Wednesday
September 7, 1977
Carter ‘demystifying’ foreign policy
By DAVID S. BRODER
WASHINGTON — To the appraising
eye of Richard E. Neustadt, the Harvard
scholar of the presidency, one personnel
decision by Jimmy Carter is far more signif
icant and hopeful in its implications than all
the organizational changes this President
has been making in the White House.
Neustadt was in town for last week’s con
vention of the American Political Science
Assn. In a panel discussion there on execu
tive branch reorganization, he said he was
impressed, not so much by the changes
Carter is making, as by the numbers of
Nixon and Ford arrangements and proce
dures this Democratic President has ac
cepted and continued.
In an informal discussion later, he
suggested that the formal changes em
bodied in the Executive Office reorganiza
tion plan Carter has submitted to Congress
are likely to be less important than Carter’s
use of his Vice President and principal staff
assistant.
“What he is doing with Fritz Mondale
and Hamilton Jordan is the most healthy
thing that’s happened in the White House
in years,” Neustadt said.
Specifically, what Neustadt applauds is
Carter’s decision to give two men deeply
rooted in domestic politics — his running
mate and his own campaign manager — a
license to participate actively in the formu
lation and execution of foreign policy.
The Harvard professor believes as do
others — that the divorce of foreign policy
from its necessary domestic roots and the
capture of foreign policy by an isolated set
of non-political “experts” were one of the
most damaging aspects of the Imperial
Presidency.
Mondale himself reflected this view in
his 1975 book, “The Accountability of
Power.” As he noted, “the pervasive at
titude” in the recent past was that foreign
policy experts “had such impressive intel
ligence, experience and information that it
should be assumed to be superior to any
other advice. ”
But after the searing experiences of re
cent years, he said, it has been seen that
the “expert” judgments “were often flawed
with error and illusion and often devoid of
human understanding and compassion.
Hopefully, these developments have
taught us a crucial lesson: Presidential
judgments must be tested by the normal
standards of reason and by their ac
ceptability to a fully informed public. They
should cany no mystery. ”
Neustadt sees Carter’s move to bring
Mondale and Jordon into the foreign policy
game as part of that “demystification” pro
cess.
Previous Vice Presidents were rarely in
the room when the President sat down for
intimate lunches or conversations with the
National Security adviser or the Secretary
of State. They were running around the
country on secondary political or good will
missions.
And Jordan’s predecessors were senior
staff aides so burdened with their adminis
trative duties as managers of ever-
expanding White House staff bureaucracy
that they could rarely steal time for a policy
debate.
Occasionally, in the past, the isolation of
foreign policy-making has been breached.
In the Truman years, domestic political
strategist Clark Clifford kept a hand in
foreign policy by helping draft the Presi
dent’s speeches in that area.
After the Bay of Pigs fiasco, John Ken
nedy made sure that his brother, Robert,
and his political-domestic aide, Ted Soren
sen, were heard on international issues as
well.
But for the most part, Presidents have
made foreign policy under the influence of
the interchangeable members of the non
partisan national security establishment,
from the Dulles brothers and the Bundy
brothers to the Rostows and Kissingers of
more recent days. Carter’s own “experts,”
Zbigniew Brzezinski and Cyrus Vance, are
cut from the same mold.
But Neustadt’s point is that they are not
the only voices Carter is hearing on foreign
policy. Mondale and Jordan are also — and
increasingly — a factor.
The Vice President has limited experi
ence in the international sphere, but he is a
successful politician with a sensitive under
standing of the temper of his former col
leagues in Congress.
Jordan is a total novice in diplomatic af
fairs. But no one of any age has been more
accurate or prescient in his reading of the
mood of the American people in the 1970s
than this young man.
Carter has provided them with easy ac
cess to the Oval Office and has encouraged
them to turn their attention to issues of
foreign policy. Both have responded ea
gerly to the opportunity.
The presence of these two men in the
room when foreign policy is made does not
guarantee the policy will be right. The cur
rent Carter administration difficulties with
the Middle East, southern Africa, China
and the Soviet Union are ample evidence of
that.
But at least there is less risk that the
“experts” will persuade this President, as
they persuaded predecessors, to follow an
imprudent course to its ruinous end in the
face of clear signs of domestic discord.
(c) 1977, TJie Washington Post Company
Air Mail Service returns
Slouch
by Jim Earle
Top of the Ne
Campus
No sign-painting in MSC basemi /=
U.S. Pigeon Service
By DICK WEST
United Press International
WASHINGTON — I am endowed,
as are a small percentage of other
journalists, with a facility known as
“news cohesion.”
Simply stated, this means that news
items that are unrelated or tenuously
associated at best tend to stick to
gether in my mind.
Recently I came across two items
that had only postal service in com
mon. One was the announcement that
the U.S. Postal Service is renewing its
policy of closing rural post offices that
don’t pay their way.
That program was suspended last
year, mainly because of fears that
small towns could lose their commu
nity identities if they lost their post
offices.
In announcing resumption of the
closings, postal officials promised they
would do everything possible to help
the small towns stay on the map.
The other item in question re
ported that rising postal rates were
causing some places in England to
consider using homing pigeons to de
liver mail, messages and small pack
ages.
Instantly, these two items were
clinging to each other like a nylon sock
to a drip-dry shirt.
What we need now is a law that
whenever the Postal Service shuts
down a rural post office, it must
provide the community with a flock of
pigeons as a replacement.
Talk about community identity! No
village or hamlet need fear becoming
a geographic nonentity as long as it
has its own homing pigeons.
Letters sent by regular mail to, say,
Mt. Molehill, Neb., could easily wind
up in Clods, N.M., with or without a
post office. But a message carried by a
Mt. Molehill homing pigeon is going
to wind up in Mt. Molehill, no matter
what.
Pigeons have been known to fly
more than a thousand miles through
sleet and snow and gloom of night to
return to their home lofts.
But identity isn’t everything. There
also is the matter of home town pride.
Some communities undoubtedly
would consider a pigeon loft less pres
tigious than a post office.
That blow to community ego could
be avoided by upgrading the base
from which the pigeons operate.
In addition to their homing in
stincts, pigeons have a natural inclina
tion to perch on statues in parks, city
squares and other public places.
Very well. In addition to providing
a community with pigeons in lieu of a
post office, the Postal Service should
be required to erect a statue for them
to land on.
Postmaster General Benjamin Bai-
lar would be an appropriate subject
for the sculpture.
Having a bronze or marble statue of
its own should more than compensate
a community for the loss of its post
office.
And when the home folks see what
the pigeons do to Bailar’s effigy, it will
reaffirm their faith in poetic justice.
ONE OF TH’ GUYS IN MY KARATE CLASS IS PRETTY GOOD!’
Letters to the editor
Crocodile story didn’t need grisly details
Editor:
I would like to comment on the article,
‘T2-foot, 1,800-pound crocodile that killed
boy, 6, is destroyed, ” which was printed in
“The Battalion” on Monday, Sept. 5. The
story is definitely newsworthy, but the
style of the story is totally tasteless. Such
details as "The crocodile shook his head
violently, smashing the boy’s head against
the wall,” are unnecessary. As I read the
story, I could only be reminded of the
grisly details attributed to the newspapers
of Yellow Journalism days.
I realize that the story came from the
United Press International wire service,
and was not written by a Battalion reporter.
But I think the editor of this paper should
have deleted the details which can only be
called sensationalism.
—Karen S. Cornelison
ing the necessary facts and starts dwelling
on the gory details is a difficult one. But it
remains the editor’s decision and in this
case the decision was to leave the story
untouched.
‘Job well done’
Editor’s note: Yes, there is something
“tasteless” about a reptile as big as a car
killing a small boy. But it happened and
the way it happened is the the way it
should be reported. We in the newspaper
business try very hard to report both the
good and the bad news as it is. The deci
sion on when a story goes beyond report-
Editor:
On Aug. 11 at 10:30 a.m. World War II
Rangers from every corner of these United
States gathered at the grave of General
James Earl Rudder, to honor his memory,
with special memorial services. To Rangers
of former Col. Rudder’s 2nd Ranger Battal
ion, these services were an historic event,
to all of us who attended, it was a great
honor to be there, and I’m sure gave us
memories never-to-be-forgotten, of some
thing that happens only once in a life time.
We were there to honor a great American.
On behalf of all members of the Ranger
Battalions Association of World War II, I
take this opportunity to thank all of the
people at Texas A&M, from the Chancel
lor on down, who were in any way con
nected, in making our visit so special. Mrs.
Rudder mentioned more than once that the
cooperation received was just great. All of
the fine people at A&M, leaned over back
wards, to make things easier for us, be
cause of a very tight schedule.
The tours of the Rudder Conference
Center and the Memorial Student Center
were very well conducted. Rangers and
their wives enjoyed the tours very much
I’m sure, and must have learned something
about Texas A&M and the great school that
it is.
The news media in the Bryan-College
Station area including “The Battalion,” did
a great job of coverage, and we thank them
for it.
Once again, we say “thanks” to Chancel
lor Williams and everone at A&M, for hon
oring General Rudder, and the Rudder
family, and for making our all-too-short
stay, such a pleasant one. We as Rangers, a
group that knows, and realizes when they
are well treated, salute all of you at Texas
A&M, for “A Job Well Done.
—Louis F. Lisko, Ranger Historian
Brackenridge, Pennsylvania
who utilize the snack bar and eating area in
the basement of the MSC. I have never
been so disappointed in my fellow Aggies
nor have I ever seen such a mess. I’d be
very embarassed to take my parents down
to the basement. That area was meant to be
self busing; in other words, throw your
trash away. I don’t know about anyone else,
but I don’t like sharing my lunch with flies.
In the three years Tve been at this
school. I’ve never seen an area so poorly
taken care of. I’m appealing to you Aggies,
please throw your trash away and if a
trashcan is full, let someone know. I don’t
think that’s asking too much.
—Another Proud Aggie,
Nancy Hansel Robin ’78
Ags get messy
Editor:
This letter is addressed to ALL Aggies
Editor’s Note: We’ve received complaints
that several other areas on campus, espe
cially some of the newly-opened buildings,
are being left quite dirty by students. The
biggest problems appear to be with soda
water bottles and cans, and with candy
and snack food wrappers. It seems that
either the new students don’t know or the
returning students have forgotten that
Aggies don’t leave their good manners at
home.
Student organizations will no longer be allowed to paint byj
banners or posters on the loading dock of the Memorial!
Center basement. A memorandum was handed down from W
Woessner, director of operations, as a result of this summer'l
when portions of the MSC basement were burned. Signs inti
painted outside the loading dock doors, either on the ledgeorij
driveway. Large signs may be stored in the basement until a sis
cage is built in the loading dock area.
Career day planned Saturda Co
Saturday is Career Day ’77 for Texas high school studerts
terested in attending Texas A&M University. More than3,1
tial Aggies will inspect the university’s educational options asj
visit with counselors and view exhibits. Dr. Billy Lay, admiss Ǥ
director, said the academic departments will present inforisd
exhibits across the campus. Career Day ’77 is planned inconjtmd
with the Texas A&M-Kansas football game. Exhibits will 1
from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
State
Daniel runs for Atty. General I
Price Daniel Jr. called news conferences for Wednesday to11
nounce he will be a candidate for Texas attorney general. Daniel,;
was speaker of the House from 1973 to 1975. He replaced fon
House Speaker Gus Mutscher who resigned following indictnl
from the Sharpstown hank scandal. Daniel’s announcement saiis
news conference concerns his 1978 political plans, but there islitL
doubt he will lx* a candidate for attorney general. Attorney Ceotl
John Hill side! he will not seek re-election and is expected to dl
lenge Gov. Dolph Briscoe for the Democratic party’s nomination!
Feud turns to shooting spree
A 24-year-old man and his female cousin remained in custt
Tuesday in connection with a Lalxrr Day shooting spree in
which left one man dead and seven others wounded. The shooa
capped a three-day feud between residents of two homes acrossil
street from each other in a southside neighborhood. Officerss
Percy Lee Fitzgerald, 45, was shot and killed as he attemptedtoji
friends in a domino game outside a house on the street. Dtl
Homicide Sergeant Gus Rose said Fitzgerald was apparently an in
cent bystander and was not a part of the feud that exploded whenti
people on the northside of the street opened fire on the soutli
house. Rose said the argument goes back farther than the threei
feud. “There’s a whole lot more involved than just a fight, Roses
O '
Carter refuses to meet workers
Texas farm workers who walked 1,500 miles to protest low was
have heen refused a meeting with President Carter. The TexasFil
Workers Union’s “March for Human Rights” which began in AustJ
Texas, ended Monday in a Labor Day rally on the steps of the Lino
Memorial. About 500 members of the TFWU and their supportr]
gathered at the monument to hear speakers call for legislation gv
migrant farm workers the right to organize, to hold union elect
and to bargain collectively for union contracts. TFWU president':
tonio Orendain said the group asked to meet with President Car^
but was told he “was too busy.”
Nation
i
Telethon garners $26 million >01
More than $26 million was pledged in the nationwide musew
dystrophy telethon, sponsored by comedian Jerry Lewis over M
Labor Day weekend. The telethon, which ran for 2114 hours, gaii
a record $26,841,490 in pledges, compared to last year’s $21.71
lion. The money is used for research into the causes and cures 1
muscular dystrophy.
AT
Men firebomb D.C. nightspot
Pol
10
Washington, D.C. police said yesterday they were seekingtk:
men suspected of firehombing a crowded Northwest Washingtu
night spot and injuring at least 15 persons. Revenge may be lit
motive of three men who were told to leave the Shepherd
Restaurant because they were not drinking enough. Bouncers at lb
club, which features topless dancers, said the men vowed to retur
and “get them”. Witnesses told police they saw one man k
front door open while another threw a container of flammable liqui
into the bar. Three of the fire victims were listed in critical condifc
in area hospitals and several others were seriously burned.
.1
World
.
Leader sees support for treat]
In his second round of talks with Soviet Foreign Minister At
Gromyko, United Nations Secretary General Kurt Waldheim sab
was impressed by the strong support expressed for a new strtt
arms limitation treaty with the United States. Waldheim *
Gromyko expressed the great interest of the Soviet Union in cor*
ing an agreement but he added that the outcome does not depeal
the Soviet Union alone. The U. N. official, who is making hiib
official visit to the Soviet Union in four years, said he and Gror>
also discussed Middle East peace prospects extensively in thert
days of talks. Waldheim will meet with Soviet President L
Brezhnev next Monday.
Weather
Partly cloudy and hot today and tomorrow with highs in the low Sit I
10 per cent chance of late afternoon and evening showers. I) L
Po
tonight 72.
The Battalion
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the
editor or of the writer of the article and are not necessarily
those of the University administration or the Board of Re
gents. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting
enterprise operated by students as a university and com
munity newspaper. Editorial policy is determined by the
editor.
LETTERS POLICY
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subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The
editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does
not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be
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number for verification.
Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The
Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College
Station, Texas 77843.
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MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congra
Editor •
Managing Editor Mary A 1
Editorial Director Lit IM
Sports Editor
Reporters
Glenna Whitley, Darrell Lanford, Odf 1
MeGll
Photographer ^
The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from
September through May except during exam and holiday
periods and the summer, when it is published on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Student Publications Board: Bob G. Hp
Joe Arredondo; Dr. Gary Halter, Dr. Jit'
Robert Harvey; Dr. Charles McCandlctm
Phillips; Rebel Rice. Director of Sttultd
Donald C. Johnson. Production T'oorM]
Sherman