Mayaguez capture: U.S. long on brawn, but short on brain G UR LATEST littte escapade over in Soith East Asia proves one thing - this coun- try has passed the stage of stu- pidity in our dealings there. We are now purely pathetic. Wow, aren't we tough? First, some hotheads in Cambodia take over the government and then, with revolutionary exu- berance, seize an American merchant ship. Next, the president of the Uni- ted States decides that slanty- eyed gooks can't push old Uncle Sam around, even though be- cause of our own ignorance of. historical and political forces they have been doing exactly that for years. This time we had to defend our "honor.' So what do we do? We start by alienating the nominally friendly government of Thai- land, which is feeling consid- erable pressure from the omni- potent North Vietnamese a n d their allies, by launching o a r valiant Marines on their heroic mission from Thai soil. THEN WHEN our gallant mil- itary strategists get their chance to prove t at our armed forces are not worthless, our fighting men suffer a level of casualties which comes close to the num- her of men who were originally aboard the captured ship. But we shouldn't be toon tarsh on the military. The island that the Marines invaded was nly 25 miles from the one where the captives were being held. To these events the domestic reaction is as if we sad won a great victory. We slap each other on the back. The news- papers print a -picture of the Ford and Kissinger crew actual- ly smiling over the develop- ments. Serious-sounding editer- ials and sterile senators a r e We have proven that Amer- quick to sing the praises of our iceas massive might zaa prevail decisive actions. e in a military maneuver. Now FORD HAS catered to an what? Have we proven to our- "We have proven that America's massive might can prevail in a military nmaneuver. Now what? Have we proven to ourselves that we do have the proverbial chest on which to pin a medal?" political losses resulting from We show no tact or diplomacy our years in Vietnam, Cambod- at just the time when sane, well- is and Laos. We continue to ig- reasoned acts c o u id actually nore the political realities of serve to stem the autgoug tide that part of Asia, just like we of America prestige. did for all those years, simply They won't have the U.S A. to in order to verify our manhood. push around anymore, because we can beat up anybody on the WAS THERE a serious diplo- block and are damn proud of it. matic effort to secure the ship's rescuer 5I{M15+ LaUeOLi.JH aen-~AA America tired of the frustra- tions of the losing political bat- tle in Asia. See, he is telling us, we are pretty rough a n d tumble after all. Nobody, b u t nobody, can knock the good old U.S.A. selves that we do have the pro- verbial chest on whizh to pin a medal? To the rest of the world we must look like a spite ul Gd- zilla. That's a fine way to ie- bound from the intereational release! 'gnat question is hign- ly debatable, even hough the administration will assure us that it did all it could on that front before doing the re- gotiating, with a bunch of lea- thernecks. We should have been digni- fied enough to calmly deal with the indignity of the senseless seizure of the ship. Instead, we appear to lash out immaturely at the world that is taunting us. B o b Seidenstein contri- butes regularly to the Edi- torial Page. Letters should be typed and limited to 400 words. The Daily reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. The Michigan Daily Edited and managed by Students at the University of Michigan Thursday, May 22, 1975 News Phone: 764-0552 Spring Term News Staff JEFF SORENSEN Editor PAUL HASKINS Editorial Director DAVE BLOMQUIST . ..................... .... Night Editor ROB MEACHUM ........ .................S....... . Night Editor JEFF RISTINE .................. . ......... . . . Night Editor TIM SCHICK ... .........Night Editor DAVID WHITING .................... Night Editor BILL TURQUE ............ . ....... ............. Night Editor BETH NISSEN ...... ... Editorial Page Ass't. SUE ADES ......... ..Asst. Night Editor GLEN ALLERHAND .......Ass't. Night Editor DAN BLUGERMAN........Ass't. Night Editor ELAINE FLETCHER .......Asst. Night Editor GEORGE LOBSENZ .. .Ass't. Night Editor CATHY REUTTER...... Ass't. Night Editor Shipping line hooks Pentagon $ By RICK JURGENS JUST AS the Vietnamese or- phans spotlighted World Airways, the Mayaguez seizure has shed the light of day on the activities of Sea-Land Inc., the world's largest container- ship operator. Like World Air- ways, Sea-Land got its start to riches through the Indochina War. As a rival shioping firm president put it, "Sea-Land's prosperity has been premised upon extremely profitable con- tracts for the carriage of U S. military cargoes." In just nine months in 1970, Sea-Land netted a profit of $24 million hauling military goods to South Vietnam, Okinawa, and the Philippines. Even the end of the Indochina War ha nsot de- stroyed Sea-Land's anticipated revenues of about $25 million for hauling U.S. government cargo in 1975. And Sea-Land f u I1 y expects shipping to the U.S.- built Thai naval base a° Satti- hip to continue profitably. Be- sides Thailand, the company provides container service to ports in Singapore, the Philip- pines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan. AS WITH World Airways, cor- porate linkages leading right in- to the White House have helped Sea-Land gain its nre-eminent place in Southeast Asian c o n- tainer shipping. Until 1969, when Nixon's accession to te presi- dency might have caused con- flict of interest problems, sub- stantial interests in Sea-Land were held by shipping billion- aire Daniel K. Ludwig and Lit- ton Industries. Ludwig's private- ly owned firm, National Bulk Carriers Inc., was a client of Nixon's old New York law firm, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie and Alex- ander. And former Litton In- dustries president Roy Ash headed the powerful govern- mental reorganization council out of which the Office of Mon- agement and Budget emerged as the supreme power over the government budget, and which Ash himself finally came to The Mayaguez in tow: "Even the shift of control to Reynols did not take Sea-Land's corporate ownership out of national security policies. One of Reynold's directors, Gordon Gray, is a member of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, and has been involved in national security affairs since the Eisenhower Administration." head. EVEN THE shift of o-rol In 1969, Ludwig and L't.ton to Reynolds did not lake fea- R. t99 interestsin aLn Land's corporate ownership out sold their eyntsd Seaslnd of national security politics. One to f.J Reynolds, a holding of Reynold's directors, Gordon company for Reynolds Tobacco GrysammerfthPr- interests. The same year Rey- Gray, is a member of the Pres- noldstndustriesa tried to pur- ident's Foreign Iitelligence Ad- chase U.S. Lines, the secaid visory Board, and has been in- lagst U.S. Lsppin coand.volved in national security af- largest U.S. shipping company. fairs since the Eisenhower Ad- If successful, the deal would ministration. have given Reynolds virtual ministration. monopoly control to the tune of 88 per cent of the U.S. con- Rick Jurgens regularly tainership fleet. But the deal monitors the flow of raw has been blocked since 1969 by rriaterials for Pacific News a variety of legal maneuve-s. Services. Copyright, 1975, Pacific News Service.