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January 17, 1976 - Image 4

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Text
Publication:
Michigan Daily, 1976-01-17

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Eight y-Six Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Fighting the

Indochina embargo

Saturday, January 17, 1976

News Phone: 764-0552

Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan

I

By RICHARD BORSUK
H HON GK 0NG,(PNS)-
Haunted by memories of the
21-year embargo on trade with
China, a group of leading Amer-
ican businessmen in Asia is
campaigning to lift a similar
U. S. ban on trade with Indo-
china.
The campaign began when
the Asia Pacific Council of
American Chambers of Com-
merce (ASPAC) passed a reso-
lution in November urging the
U.S. and the governments of
Indochina to "remove obstac-
les" to normal trade. ASPAC
represents 4,500 businessmen in
11 Asian countries.
The major "obstacle" the
businessmen meant - but ne-
glected to identify - was Wash-
ington's strict embargo against
commercial relations with Indo-
chin a.
TRADE' WITH North Viet-
nam has been banned since 1964
and similar restrictions were
put on South Vietnam and Cam-
bodia after the Communist vic-
tories there in April.
The Hongkong chapter of the
American Chamber of Com-
merce initiated the drive to lift
the ban.
Robert Goodwin, vice presi-
dent of the Hongkong chapter
and representative of Alcoa
International, described the
resolution as the "opening
wedge" in the anti-embargo
fight. Next the Chamber chap-
ters will make their views
known to Washington and step
up support for congressional
moves to lift the ban, he said.
"EVERYONE A G R E E D
this fight is something we

should do," Goodwin said.
"The embargo against China
accomplished nothing."
In 1949 when the communists
gained power in China, most
American businessmen in Asia
-inspired by traditional visions
of a "China market" with hun-
dreds of millions of consumers
-favored trading with Peking.
The communists were like-
wise in favor, providing trade
was conducted on the basis of
equal parties. Mao Tse-tung and
others often spoke of their de-
sire for advanced U. S. tech-
nology and assistance.
BUT WHEN THE Korean war
broke out in 1950, the U. S. im-
posed a tough embargo on trade
with China. The ban was finally
lifted in 1971 and trade has pro-
gressed since then, but still to-
tals less than $1 billion.
While the Indochina states
don't offer a market anywhere
approaching that of China's,
some businessmen here feel
there could be substantial sales
in machinery and other pro-
ducts.
The motives of the American
businessmen clearly vary be-
tween those who would like to
promote good political and eco-
nomic relations with Indochina
and those who simply see an-
other market there.
BUT WHATEVER the Ameri-
cans' motives, it is clear the
Vietnamese are receptive -
just as the Chinese were after
1949.
Since May, high - ranking
spokesmen in both the North
and South have said their gov-
ernments are interested in es-
tablishing economic relations

with U. S. corporations.
Le Van Mau, chief represen-
tative in Singapore of Hanoi's
National Import-Export Corp.,
said in late November that
American oil exploration com-
panies were welcome to resume
offshore operations in Vietnam
once fresh applications were
made. "If they want to return
to make a contribution in oil

in South Vietnam until August,
Julie Forsythe, said here re-
cently that the Provisional Re-
volutionary Government leaders
have great respect for some
bastions of American capital-
ism - particularly the Bank
of America. "Those people
weren't off by one piastre, I
was told by PRG members.
They'd like to learn such busi-

'An American woman who wvas in
South Vietnam wtil August, J it Ii e
Forsythe, said recently that the Pro-
visional Rtevolutionary y o v e r nO-
mnent leaders have great respect for
some bastions of Americant capital-
ism - particularly the Rank of
America. "Those people weren't off
by one piastre, I was told by PRG
mmbers." '
.:":v:'rw: :.:."b. i. . ..7:X=?r? ,"..; .' .........

He said after his return here
that not only was Hanoi anx-
ious to trade with U. S. compa-
nies, it was even willing to de-
velop economic ties with Amer-
ica separately from political
one (which would depend on
Washington fulfilling its com-
mitments to help rebuild Viet-
nam as stated in. the 1973 Paris
Peace Agreement).
Saubolle said Hanoi officials
snecifichlly mentioned to him
the example of America's de-
tente with China, where trade
has proceeded even though the
two countries do not have diplo-
matic relations.
IN HIS REPORT to the busi-
nessmen, Saubolle said that in
the short term Hanoi may need
trade with the U. S. much more
than the U. S. needs trade with
Vietnam, "but in the long-term,
the U. S. has a chance to exert
a moderating influence on
events by maintaining a dia-
logue with Hanoi."
Despite the ASPAC campaign,
Saubolle is not optimistic that
the embargo can be lifted soon.
Pointing out that two congres-
sional bills on the subject have
so far made little progress, he
said the, 1976 election would
put all American foreign poli-
cies in Asia in a "deep.freeze"
until 1977.
"But," he'added, "the embar-
Ln must not last for 21 years
like the one on China did."
R chard Borsuk covers Asiqn
affairs for Pacific News Serv-
ice and Agence France Presse.
CoPiright 1975, Pacific News
Serice

exploration and to cooperate
with the Vietnamese people,
they can come," he said. Sever-
al oil companies have reported-
lv submitted the applications.
AND IN EARLY December,
a delegation of U. S. congress-
men nrct in Paris with the
North V-tiamese to discuss oil
prospecting off Vietnam. The
.talks reportedly went extreme-
ly well.
An American woman who was

ness management," she said.
North Vietnam proved that
it too was, extremely keen on
Bank of America by making
the unprecedented move in July
of inviting Louis.Saubolle, head
of the bank's Asian representa-
tive office, to visit.
SAUBOLLE, who drafted the
resolution on trade brought be-
fore the American Chambers
of Commerce, was the first U.S.
bank official in 22 years to visit
North Vietnam.

tAY

HARP

L&AN65
BUT I PRAY

6XCE P P JHDC fP AY
Cw~tC EK) .

Hy

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PLO invitation: Good idea

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EARLIER THIS WEEK, the United
Nations Security Couricil voted
by an 11-1 margin to invite the Pal-
estin Liberation Organization (PLO)
to participate in debates on the Mid-
dle East. The United States was the
lone dissenter, and Ambassador Dan-
iel Moynihan told the Council that
he opposed the invitation because the
PLO "refuses to acknowledge the au-
thority of this council" and does not
recognize Israel's "right to exist."
PLO spokesman Farouk Kaddoumi,
on the other hand, said that his or-
ganization would continue its mili-
tary and political struggle to estab-
lish a Palestinian state. "We have
also declared our categorical rejec-
tion of any alternative homeland,"
he continued, "our people have one
homeland, Palestine, and we strug-
gle for its restoration."
TODAY'S STAFF:
News: Cheryl Pilate, Jeff Ristine,
Stephen Selbst, Jeff Sorenson, Jim
Tobin
Editorial Page: Stephen Hersh, Step-
hen Kursman, Jon Pansius, To m
Stevens
Arts Page: Jeffrey Sebst
Photo Technician: Pauline Lubens

Whatever the intentions of both
sides in the dispute, we feel that'the
right of the Palestinian people to be
heard and to vote in this series of
crucial debates is paramount. The
Arab states have shown that they are
more interested in their oil than in
the plight of millions of Palestinian
refugees. And certainly, the Israelis
don't represent the Palestinian In-
terests. Whether or not one condones
the terrorist tactics or the professed
goals of the PLO, it is the only or-
ganized group to emerge thus far
that even claims to represent the in-
terests of the Palestinians.
The fate of the Palestinians is a
key matter in the debates. The pos-
sible creation of a separate Palestin-
ian state and the elimination of the
present Jewish state are at issue. Just
because one country or a group of
countries may disagree with the
PLO's goals and their means to at-
tain them, the cards should not be
stacked in advance against the or-
ganization. It has a right to be heard,
especially since any outcome will
have such a direct effect.
Editorial positions represent
consensus of the Daily staff.

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Having Gerald Ford as your landlord

WE CANNOT TOLERATE SOVIET
INTERFERENCE WITH ANGOLAI
t " -
7t
gII
, Ciii
& 'x'

AND I ASSURE YOU FARMERS
THAT I WILL NOT ALLOW ANGOLA
TO INTERFERE WITH OUR GRAIN
SALES!
,"r,

By CHARLES FAGER
EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.
(PNS) - Who do you do if you
are a tenant and something
needs fixing in the -house? Call
the landlord, of course. But
what if your landlord is a man
named Gerald Ford, who also
happens to be president of the
United States?
"Why, we cal lthe W h i t e
House of course," explains Lou-
ise Carr. "They're very good
about fixing things." And she
should know, because even
though she is, in her words, "a
staunchrDemocrat, and I never
voted for him," she has lived in
the Fords' house here forvnear-
ly seven years.
Recently, a growing trickle of
visitors, including an occasional
inquiring reporter, has been
coursing past the modest brick
house at 1624 Sherman Avenue
Southeast, directed here by the
local tourist association. Some
stop to take pictures, and a
few even venture onto the porch
to peek at the names under the
doorbells.
CARR, WHO LIVES here
with her mother, Geneva Klyn
(pronounced Klein), finds all the
attention faintly amusing. "They
almost never have the nerve to
ring the doorbell," she says.
"They expect to see some big
historical monument, but all
they find is this somewhat seedy
place."
The choice of this location as
the president's "home" is ac-
curate, but somewhat arbitrary.
The Fords, like most middle-
class American families, have
lived several places in their
lives, andrthe president was
actually born in Omaha.

city line, in an older area among
dwellings that show their age,
though few are visibly run down.
As Carr describes it, "This is
a respectable neighborhood, go-
ing down." A few blocks across
the Grand Rapids border a ghet-
to neighborhood begins.
SOME NEIGHBORS have been
grumbling about the amount of
extra traffic the house has at-
tracted to the 'normally quiet
street, particularly on Sundays.
But so far Carr and her moth-
er are enjoying the attention.
They also enjoy getting calls
from the Executive Office Build-
ing in Washington when some
maintenance job around ;the
house needs to be taken care
of. "Why, they called just re-
cently to see if the upstairs
apartment has been rented,"
Carr recalled. "And they keep
the place in fine shape."

When one visiting journalist
pointed out that the paint on
the porch, was cracked and peel-
ing off, she corrected herself.
"At least as far as the inside
goes they do." Paint was the
Ford family business in Grand
Rapids.
Late in the summer of 1974,
about the time Gerald Ford was
ascending to thepresidency, a
wooden railing around the roof
of the house that had rotted
through suddenly collapsed onto
the front lawn. Carr called the
White House immediately, and
was advised to get estimates
for replacing it. "There were
two estimates," her mother re-
called, "and they chose the
more expensivetone." The newv
railing, which was installed a
few weeks later, cost $600.
CARR WORKS in a bookstore

in a nearby shopping center.
Her mother is retired from a
career in millinery sales, and
for several years served as a
tour hostess at a Grand Rapids
art gallery. Their $145 per
month rent, for the six-room
apartment includes electricity;
they pay all other utilities, and
split the cost of having their
driveway and walk shoveled out
in winter with the upstairs ten-
ant.
"We were broken into once,"
Carr noted, "and after that the
police began patrolling the area
regularly - you know, because
of where it was."
Charles Fager is a freelance
writer in San Francisco.
Copyright 1975, Pacific News
Service

Ford

Letters to the Daily

plays
To The Daily:
AS A FIRST-YEAR student
at the University, I enjoyed par-
ticipating in the plays put on
by the Spanish department.
These plays were directed by
Armando Duran, who is no long-
er on the U-M staff. This year
I was informed that there would
be no Spanish play because last
year's production was not a fi-
nancial success. Others told me
that Mr. . Duran's departure was
another factor in eliminating the
program.
In any case, there is no doubt
that the disappearance of the
". .il A ,. m :fi -n - -rr :

the most enjoyable and bene-
ficial aspects of my studies at
the U-M. And I'm sure there are
still people out there who would
be willing to help plan, pro-
mote and execute the Spanish
play.
Paul O'Donnell
Senior, Romance
Languages Dept.
tenlatS
To The Daily:
THE LS&A STUDENT govern-
ment expresses its support for
the Ann Arbor Tenants Union
strike against Trony/Sunrise
management. It is necessary
e-r a* -. o *n - - - :- :-in n rl

union like the TU renters can
gain the power to bargain col-
lectively with the landlords.
If the University is not to be-
come a school for the rich and
the rich only, rents must be
brought down. The University
has done an embarrassingly
poor job to remedy the housing
crisis in Ann Arbor. It is up

to the students to do something
for themselves.
Student Government and
LSA Student Government
January 16
(This resolution was passed by
a unanimous vote of both the
LSA-SG and Student Govern-
ment Council.)

PSSSTt CHARLIE!
V4HO'3 AN( OLA?

Contact your reps-
Sen. Phillip Iart (Dem), 253 Russell Bldg.,, Capitol mil1,
Washington. D.C. 20515.

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