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 C PLO invitation: Good idea iAh. 1 ^ 9 , v ; a. ,; k ; 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. -. CRAT (Ck AMP2iE ,JL2HA, AWJ A y Y> 17-5 TA i~ ) To PLAY<... i Q L40N APE RC9H ( Lf$' PFO XAI1 vC 126H E~JST AW ChEEA-c 13WFY ARP"A )PT! tfl,z6. I it - tIMLI/A t July ryj t/t} ((,. s W f Y O O r ' 5"Chr- ft ?S vi - r+cw x T ,rycnrcn : 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.