European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 3, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Pago 6 the stars and stripes wine Day april 3, to reflects on decision lbs sacrificed c editor s note Bill d. Moyers served As special assistant to Lyndon b. Johnson from the Day of John f. Ken Nedy s assassination until feb. 15, 1367, when he resigned to join new Day As vice president and publisher. A by Bill d. Movers Garden City . A Lyndon b. Johnson is a Man about whom it is easy to be people including his closest associates were wrongs often that we simply stopped guessing. We would not be sur prised by anything he did until his decision sunday night.1 simply did not expect it Al though there were some noises out of Washington to arouse suspicion within the last few managing editor of one of our most influential newspaper called two weeks ago and said that his paper had a Rumor that the president was not going to run again did i know anything about it i did not. Carried note there was word from a Cabi Jnet Secretary that the president was actually carrying in his pocket a Brief written announce ment that he would not run again i replied that the presi Dent had often said he did not want to run again and that 1 believed he was sincere while 1,also believed that in his heart he Felt he must run. Too Man of his policies were unfulfilled for him to withdraw voluntarily. Then a few Days ago a close Friend called and said that he had just spent an hour with the president and had found the discussions almost like a valedictory he seems to be saying that it is All up to history was also the matter of mrs. Johnson s picnic wire service Story had said simply that she had taken he lunch to the Shore of the Pote Mac River where she apparently ate alone or with one or two companions at the most. often enjoyed some thing like that after a Momen Tous decision or High drama in the White House. It looked significant at least to my wife. Still Lyndon Johnson is no anything if he is not tenacious and As i have said privately an publicly Ever since i left the White House 13 months ago did not believe he would Volun crafts by cooperating with the president. I think it is the duty of the opposition to do what is in the National interest he said at Tho time and the National interest to him More often than no meant achieving National Unity especially in foreign policy. In his memoirs after leaving the White House Eisenhower would recall that he enjoyed a Friendly relationship with Senate majority Leader Lyndon the Unity he had sought Forth country the president now reckons. Is in peril. He recognizes himself As the cause of and at the Center of controversy and at the sacrifice of his position Pride and prestige heis going to remove the Core of the is the Only Way he reasons to tame people s emotions about the War in Vietnam and to put the debate on a More rational plane. It is also the Only Way the president calculates to con Vince his adversaries in Hanoi that he is serious about Bur de sire for negotiated would not Over the months risk a bombing pause to Demon Strate his sincerity because in his judgment that would put to Many american lives in jeopardy he will he has decided sacrifice his own political Ca reer in an Effort to Tell Hanoi that he really does want a Politi warily leave the prematurely. He White House relished the Powers of the presidency for the possibilities they offered him tomake the populist dreams of his boyhood come True. I could not Bee him laying those Powers Down before either the voters Orthe Constitution required him to retire. The Constitution Grants him another term if he can win it and while his popularity i Down it would have been foolish to count him out. Was it not reasonable to believe that what Harry Truman did in 1948, Lyn Don Johnson could do in 1968? Why then has he decided not to run i think the Only answer that really makes sense is the mos simple answer of All. He believes it is necessary for him to step aside if the country is to succeed in achieving the two things he most fervently sought in 1%3 Unity and Johnson has never been a very partisan he was the democratic majority Leader if the . Sen ale and Dwight d. Eisenhower was the Republican president Othel United states he had an Many of his fellow demo Beauty on higher plane airline stewardesses Myrna Pope left and Joyce Moore help Groom their colleague Adele col Lins in a new York practice session. Their company is sponsoring a program in which the girls will visit slum areas throughout the country to Aid their less fortunate Sisters impersonal grooming. A photo Levy disciplined for violating mail privileges Leavenworth Kan. A capt. Howard Levy was placed in disciplinary segregation at it. Leavenworth . Disciplinary Barracks because he violated his mailing Privi Leges a spokesman said sunday night. Levy a Brooklyn ., physician is serving a three year term for refusing to train medics for service in Vietnam. Restarted the term last dec. 15. Mills optimistic on spending cuts violated his the spokes Captain Levy mailing privilege,1man said. An envelope indicated he was sending a letter to his lawyer but the envelope contained an unauthorized Washington a chair Man Wilbur d. Mills of the House ways and Means com Mittee said monday president Johnson s talk sunday represents a Clear step toward a com Promise involving spending Cut Sand a tax increase. However the Arkansas demo crat whose committee has kept Johnson s income tax surcharge on the shelf since last fall indicated he wants to see More a Mairik Heads . Council United nations up soviet ambassador Jacob Malik took Over As president of . Security Council monday for a month Long term. His tactic Sas Council president during the korean crisis in August 1950paralyzed the panel. Ton on spending cuts before Tak ing up the tax proposal again. Mills said in an interview hews especially impressed by Johnson s statement that he expects Congress to Cut his budget and the indication that the pres ident would accept such action. This is clearly a step toward the kind of Compromise we have All been talking said. I thought made a splendid speech and delivered it better than any other speech of his i have said to assumes the House appropriation committees going ahead with announced plans to trim the budget. With out setting any Tuneable he indicated his committee would want to Sec what was done be fore making a decision. About Mill the president Cal settlement i know the president s Eri Tuci will not concede such lofty Rah unselfish motives he is simply too political they argue to Crafty for anything but the mail calculating signs. In believing thusly they Are denying them selves the Opportunity even sofa moment to see this Man a Only a few of us have seen him they Are forbidding themselves an insight into Lyndon Johns onto which their own fierce pay. Sions Over Vietnam have them for All these Mouths. He is not really the political animal he has been labelled i know the charges that have been made that he does Noth ing except for political gain that he is incapable of acting if acting costs him politically that everything he does is calculated to win friends and influence peo ple. Vet for All that As his announcement sunday night made Clear he has come to his present plight simply by Refus ing to be political about the most crucial and unpopular of All issues the War in the overwhelming Evi Dence of the polls editorial comment congressional reaction and All other commonly accepted measures of voter response As Allen Otten of the Wall Street journal recently wrote the president refuses to Compromise his Vietnam poli reason he has refused to Compromise is Clear to those of us who served him even to those who had doubts about he policy he believed in what hews doing. And he Clung to that conviction even when people be Gan speculating that there was something irrevocably evil an demented about him. I Grant him bloody arrogant Avari Cious false vindictive smack ing of every sin that has name says a character called Ted in a president has to believe in what he is doing to persist in the face of such opposition. Tenacity costly Seldom in our history has tenacity for a policy Cost a Manas much As the Pursuit of his Vietnam policy has Cost Lyndon Johnson. Last night it should have become obvious just How much it has Cost. He knew the Price a Long time ago. At the time he made the decision to to into Vietnam he said to Friend there will be a lot of people now who will say you Are right go ahead but the Cost is cheap now. When the Cost really climbs and the Price seems too High most of those Fellows won t be around to weren t. The Man who gave up the presidency of the United states to prove to Friend and foe alike that he believe sin what he has been doing in the end was alone. It is left nowt history to judge just How right or wrong he was to pays dear a Price for his conviction. Bov it thin the Clomia Flamand
