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thursday, October 17,1 974
Hncoln, nebraska vol 98 no. 31
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Above: Gesturing expan
sively, President Ford
greets an audience of
about 5,000 people after
flyinq in on Air Force Ona
p.m. for a 25-minute
West. Ford arrived at 3:05
a.m. for a 25-minute
speech. While campaign
ing for incumbent First
District Congressman
Charles Thone, he also
plugged Republican gub
ernatorial candidate
Richard Marvel and Anne
; Batchelder, candidate for
S lieutenant governor.
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Photos by Ted Kirk
and Steve Boerner
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Left: Surrounded by Sec
ret Service agents, Presi
dent Ford shakes hands
with Bill Barrett, chair
man of the Republican
State Committee.
Ford pledges suppor
for nation's farmers
By Randy Gordon
President Gerald R. Ford Wednesday afternoon
committed the executive branch of the federal
government to aid farmers who are pledged to full food
production by providing adequate fuel and fertilizer,
opposing export controls on farm products and
protecting U. S. dairy farmers from imports.
Ford reasserted his opposition to raising the federal
gas tax, saying "I didn't ask for it, I am opposed to it,
and I know the Congress won't pass one."
Ford said he is against export controls for U. S. farm
products and does not intend to impose them,
"At the same time, because I feel I have an
obligation to protect. adequate food reserves we are
-going to monitor those sales.
"We will permit the sales of reasonable amounts
over a reasonable period of time, as they are important
to our balance of payments, : ' he said.
Ford, in an accompanying statement issued by White
House Press Secretary Ron Nessen's office, ruled out a
blanket embargo on grain exports. He said the federal
government's Economic Policy Board will continue to
monitor grain exports to "insure that our domestic
demand is not left without a supply."
Ford was recently reported to be upset by large grain
sales to the Soviet Union (3.4 million tons) and Iran (for
448,000 tons). He cancelled both orders after learning
of them.
.In pledging to protect U.. dairy farmers,. Ford said
"We are not going to ieHt Subsidized 'foreign dairy
imports destroy the American dairy farmer's domestic
market."
Ford, in Lincoln to support the candidacies of
Republicans for state and federal offico, said farmers
"are real inflation fighters who h?ve and can
contribute" to solving the nation's econonic problems.
"We should give them the fuel and fertilizer to do the
job, even if we have to allocate it arbitrarily," Ford
said.
He said the federal government is attempting to
cut back the amount of fuel oil imported to one million
barrels daily, compared to over three million barrels a
day now being imported.
Continued on pg. 10.
Ford greeted by cheers, jeers, NU fight song
By Deb Gray
"This looks like a big party," DeLana
Cromer said, looking over a panorama of
balloons, bands and campaign banners.
But Cromer wasn't here for the party.
Unlike the majority of the more than
5.000 people who streamed into Lincoln
Air Park West Wednesday afternoon to
see the President cf the United Ciaies,
Cromer was here to protest "inactive
government in an unresponsive soci
ety." About 100 people standing within a
roped area waved signs protesting
,-ipathotic government, President Gerald
Ford's pardon of-former President
Nixon, amnesty for draft rcsisters and
for Wounded Knee defendants and
cutbacks in military spending,
One demonstrator, John Knappe, 15,.
said he came to the Air Park to protest
military spending. The Secret Service
refused to allow protestors within the
spectator area, he said.
"I think they're afraid we might kill
him," said one man, who hod been
barking instructions to a paper mache
facsimile of Ford.
Ford's visit "wonderfui"
Other people came to the rally
because, right or wrong, Gerald Ford is
the President. And the president is an
institution they don't see In person very
often.
Robin Shipmari, 9, said "I had never
seen a president before in my entire
life." A President was worth seeing
becaunc "he con tell people what to
do." she said.
Sporting a homemade Whip Inflation
Now (WIN) button, Martha Avre said
Ford's visit to Lincoln was "wonder
ful." She had never seen a President in
her 70-odd years, she said.
The East High School band then
struck up one-of-many renditions of
"There is No Place like Nebraska," and
. Avrc's companion', Es&it? Cook, 3ang(
along.
"This thing is like a Nebraska pep
rally," commented another spectator.
"All we need is Bob Devaney."
A few minutes later. Devaney arrived
with Paul Douglas, Republican candi
date for attorney general. Devaney said
he would have written a letter instead of
appearing personally, but "I couldn't
find any school stationery and my
secretary didn't have any time."
(Devaney has been criticized by some
for writing letters supporting Douglas
candidacy using University stationery.)
Protesters chanted
When Ford arrived, the demonstra
tors broke police barriers and entered
the crowd, threatening to crash the
party.
Their "Vietnam, Wounded, Knee:
Nixon needs no amnesty" chant conti
nued through most of Ford's 25-minute
address, except when Ford referred to
Nebraska's "two great senators, Roman
Hruska and Carl Curtis." A prolonged I
how! followed.
At times, the chanting became so loud
that one observer said, "we couldn't j
hear the President for all the ruckus
going on."
continued cn pg. 8
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Demonstrator creels head ef stats.
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