South Bend, March 3, 1968
The Kerner Report
The report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, formed by President Johnson, or the so-called “Kerner Report” visibly shocked the American public. The report concluded that last year’s unrests in Newark and Detroit were not caused by agitation from outside but by the catastrophic living conditions of the black population in the inner cities. If extensive measures are not taken, the report warns, the American population would break up into two parts, whereby peace could only be maintained by police force. To remedy the social evils in the ghettoes, billions of dollars would have to be made available for creating jobs and housing. In view of the War in Vietnam and the restrained budget situation, it is unlikely that the Congress would approve spending billions to redress the plight of the inner cities. Some members of Congress regard the “Kerner Report” as unrealistic and unfeasible.
[Irving H. Siegel, The Kerner Commission Report and Economic Policy (Kalamazoo, Michigan: The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 1969), comments on the Report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, generally known as the “Kerner Report.” In his view, American society is facing the greatest danger in an “extensive breakdown of the sense of community.” Unemployment and part-time work of minorities in society are the main reasons for the unrests.]
[Judge Otto Kerner (1908-76) of Chicago was Chairman of the President’s Commission on Civil Disorders in 1968.]
South Bend, March 11 and 12, 1968
A Historic Confrontation
What had already been expected for weeks, the hearing of Secretary of State Dean Rusk before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chaired by Senator J. William Fulbright was televised live yesterday and today. A noteworthy argument unfolded between those who support and those who oppose the Vietnam War policy of the government. As a result, it brought to light a rift within the Democratic party that can no longer be overlooked. Fulbright emphasized the prerogative of the Senate in matters of war and peace and questioned the government’s actions in Vietnam. On the other side, Dean Rusk endured the twelve hour hearing with patience, self-control and clarity of reasoning and held on unshakingly to the government’s policy. Having this hearing openly televised for the entire world to see, showed the strength and the weakness of American democracy. The growing irritation at the way the War in Vietnam is being carried on became evident as the possibility of a new isolationism. It is possible that the United States would withdraw from its global treaty obligations because the assumed commitments could overstrain its reserves. It was a significant, historic confrontation.
[Dean Rusk (1909-94), U.S. Secretary of State under Kennedy and Johnson, 1961-69.]
South Bend, March 12, 1968
The New Hampshire Primary
The New Hampshire Primary brought some surprising results. Senator Eugene McCarthy succeeded in gaining half of the Democratic votes, which is a clear demonstration of no confidence in the policy of President Johnson. It is also proven at the ballot box how divided the Democratic camp really is. With 70% of the votes, Richard Nixon emerged as the dominant winner among the Republicans. It is unlikely that Governor Rockefeller would even come close to Nixon’s lead.
[Egene J. McCarthy (1916 - ), Senator of Minnesota, 1959-70, has above all become known for advocating thriftiness in government spending.]
March 15, 1968
The Pressure on the Dollar
The order by the Queen of England to close the banks of her country for today, while at the
same time most of the banks on the Continent also remained closed, is a necessary measure to get the pressure on the U.S. dollar under control. The attempt by Charles de Gaulle to attack the gold backing of the dollar led to panic-like buying of gold. As a consequence, the international monetary system could fall into disarray. Since the conference at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in July 1944, the gold parity of the U.S. dollar has been based on $35 per ounce. The illusory confidence in the value of gold is much more prevalent in Europe, while here in America more trust is placed in industrial capacity and productivity.
South Bend, March 18, 1968
Over this weekend, the countries of the International Monetary Fund have reached an agreement that the central banks maintain the gold parity of the dollar of $35 per ounce, while the price of gold used for commercial purposes was left open to the free market. By this concerted effort the dollar has recently been maintained as reserve currency but under the condition that the United States reduces its high trade deficit and cut back on government spending.
[The double standard for the price of gold - one official price of the central banks and another on the free market - could not be sustained for very long. With the mounting dollar assets abroad, the gold backing of the dollar at $35 an ounce was no longer bearable. On August 15, 1971, the Nixon Administration suspended the gold parity of the U.S. dollar. In the following years, the dollar lost in value against the European currencies and the Japanese yen. In 1980 gold reached its highest value of $800 per ounce.]
South Bend, March 18, 1968
Robert Kennedy Enters the Campaign
The decision of Senator Robert Kennedy on March 16 to enter the campaign as a candidate for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination further split the Party. Following McCarthy’s success at the New Hampshire Primary, Kennedy’s decision was to be expected. He is taking like McCarthy an anti-Johnson stand, but both of them decline to share a common ticket. And President Johnson on his part seems not to be willing to yield to either candidate. Only Richard Nixon can benefit from this dilemma at the top leadership of the Democratic Party.
[Robert Francis Kennedy (1925-68), the younger brother of John F. Kennedy, in whose cabinet he had served as U.S. Attorney General 1961-64, was U.S. Senator of New York 1965-68. As a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination he won a number of primaries. After he had won the important California Primary, he participated in the victory celebration in a hotel in Los Angeles. Toward the end of the celebration he fell victim to an assassination attempt in which he was fatally wounded. Robert Kennedy died in the early morning hours of June 6, 1968. See entry of June 9, 1968, below]
South Bend, March 21, 1968
Rockefeller Withdraws His Candidacy
Governor Nelson Rockefeller’s announcement today that he is withdrawing his candidacy has to some extent come as a surprise. Thereby, the Republicans have achieved unity within their Party. Practically, they have unofficially nominated Nixon as their presidential candidate.
South Bend, March 31, 1968
8 p.m.
The Renunciation of President Johnson
In his televised address to the American nation this evening, President Johnson unexpectedly announced that he will not seek and would not accept the nomination of the Democratic Party. Johnson apparently took this step in order not to further aggravate the split within his Party and to increase the confusion in the country. At the same time he informed the nation and the world that he has ordered to stop the air strikes against North Vietnam to defuse the war and to prepare peace negotiations. Johnson personally renounced a possible second term in office. He put his
own ambitions last for the welfare of the state. It was the speech of a great but broken human being whose tragedy could be read in his face.
[Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908-73), U.S. Senator of Texas, 1949-61; U.S. Vice President, 1961 -63; U.S. President, 1963-69. Johnson suffered from a heart condition. He died on January 22, 1973 on his ranch near Johnson City in Texas. The tragedy of Lyndon B Johnson consisted in a dilemma he could not overcome. He was concerned about the poverty in his own country and wanted to improve social conditions at home, but he was drawn deeper and deeper into the jungle warfare in South East Asia from which he found no way out.]