Many times throughout this election campaign it
has been stated by Sen. Gruening's Republican op
ponent, as though it were a fact, that the Senator
"favors Red China" or voted in the Senate against
a resolution opposing admission of Communist China
into the United Nations or "refused to vote" when
the U.S. Senate unanimously opposed the admission
of Red China into the U.N.
These statements have been made and repeated
in public speeches, on radio, TV and carried as
"news” or in ads in newspapers including this one.
Sen. Gruening has not dignified these irrespon
sible statements by Ted Stevens by commenting on
them. The Senator has conducted his campaign on
a high love!, based on real issues and facis, and has
not even mentioned his opponent at any time during
the campaign.
Is it true that Sen. Gruening favors Communist
China or has ever taken anv action or made any
statement even remotely tending to substantiate
what his opponent has charged?
I THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE FALSEHOOD
Here are the facts. Stevens says in his ads and
speeches that "On September 14, 1959 the Senate
passed a resolution opposing admission of Commu
nist China into the U.N. Gruening voted against
THIS RESOLUTION. (Emphasis supplied by Mr.
Stevens). Bartlett voted for it."
The plain truth is that the U.S. Senate did not
pass or act on a resolution on that subject on that
date or any other date in 1959.
The matter on which ihe Senate did act on
September 14, 1959, was the Mutual Security Act for
fiscal year 1960. Sen. Gruening voted against this
measure. What did it provide? It appropriated
$3,692,262,137 (that is billions, not millions) for for
eign aid all over the world. The bill contained money
for sanitation projects in Pakistan, flood control in
Egypt, fisheries rehabilitation in Formosa, reforesta
tion in Communist Yugoslavia and so on.
Sen. Gruening announced clearly why he intend
ed to vote against the measure. It was because he
deplored what he called the "double standard under
which the Eisenhower Administration cut down,
refused to budget for or vetoed all appropriations for
worthwhile development projects in the United
States, including especially Alaska, while pressing
for passage of enormous foreign aid approoriaiions
providing exactly the same kind of projects abroad.
Section 112 of this voluminous bill which was
before the Senate carried two sentences reaffirming
the opposition of the Congress to the seat ng of the
Communist China regime in the United Nations.
This was not a resolution. It was never voted on
separately. There was absolutely no discussion of it
during floor debate. Every U.S. Senator favored it.
Oh yes, there was something else in this bill—
an appropriation of over $1 million for Cuba, which
by that time was firmly under the dictatorship of
Fidel Castro. In fact Castro h*d had complete con
trol of Cuba for more than eight months before the
Senate vote was taken. Five months before the vote
he had visited Washington to be honored at a lunch
eon by Secretary of State Herter and to talk ami
cably with Vice President Nixon. This was after the
shootings of the opposition and the expropriation of
U.S. property had begun.
Sen. Gruening was one of 25 Senators who voted
against the foreign aid bill which Ted Stevens so
repeatedly, so incorrectly and with such reckless
abandon has described as "A RESOLUTION op
posing admission of Communist China into the U.N."
What other Senators voted as Sen. Gruening did
that day? Here are a few of them: Sen. Eastland,
chairman of the Senate Judiciary and Internal Se
curity Committee; Sen. Fulbrighl, chairman of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Sen. Russell,
chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee;
Sen. Byrd, rock-ribbed, conservative, seventh-gen
eration American from Virginia, and . . . Ted
Stevens' friend, Sen. Barry Goldwater.
Does Ted really believe that this was a vote on
a resolution against the seating of Red China? Don't
be silly.
He alleges that when the Senate DID pass an
anti-Red China resolution July 28, 1961. unanimous
ly, Sen. Gruening "refused to vote.” The Senator at
that time was in Alaska holding hearings on land
withdrawals of four areas needed by the military
for firing ranges for defense purposes. When the
vote was taken. Sen. Humphrey announced that he
was absent "on official business of the Senate."
AND THEME HAVE BEEN MANY OTHERS
.... . . , • .11 1— * -X «Q nnn Npnrnp? durina his career in public service.
Here are a few samples ot Elevens isisenooui.
No cabinet officer has been to Alaska since Sen.
Gruening has been a Senator (9/9/62). Postmaster
General Day was here twice prior to that time
(Sen. Gruening helped him dedicate new postoffices
at Kenai and Anchorage) and Secretary of the In
terior Udall has been here since.
Gruening has never invested any money in
Alaska or shown any evidence of real faith on his
pari in Alaska (9/21/62). Sen. Gruening has owned
a home at Eagle River Landing for 17 years.
Most of Sen. Gruening's staff is from New York
(8/7/62). Not a single member of the Senators staff
is a resident of New York. One girl on the staff was
born there but hasn't been a resident of New York
for the past 21 years. More members of the Senator's
staff come from Alaska than from any other state.
Sen. Gruening chartered a twin-engine Aztec
an^iauc iwi aiA iu*» »• - --
just io stand by to take him wherever he wants to
go (9/17/62). The Senator has not chartered an Aztec
or any other kind of airplane at S9.000 or any other
figure, and no one has chartered one for him.
Gruening was a paid consultant to the Alaska
Constitutional Convention and an adviser there to
George Sundborg (9/19/62). He was never a con
sultant to the convention, or adviser paid or other
wise, and his only connection with it was that he
was invited by unanimous vote of the delegates to
make the keynote address.
Sen. Gruening has never hired a Negro to work
cn his personal staff (9/19/62). Billy Daniels Jr., a
son of the famous Negro singer, is a member of the
Senator's staff in Washington and worked on that
staff long before Mr. Stevens made his statement.
The Senator has employed, advanced and appointed
Gruening has spent $30,000 on a public opinion
poll to find out what Alaskans think on public
issues (9/8/62). Sen. Gruening has never ordered a
poll made or spent an^ sum whatever on such a poll.
Sen. Gruening has voted against most of Presi
dent Kennedy's nominees (9/21/62). Out of a total
of 10,286 civilian nominations sent to the Senate by
President Kennedy for confirmation. Sen. Gruening
voted against exacly three.
Gruening does not debate in the Senate because
he no longer can carry on an extended debate and
everything he says on the floor of the Senate is re
written before it is printed in the Congressional
Record so that it will be intelligible (9/12/62). You
have seen and heard Sen. Gruening on television
or in person and you know better.
And the above are just a few of the dozens of
fabrications or misstatements by Mr. Stevens.
I WHAT ARE THE FACTS ON VOTES MISSED ? I
Recently Stevens has taken ads in most Alaska
newspapers to claim that Sen. Gruening is an "ab
sentee senator" who has missed many roll calls.
Specifically the Senator is accused of not having
been counted on the Trade Expansion Act (actually
he was paired for passage — equivalent to voting
yes — when the measure passed by a vote of 78
to 8); the Cuban Resolution (Gruening was an
nounced for; the resolution passed 86 to 1) or the
President's emergency powers (Gruening was an
nounced for; the resolution passed 76 to 0). On no
roll call would Sen. Gruening's vote, as announced,
have changed the result.
And significantly. Sen. Gruening has never been
absent when any Alaska measure or national issue
affecting Alaska was up for a vote. He did not come
to Alaska for this year's election campaign until
every Alaska bill had safely passed the Senate or
he had assurances from the leadership that sucn
would be enacted. And they were.
How does Sen. Gruening's record compare with
that of other Senators? Out cf 857 roll calls in the
86th and 87th Congress, Gruening was present for
all but 217 (on these he was paired on 94. an
nounced on 108). During the same period Sen. Gold
water (R-Ariz.), was absent for 374 roll call voles.
Sen. Capehart. (R-Ind.), was absent for 338.
I WILL TED STEVENS PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE ?
Ir. an open letter published widely throughout
Alaska Iasi week Ted Stevens said he would "pub
licly apologize to you if any statement of fact I have
made cannot be substantiated."
Will he apologize? Can he substantiate?
We're waiting.
But, frankly, all we expect is a new twist. And
more misstatements.
Do Alaskans want to be represented in Washing
ton, D.C., by a man like this? Or will they slick
with dignity, honesty and responsibility?
SENATOR ERNEST GRUENING
PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT, STANLEY J. McCUTCIIEON, ANCHORAGE, AUTHOR