Word: laird
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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PRESIDENT NIXON'S demand last week for congressional action on his draft-revision bill was adapted from a scenario inspired by Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird. More than anyone else in the Administration, Laird worries about the possible consequences of the autumnal unrest planned by student anti-Pentagon groups. With the opening of school approaching, Laird recently counseled the President to apply pressure for passage of the draft-revision bill submitted to Congress last May. It may be too late to get action this year, but Laird figures that at least students will know that the Administration wanted...
...Both Laird and Nixon believe that General Lewis Hershey, the crotchety septuagenarian who directs Selective Service, should be removed. An adamant opponent of the lottery draft system, Hershey's inveterate hawkishness has made him a symbol to the young of all that is wrong with the draft. For his part, Laird believes that a military man should not head Selective Service. Yet Hershey has some powerful friends on Capitol Hill, so Nixon is likely to wait at least until his bill passes through Congress, if it does, before easing the petulant Hershey into retirement...
...most pressing issues on the agenda at the White House was a second reduction of U.S. forces in South Viet Nam. On this point, Nixon had more than Communist intransigence to consider. Although Defense Secretary Melvin Laird last month was prepared to recommend another withdrawal, Nixon deferred the announcement after Communist military activity accelerated. It later became clear that there was another reason: growing opposition to further cutbacks from the service chiefs. There is increasing skepticism among the generals that the Army of South Viet Nam (ARVN) is really prepared to take over the fighting from the U.S. Further, some...
Communist High Points. Only two weeks ago the President was planning to authorize a pullout of at least 35,000 troops to follow the 25,000 now on their way home. When he changed his mind at the last moment, he caught both Rogers and Defense Secretary Melvin Laird by surprise. His reasons for deferring the decision: the renewed enemy attacks, including the rocketing of the U.S. hospital at Cam Ranh Bay, and allied intelligence warnings that Communist forces were readying a new "high point" for Sept. 2, the 24th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh's proclamation of Vietnamese...
...office of the Secretary of Defense seems to be somewhat slowed under Laird. He is inevitably one of the most influential men in the Cabinet, both because of the importance of his department and because of Nixon's respect for his abilities. Gaylord Nelson recalls Nixon's once telling him: "Mel is one of the ablest men I've ever seen in government." Unlike some Cabinet officers, Laird has ready