April 7, 1970

Dear Happy and Nelson:

Just a short note to thank you for all you did
for me during the past week. Dorado Beach
is a wonderful place and it was especially good
to relax and enjoy it with you. I regret only
that it ended too soon.

I wish that I could fully return your many kind-
nesses to me.

Honorable and Mrs. Nelson Rockefeller
812 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York

I am sure you know how much your friendship
has inspired me over the years.

(Sent in double envelope c/o Ann Whitman
22 West 55th Street
New York, N. Y.)

jlp:4/6/70

jlp:4\c\l0

New York, N. Y.)

22 West 22nd Street

(Sent in double envelope c/o Ann Whitman)

has inspired me over the years.
I am sure you know how much your friendship

New York, New York
812 Fifth Avenue
Honorsle and Mrs. Nelson Rockefeller

Henry V. Kissinger

/s/

Warm regards,

nice to me.
I wish that I could fully return your many kind-
that it ended too soon.
to relax and enjoy it with you. I regret only
is a wonderful place and it was especially good
to me during the best week. Dorado Beach
that a short note to thank you for all you did

Dear Happy and Nelson:

April 7, 1970

The Scene: The State University at Potsdam, New York, a town of 3,000 residents and 3,000 students. Governor Rockefeller comes out onto the stair of the open two-story lobby of a just-opened Student Union building (built under the Rockefeller University construction program) before some 500 students and a scattering of faculty.

As the students see the Governor their chant ("Rockefeller's a fascist pig ... Rockefeller's a fascist pig...") changes to "Now! Now! Now!"

GIRL STUDENT: Fuck you!

BOY STUDENT: Fuck you!

SECOND GIRL STUDENT: Hey, wait a minute! We agreed not to say anything. We wanted to create a sort of informal atmosphere, if we could.

(Laughter)

All right, so let him rap and we will ask questions.

GOVERNOR ROCKEFELLER: Well...

(Shouts and noise)

THIRD GIRL STUDENT: All right, let him speak. We're adults.

(Laughter)

GIRL STUDENT: How are you moving as Governor of New York State to get us out of Vietnam?

ROCKEFELLER: ...The President of the United States, under a Constitutional government, is the one who has the power and the ability to get the job done. He has committed himself as to his time schedule and I think he is going to carry out that time schedule.

-2-

GIRL STUDENT: You still haven't answered my question. What are you doing now?

VOICES: What are you doing now?
Now! Now!
Right now!

BOY STUDENT: In what manner can you influence our Congress and our President and the State Legislature and the State Assembly -- the whole deal. How are you acting?

ROCKEFELLER: All right. The State Legislature does not have responsibility for the conduct of foreign affairs. The Congress and the President do.

VOICE: What have you done to stop the war?

ROCKEFELLER: I have no capacity to stop the war.

STUDENT: Why couldn't something like the Massachusetts bill be passed here.

ROCKEFELLER: The bill is unconstitutional ...

VOICES: Do you support it? Do you support it?

ROCKEFELLER: In my opinion that bill that passed the Legislature in Massachusetts is not going to stop the war.

VOICES: That's not the question. What is your position?

ROCKEFELLER: I have taken a position. I am for ending the war just as much as you. I have so expressed myself and have tried to work with the administration of Washington to bring that about.

-3-

VOICE (Derisively): And it has brought us into Cambodia.

ROCKEFELLER: The President of the United States said about Cambodia that in his opinion, after hearing all of the facts which he has at his disposal, which nobody else has, that he would accelerate the withdrawal from Vietnam and save lives, American lives, in Vietnam by this action.

BOY STUDENT: Mr. Rockefeller, do you personally feel that President Nixon's policy toward Cambodia is the correct action that the United States should be taking to pull out of Vietnam?

ROCKEFELLER: On the basis of the facts that he has given, the answer is yes.

(Groans, Jeers)

BOY STUDENT: As a leader in the Republican party, with some weight in party councils in the smoky back rooms, what can you do to end the war?

ROCKEFELLER: Listen. There is one man who has the power to do what you are talking about, and that is the President...

SCREAMS AND SHOUTS: Power to the people! Power to the people!

ROCKEFELLER: The people elected him President of the United States and under our government...

VOICE (Shouting): The people of America didn't elect him. The money of America elected him President of the United States, not the people.

-4-

BOY STUDENT: We would appreciate a straightforward yes or no answer. Do you support the President's policy in Indochina?

ROCKEFELLER: All right. I've got to state what in my opinion his policy is. In my opinion his policy is to get out of Indochina as rapidly as he can with as few additional losses of American life as possible; and that policy is my policy.

GIRL STUDENT: What about the Cooper-Church Amendment? What is your position on it?

ROCKEFELLER: My position is that if that is passed by the Congress, the President will probably veto it; it will probably be passed over his veto; and I think that will split this country even more than it is now split; that I think the President...

(Shouts, Groans)

BOY STUDENT: Do you think there is ever a time in a country's crisis when a man's humanity must exceed his political ambitions ... and you can say something not political in terms of what is happening.

ROCKEFELLER: All right. I'm not going to do things for political purposes, which a lot of people are doing today. They are afraid to come on a campus if they don't make the right political sounds. I am interested in the future of this country. I am interested in our country getting out of Vietnam; and I want to do those things and say those things which will lead to the rapid conclusion of that war. And I am not going to say things for political purposes or for approbation on campuses just to get that approbation. I've get the courage of my convictions just as you have,

-5-

and I know where the power lies to do things and
I know where the power lies to do what has to be
done today. And it's in the hands of the President
of the United States and not the Congress.

(Mixed applause and boos)

VOICES: Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit! ...

(After 45 minutes the President of the school
comes out): Could I invite this courageous and
considerate man to join me for dinner.

MASSED VOICES: No! No! No!

ROCKEFELLER: Thank you very much.

(Applause, whistles, jeers)

VOICE: Bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit...

(Rockefeller turns to leave)

STUDENTS: (led by cheerleader): One, two, three,
four, we don't want your fucking war; one, two, three,
four, we don't want your fucking war ...