South Bend, November 5, 1974
The Lesson for Watergate
At today’s mid-term election, American voters taught the Republicans a lesson. The Democrats won a victory that comes close to a landslide. In the Senate they won three additional seats, increasing their majority 61:39. One of the three newly elected senators is the astronaut John Glenn, who won the vacant Senate seat in Ohio by a large margin. On the other hand, it is hard to grasp that William Fulbright will not be present in the Senate anymore. In the course of his 30 year tenure and service, Fulbright has become an institution in the Senate. In the House of Representatives the Democrats won additional 43 seats so that they have now a majority of 291: 144. The election result means altogether a nearly veto proof Congress. The Republican Ford Administration will have to show great willingness to compromise if under these circumstances any legislation will pass at all.
South Bend, [End of November], 1974
The Visit to Tokyo
As the first sitting U.S. President, Gerald Ford paid an official state visit to Japan (November 18 - 20). Thereby, the common American-Japanese interests have been recalled, just as the American obligations in the Pacific have been renewed.
The Summit Meeting in Vladivostok
Following his state visit to Tokyo, President Ford met with Soviet Party General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev in Vladivostok. The balance of interests between the United States and the Soviet Union was reaffirmed as well as negotiations for a SALT II agreement has been promised.