Democrat
FOR HIS PAINS, Ful- THE BRICKBATS ob-
bright was assailed yester-s scured McNamara's point
day for appeasement and That he felt that evch with
just about everything else $1 billion, which he may not
but witch-burning. But no- get, the U.S. will have to
body attempted to go , consider the advisability of
't'hrough an intellectual ex-1 cutting the foreign forces'
ercise on. the problems of #,we support and that any1
'Cuba, Panama and Viet- ? thing less than $1' billion'
"
will inevitably require a
Nam; or on East-West rela-
of our entire,-
tions, as Fuibright had. reassessment
One can agree or not with Policy of depending on in-
Fuibright; at least he was' digenous forces in preparing'
trying to evoke a dialogue, our own, contingency? war,
might be said for the Viet-i, Then last night McNa-,;
Nam neutralization speech' mara returned to the earlier,;
or Senate Majority Leader!". Administration threat tqi
Mike Mansfield (D-Mont.); carry the war to North Viet.
some while back; he, too, got' Nam. He did so by leaving
precious little responses open that, option, but only
the Senate Foreign Rela-
tions Committee. Fuibright
is no ,senatorial powerhouse
like, some of his predeces-
sors in the, chairmanship
but he Is intelligent and he
' same party, as in the cases' eentrate on the war in the-
He employed both talents South.
of 'Mansfield and Fuibright.
Wednesday in a lengthy for , Doubtless. the Secret.arv.
other than abuse. an option, while cmphasiz
All administrations tend) ing what had not been suf-
to resent criticism, especial- ficiently emphasized before:
]y when it comes from men' That regardless of such ai
Is articulate. ,.In high positions. in the; move it is essential to con
i
possible fora foreigner to,,-Fill be criticized for his, anc.
J! believe that such speeches; the Administration's, policy
are not Administration trial; in Viet-Nam. 'He -rejected
balloons. Yet neither of outright Mansfield's talk of
these was,
On the other hand, when neutralization. But,.;
..!,.an Administration official! Fuibright and, McNamara
',; himself indulges in some'; seem to be in general agree-.;.
'i blunt speaking he, too, is: ment.
cign policy would be the big "`likely to be the, target of All of these speeches ?`";
issue in this year's election brickbats, amount to a d i s j o i n t c d"`
campaign. If so, he rca? That happened to Defense American dialogue ' on for
n s olicciesuin somnot e key areast Secretary Robert S. Mc- men policy. yn wnseememost:y.
P ' Namara on Wednesday. He ,!
The text of the'.P'ulbright likely to be the final con- 'V
talk had been handed out in .' was honest enough to tell'; tenders for the Republican ,'
advance but at one point the mouse that hrei n '?Affairs.
t p r e s I dential nomination :
when he was speaking on Committee tgPresident,l Richard Nixon and William 1.
Johnson had asked for only
the Senate floor only four
eign policy speech aimed ai
"myths" in the public mind
-and in the Administra-
'tion's mind.
He says he really was tak-
Ing up the challenge of a
number of Republicans who
have been saying that for-
other Senators were on
hand; two of, them were
paying utterly no attention
and a third was presiding.
Fuibright stirred no "great
debate" in the old Senate
manner; his speech brought
only a few comments from
a handful of other senators.
Television has ruined Sen-
ate debate; Senators prefer
to. appear, befog cameras.
ter with fewer political, in?'
suits and more thbughtful ;'
speeches. But as of now it"'
Nooks like about all we are"',
going to see unless Presi+
dent Johnson does agree to
candidates they are taking.` only a peripheral part in the i'
dialogue.
It is not a very satisfac= 3'
tory system. It would be bet- `i
STATINTL
Approved For Release, ?000/08/27 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000200930020-9
cause Congress had-madeit
"crystal'. clear" it W
ld
't
ou
n
vote any ;bigger sum.