Nixon Says Ending War First Priority

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31754, 10 August 1968, Page 13

Nixon Says Ending War First Priority

• (N.Z.P.A. -Reuter—Copyright) MIAMI BEACH, August 9. A Republican Administration would give first priority to ending the Vietnam war and extending the hand of friendship to Russia and China, according to the Republican Party Presidential nominee, Mr Richard Nixon. Addressing himself to leaders of the Communist world, he declared: “There is no acceptable alternative to negotiation ... we do not seek domination ... we shall never be belligerent.” He pledged at the Republican national convention last night that if he became President the United States would formulate a “policy to prevent a new Vietnam” and “a new policy for peace and progress abroad.”

Mr Nixon was given a tumultuous standing ovation when he appeared in the crowded convention hall less than 24 hours after his unanimous endorsement as the oonosition party’s candidate for next November’s General election.

Several times he was interrupted by shouts of "we want Nixon” and drowned out by roaring applause. The hall was a forest of Nixon campaign banners. Mr Nixon told delegates that as President he would reappraise all United States foreign commitments. The time had come for an era of negotiation with the Communist world, after an era of confrontation.

“We shall restore the strength of America so that we shall negotiate from strength, never from weakness," he said. “We shall be as firm in defending our system as they are in defending theirs,” he said in a reference to Communist countries. Mr Nixon said the United States extended “a hand of friendship to all people,” including the people of Russia and China. “I believe we must have peace,” he said. A New Policy The people of America had had enough of big words and little action. “The time has come for an honest Government in America. I do promise, a new policy for peace and progress abroad,” he said.

“I say that when respect for the United States has fallen so low that a fourthrate military power like North Korea will hijack a United States naval vessel on the high seas it is time for new leadership to restore re-

spect for the United States of America round the world.” On Vietnam, he declared: “If the war is not ended when the people choose in November, the choice will be clear. . . Agnew Chosen Mr Spiro Agnew was chosen bv Mr Nixon as his running mate, Mr Agnew, the Governor of Maryland, won applause in his address on home issues when he said: “Racial discrimination, unfair and unequal job opportunities must be eliminated, no matter whom that displeases. “But he won ever louder cheers as he continued: “I believe . . . that anarchy, rioting or even civil disobedience has no constmctive purpose in a constitutional republic.” Mr Nixon’s choice of Mr Agnew as his VicePresidential running mate baffled many delegates and political analysts. Thev had been confidently anticipating the choice of someone such as the Mayor of New York (Mr John Lindsay) with his appeal to young people and to the liberal big citv vote, or Senator Mark 0. Hatfield, of Oregon, who is well known in the party and has been a prominent “dove” on Vietnam. Southern Views Governor Agnew is comparatively unknown in the country. His State is largely agricultural with one large industrial city, Baltimore, and does not qualify as a political powerhouse. It seemed apparent that Mr Nixon had paid considerable attention to the objections of Southern Republicans to his running with an out-and-out liberal.

Governor Agnew, in the context of Maryland politics, is liberally-inclined, but is traditional enough in his appeal to Conservatives in the State to have been elected in 1966. He was given the opportunity to become Governor

in what is still largely a Southern State with a Democratic majority by a split in that party. The tone of Mr Nixon’s acceptance speech was to the Right and reflected many of the criticisms of domestic affairs usually voiced by conservative Republicans and Democrats in Congress. "The first priority foreign policy objective of our next Administration will be to bring an honourable end to the war in Vietnam,” said Mr Nixon. “We shall not stop there—we need a policy to prevent more Vietnams. Foreign Aid “All of America’s peacekeeping institutions and all of America’s foreign commitments must be re-appraised. Over the last 25 years, America has provided more than 5150.000 million in foreign aid to nations abroad. . . Against Crime

He said the new United States Attorney-General would be “directed to launch a war against organised crime in this nation.

“To those who say law and order is the code word for racism, this is our reply,” said Mr Nixon. “Our goal is justice for eyery American. If we are to have respect for law in America, we must have laws that deserve respect. “The nation had been deluged with programmes for the unemployed, for the cities and for the poor. “And we have reaped from these programmes an ugly harvest of frustration, violence and failure across the land,” he observed. Mr Nixon wound up with an emotional narrative of an American child helped along the way by his parents, his teachers, a loyal wife and children.

“Tonight he stands before you—nominated for President of the United States,” he said to deafening applause.