Vanderbilt Television News Archive

(Studio) President Ford announces conditional amensty plan and establishes clemency bd.
REPORTER: Roger Mudd

(White House) [FORD - hopes to restore essential unity of Am with plan.] Amnesty plan outlined. Clemency board to review cases of men already convicted.
REPORTER: Bob Schieffer

(Studio) Draft evaders and deserters must surrender by next January 31 to qualify. American evaders in Canada react to Ford plan.
REPORTER: Roger Mudd

(Montreal, Canada) Group of evaders in Montreal calls for boycott of plan. [Deserter Gerry CONDON - reads boycott.] [Deserter John COLHOUN - believes Ford plan won't allow resisters to return to United States with integrity intact. ] [Evader David TABAKOW - believes Ford to offer unconditional amnesty because no one will accept conditional amnesty.]
REPORTER: Steve Young

(Studio) Mbrs. of clemency board and other officials react to amnesty plan.
REPORTER: Roger Mudd

(DC) [Clemency board chairperson Charles GOODELL - believes President earnest in wanting to heal nation's wounds.] [Clemency board member James MAYE - doesn't believe board to sit in judgement, but will try and help draft resisters back into American society.] [Director Selective Service, Byron PEPITONE - explains how men will be allowed to work way back into American life.] Spns. for resisters call plan too harsh; veterans' group says plan too lenient. Veterans of Foreign Wars commander John Stang reacts negatively. [National adjutant of American Legion William HAUCK - believes amnesty program violates basic principles.] Congress leaders meeting with President express some criticism of amnesty plan. [Senator Mike MANSFIELD - supports Ford's program; reasons given.]
REPORTER: Daniel Schorr