(3 of 5)
Characteristically, Ford does not seem the least bit intimidated by the high-powered brains around him. In fact, he is giving them considerable independence and—most important in power-sensitive Washington—he allows them to see him whenever they wish, a liberty Nixon never granted. Ford also expects them to disagree and would be disappointed if they did not. After a lively recent session, Schlesinger remarked, "Mr. President, this is the best faculty meeting I've attended in 15 years."
Ford got off to a shaky start in foreign affairs, the area of Government where he had the least experience. He let Kissinger take the lead and admitted as much. Both he and Kissinger seemed helpless as South Viet Nam and Cambodia collapsed, and they harshly blamed Congress for refusing their futile request for last-minute increases in military aid. But the President mounted an impressive operation to remove the refugees without the bloodshed that had been predicted. Then he was handed an opportunity to display his mettle. The Cambodians seized the merchant vessel Mayaguez, and the President responded by sending in the Marines. The ship and its 39 crewmen were rescued at the cost of the lives of 41 U.S. servicemen. The use of force may have been theatrical and excessive, as critics charge. But Ford did give the world a lesson in the dangers of pushing the U.S. too far. His popularity at home shot up, especially among conservatives.
Since then, the President has increasingly emerged from the shadow of Kissinger. He has held personal well-publicized talks with Soviet Communist Party Chief Leonid Brezhnev, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Premier Yitzhak Rabin. He has markedly improved his grasp of foreign affairs (see interview page 14). As a result, he speaks out more confidently. He has recently been at pains to stress the U.S. commitment to South Korea and suggest the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons in its defense.
The Russian and Chinese reactions to Ford remain ambiguous. U.S. allies, on the other hand, are relieved. Fearful at first that Ford would not measure up to the job, they now seem confident that he will provide sufficient leadership. Observes a senior official in the West German government: "Ford is seen here as a straightforward man who doesn't waver. He also has a feel for international affairs and steers a very clear course." Though Ford is considered to lack Nixon's acumen and cunning in foreign affairs, he is regarded as more predictable and hence more reliable. Says Japanese Economist Nobutane Kiuchi: "The last thing the current world situation needs is aggressive, spectacular leadership. The times call for patient, solid, if plodding efforts, not bold, drastic actions."