Louisiana: The State We're In; 250; September 1, 1978

Production funding for this program was provided in part through contributions to Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting. The following program is an LPB public affairs production, Louisiana: The State We're In, with Beth George. and Ron Blome. Good evening. Welcome to this edition of Louisiana: The State We're In. This week our show goes beyond the boundaries of the state as we report on a congressional hearing about U.S. exports, hear of a congressman's visit to North Vietnam and examine a French filmmaker's view of Louisiana. But first this week's capital highlights. With attention focused in Washington on the passage of a natural gas compromise bill, President Carter met with 11

governors from around the country to enlist their support. Notably absent from that meeting was Governor Edwards of Louisiana, who has been an outspoken critic of the bill. He was originally scheduled to attend the meetings as a spokesman from the gas producing states, but he told reporters on Thursday that a call from the chairman of the National Governors' Conference, Kentucky's Julian Carroll, made it obvious that no one was very anxious for Edwards to go. But the governor may get his chance to express opposition to the gas bill next week at a meeting with congressional leaders. The school year got off to a rocky start in New Orleans this week as public school teachers struck for higher wages. Those teachers were joined Friday on the picket lines by striking bus drivers, who move 14,000 of the 91,000 public school students. Reports on the effectiveness of the strike are mixed, as neither the Orleans school board nor the teachers union are able to confirm walkout or attendance figures. On the first day of the strike, Wednesday, LPB stopped by the Beauregard Elementary School and talked with Principal Barbara Keller, who said 60 percent of her teachers walked off the job.

But we did have alternate plans; we did have substitutes. We were given some leeway in hiring substitutes on the side. Some were sent to us from the central office, and we did have alternate plans based on this. How long a strike do you think it will be? I have no idea. That's up to the bargaining team. I hope it's very very short. It's a little hard on the nerves, isn't it? No, it's not the nerves. I just think that, I think that a strike if it's settled quickly will be better for the morale of the youngsters and the teachers involved. But no matter how long the strike, teachers in New Orleans shouldn't look to the state capitol for money. In fact Governor Edwards said he'd rather not get involved at all. I cannot simply say I would refuse to talk to them. I'd be very reluctant to do so but willing to negotiate with them if if they felt there was something good could come of it. I would point out in advance, however, that I do not think that public employees ought to strike. I would urge them to return to the classrooms and continue

negotiating. We cannot, on a state basis, favor any particular group of teachers with special funds because that would be unconstitutional and unfair to other teachers. And, finally, I hope that the people in New Orleans -- that is the taxpayers -- whose ultimate responsibility for financing the schools is theirs should take an active interest in what is happening because what is happening to the school system in New Orleans is happening in Detroit and many other inner cities and eroding tax base, gradual depreciation of the value of the schools, lack of public interest and, if that continues, it portends in my judgment the collapse of the public school system in many of the largest cities of the country and none of us wish to see that happen. But if the Governor was reluctant to become involved in the teachers strike he seems anxious to jump into the state's battle over the constitutionality of the first use tax, a tax on

offshore federal gas. At a press conference on Thursday, Edwards announced plans to hire three law firms and State Representative Billy Tauzan to head a legal team that will defend the law before the courts. Earlier in the week the Federal Energy Commission said they might challenge Louisiana's law, and Edwards once again reiterated his opposition to federal intervention. I want to say again that I do not really believe that this agency should intervene in the lawsuit or take sides in this issue between the consumers in the Northeast and the state of Louisiana. But I was very pleased that the order says specifically that appropriate rate relief will be granted if the tax is ultimately held to be valid and constitutional. That seems to indicate to me that the Commission has decided that if we are successful in our court action and taxes constitutional that it will permit a pass-on of the collected tax by the pipeline companies to the ultimate consumers, which had been a problem to me as we considered this whole issue during the past four

years. I close on that note by saying that we certainly will use every tool and effort, political and legal and equitable, on behalf of the state to ??? the tax and to fight for its constitutionality because I think it's important to the future of the state and to the rights of states to exercise jurisdiction in these particular areas. The Governor plans to take an active role personally in defense of that tax and he says that may include arguing its constitutionality before the U.S. Supreme Court. The role of the state attorney general might play in this legal battle was unclear for a time Thursday. Edwards failed to mention Attorney General William Guste until he was questioned by reporters. He then acknowledged that Guste would be included on the legal team. Minutes after the Governor's remarks, the attorney general held a press conference to state that his office would coordinate all activity. On another matter, Guste said his office would not get involved in any legal challenge to a 200-mile TV blackout of the Ali-Spinks fight to be held in the New Orleans Superdome.

Everybody wants to watch the fight. I want to watch the fight and we'd like to be able to see it free. But what the public should understand is that the fight is a contract between Ali and Spinks and they agreed to put on a spectacle under certain conditions. And one of the conditions they agreed on was that there would be a blackout for 200 miles around the dome stadium, a television blackout in order to protect their gate. That's a private agreement between two people. They then rent the dome stadium as a place in which to have their, their fight. We researched the law very carefully to find out if there was any way in which we would be justified in filing a suit to lift the blackout. And after very careful research, we've come to the conclusion there is no basis for it because the courts have held that such an agreement, such

an agreement, is permissible if it's reasonable. And one of the tests of reasonableness is: Is it reasonable to protect their gate? So we feel there's no justification for a legal action. Most people are aware that the Louisiana has the world's largest indoor arena, the New Orleans Superdome, but few know that New Orleans is the world's third busiest port. But the majority of the port's activities are centered on importing goods from around the world. And this week a congressional hearing was held in the Crescent City to explore the nation's sagging trade balance. Not so long ago, in 1975, the United States sold more goods overseas than it purchased abroad. But things have changed and the trade deficit for July alone came in at nearly $3 billion, sending the nation towards a record annual trade deficit that could approach $30 billion. In related developments U.S. exports were down 3 percent on the month while new factory orders slipped by almost 4 percent. There are a number of theories offered to explain the poor trade figures, but the one that got the most attention at a

congressional hearing in New Orleans this week concerned United States foreign policy. I think human rights is a commendable policy. However, the inconsistency in our application throughout the world is creating havoc. Wade Perry Jr., vice president of the international division of Hibernia National Bank of New Orleans, told the committee chaired by Louisiana Congressman Gillis Long that trade restrictions on foreign governments could be as damaging as CIA intervention. We need to increase our export promotion. But at the same time, let's not nurture the seedling on one hand simply to chop it off with some non-economic reason as it starts to grow. Other reasons were cited for the United States' poor trade posture, including the nation's huge foreign oil bill that now accounts for 30 percent of the country's imports. And economist Robert Flemangue ???????????????) of LSU laid a good portion of the blame on the nation's lack of a coherent export policy, a national policy that pales by comparison with the Japanese. Business Week magazine said the Japan Trade Center in Houston recently sent out 3,000 invitations to Arkansas

businessmen for an export Export to Japan seminar at the University of Arkansas but got no takers. When Sito of the Los Angeles Center mailed a simple questionnaire to 2,200 U.S. businessmen, he got only 100 responses out of 2,200 questionnaires. American manufacturers who attend JETRO seminars often appear ignorant to the Japanese by asking the meaning of F.O.B. prices or how letters of credit work. We're not thinking internationally. Our thinking has just lagged so far behind the reality that it's, it's pitiful. But it was the issue of human rights that dominated the hearing and Basil Rusovich, the president of the New Orleans International Trade Mart, said the nation's policy was hypocritical. There's human rights violations in every country and I think that to respond to what I think, as I interpreted your general question, I think that the whole policy was ridiculous from the very beginning. The concept is wonderful. We should certainly state,

state over and over again categorically and unequivocally that we do support human rights and freedom and liberties all over the world as a nation. Let that be known. But to use this as a weapon in economics or politics actually, in my opinion, has no place in these days and times. How do you then support them if you do not support them this way? And that's the essence of the problem. Well, we cannot impose our will and our philosophy and our concepts upon all nations, but the real point is that as we cancel, we lose all of this business. Our friendly economic allies to wit Germany, France, Belgium and Japan, they love to see this happening. They support this vigorously, because every time we do this and an order is canceled, they grab up on that order. So they vigorously support this concept. It is a very, very, very difficult question. I have doubt in my own mind come to what I proposed in the way of a question to Mr. ??????? (Parrot?)

And what we've got to do is that we've just got to draw a hard line with respect to the military necessity and then make the decision based upon that and then let the chips fall where they may. I think that that's what we've got to do. And I think that's got to be the the basis of our determination. The Joint Economic Committee will take its findings and recommendations back to Washington for possible legislative action. Another major foreign policy issue facing the U.S. these days is whether to recognize the government of Vietnam. That country made friendly overtures to eight visiting U.S. congressmen last week, and Louisiana's Henson Moore was among them. Briefly in the case of the MIAs, we found a new-found interest in the part of the Vietnamese to help try to resolve what happened to all the Americans lost there. In the case of Laos, we got information for the first time from them while we were there. They've never before done anything to work with us or to cooperate with us. In addition to that, it seems we were being used by the Vietnamese to unveil their new foreign policy

towards the United States. They're in great trouble with China and they, we're the first people to come to Vietnam to talk to them since they've had their problems with China. We were the second high-level group of Americans ever to be in Hanoi and the first in Saigon that since the war and the second ever to be in Laos. And we were the first to get anywhere with them, I might say. So it was most interesting. We did cover some ground with MIAs. We did learn what they want in trade. Their trade, quite frankly, would be of benefit to Louisiana. They want rice, cotton, agricultural chemicals and they also want some oil field equipment. That would help our state economically but, on the other hand, they don't want to pay for it. They don't have any money. They want to borrow the money from us for 40- to 50-year terms at 2 to 3 percent interest. In the case of oil, they do have oil there. They would like American companies to produce it. There'd be a chance we'd have another source of oil for this country. I'm a little leery of the Vietnamese interests in the future. I did get within 5

miles of the front lines in their war with Cambodia, close enough to hear the artillery shells being traded, close enough to see tanks going to the front and ambulances coming from the front and supply trucks on their way to the front. And that is a full-scale war. We visited a Cambodian refugee camp and I'm convinced after being there that they're treating the Cambodians well with the full intention of using them to set up a puppet government in Cambodia as they've done in Laos. They are supporting insurrections right now in Thailand. They do dominate Laos in their war with Cambodia. So for a country that's been fighting for some 30 years, it appears they haven't changed too very much. They are still fighting and they still got plans evidently for expansion of one form or another. And the situation involving the Russian bases at Cam Ranh Bay, I'm convinced after being in Vietnam that aren't any bases there and they're not going to be any there. The Vietnamese are a very independent people. They've never given anybody any bases during their war. So it appears that there's no reason to give anybody any bases now. They quite frankly and

quite flatly said they weren't going give the Soviets a base, the main reason being that'd send Chinese right up the wall. They've already got enough problems with China and the China, the Chinese would react very adversely to the Soviets who are their mortal enemies at this point having a naval base in Cam Ranh Bay which would be a sort of encirclement of China by the Soviet Union, which they greatly fear. So I think the trip was most interesting. When the congressmen returned from Southeast Asia, they brought back the bodies of 15 servicemen killed in the war. But for the Baton Rouge family of Lieutenant ??? Prim, was shot down over Laos in the closing days of the conflict, the trip was inconclusive. The particular case I was working on the hardest involves a flier from this area who was shot down in Laos. That's the country that's never done anything. As a result of our meeting I was given 15 minutes to meet with the foreign minister and the head of their new committee to look for MIAs to discuss this case in particular. I presented to him translated into their language a narrative of what happened, a description of the fliers, pictures of the plane crash, a map showing the

actual crash site and urged them to visit that site -- it being the last one of the war and the one that would have the, the least ravages of time upon it. They seemed interested, nodded their head and then somewhat as a surprise in the Defense Department asked me not to show them these intelligence reports that we have, showing that four of them were captured. I did read from a portion of those intelligence reports enough to show that we did have information that four were captured and where they were captured. What kilometer marker on what road and what province. And I asked them to go back and check their military records and find out of the capturing units whether any reports made as to what happened to the four men they did capture. And we believe had in captivity for as long as 12 days. So my meeting with the family today, I gave them the same information I gave the Vietnamese and the Laotians which they had never seen before and told them we do have now a line of communication open to the Laotians. They do appear interested and I did have the opportunity to spend some time to impress them with how important I considered this and our delegation considered

it. So I have some hope now that they will follow up on that and will give us a final accounting of what happen to these people. I plan to follow up on it with a letter back to the foreign minister that I met with, reminding him of our meeting. We plan to invite the Laotians now to come to Honolulu to go through our joint recovery center and to learn how we do it and I plan to follow up on that to be sure they're invited. And then thirdly if that takes place, I plan on spending some more time with our joint recovery center personnel to be sure they continue to keep this crash site in this particular incident is a top priority, which is where they have it now. Seven of the eight congressmen who made the trip to Vietnam have recommended to President Carter that normal diplomatic relations be open with Hanoi. But Congressman Moore dissented, saying that action is premature. I think before you do anything like that, recognize a nation or lift trade embargoes, there ought to be something in it for the United States. You know, what do we get out of this? There's no question about what the Vietnamese will profit greatly by recognizing them and by our lifting the trade embargo against them.

But what does United States get out of it? And I'm not convinced we get that much out at this point, certainly not as much as we're giving them. And so until you can make a determination like that, there is no point in recognizing a country like that or lifting a trade embargo. If we've got to subsidize the trade, do we really make any money? If we're going to recognize a communist nation that's at war with all of its neighbors and has designs perhaps on one of our allies, is that the thing you want to do? Do you want to give them that respectability, that decency? And when you do recognize a nation, there's always the possibility of foreign aid coming along behind it. Some of the things they needed the worst machinery and parts those kind of things we don't have long-term purchase programs for. We do have direct aid or grants for and I think they perceive getting some of that if we recognize them. The U.S. is writing the final chapters of its unhappy involvement in Vietnam, involvement all too familiar to the French government. But the French people are continuing a far more pleasant association with the people of this country, a relationship that is particularly close to Louisiana. Many of us dream about April in Paris or a trip to the French Riviera, but few of us would

consider Napoleon ???? in Natchitoches an exotic vacation spot. But that may be simply a matter of perspective. For a group of French filmmakers, Louisiana is a paradise of unique landscapes and fascinating people. For almost two years, Jean Lavelle (????) and a French film crew have been working on a documentary about Louisiana, a potpourri of our state's music, cooking, history and scenery. And while they were in Baton Rouge to film some local musicians, we asked why they chose Louisiana. Why not? When I came first to Louisiana five years ago, it was on my former film I was shooting about the Negro world and had been shooting in Africa, in Brazil, in the Caribbean and, of course, here in this country. And I fell in love with Louisiana during that first day and, at that time it came to my mind, that when the film about the ??? and the black world will be finished will be over and I would

come back with a special specializing in making a film on the Mississippi River and Louisiana. You say you fell in love with Louisiana. What did you love about it first when you came here? Well the people first. I think there is a fantastic gathering of different people from various parts of the world. You've got, of course, the French heritage but there is not only the French heritage. You have German, Spanish, black people who escaped from Haiti at the time of the revolution, and you have many different waves of immigration from France -- not only the Cajun who came from Canada but you had all also the people who came each time we had a revolution in France tp escape from the revolution of 19th century at the end of the 18th century. And that makes several different types of immigration. Plus Lafayette's army. Many of the officers and soldiers who fell in love before I fell in love

myself. They'd be the first to fall with the country and fall in love with girls, with Louisiana girls, and they married and stayed here. And I think that this mingling of people coming from various parts of the world and with the climate with a fantastic life given to Louisiana by the river, by the Mississippi, this is something unique in the world. Do you think that the French people have a good understanding? Are they interested in Louisiana? Do you think there are many misconceptions that perhaps your film will set straight? Well the first thing I can tell you that they have no idea that two million people in this country speak not maybe very good French as we speak in France, but speak a real French language maybe a little oldish. It's a style that was spoken in our country two centuries ago, but it is quite understandable and I want all

the French-speaking people in Louisiana while listening to us now. I want to let them know that they are very understandable. Sometimes they ask: Can you understand us? Yes they are very and I do think that the language that they're speaking is sometimes better than the one we have transformed since the last centuries. Do you think that your film will encourage French people to come to Louisiana? I think that our film which has two parts one in Mississippi and one on Louisiana will arrive just at the right time because one of our famous writers in France, ????????????, wrote a book called Louisiana. This book had a tremendous success. I think that people who want to know more about this country and they have a more or less romantic vision. They see that through Gone With the Wind. They see the old mansions, of course. They are still here. They see

the Mississippi River which is not as it is, should I say old? River and this romantic view is still existing. But you have to look for it. It's the conclusion of my work now these two years devoted to research and filming in this country is that you can still find the romantic vision of Louisiana and of the Mississippi River but maybe another place may be in the Atchafalaya. You think maybe it's disappearing? research and filming in this country is that you can still find the romantic vision of Louisiana and of the Mississippi River, but maybe another place maybe in the Atchafalaya. In addition to some of the scenery that you have photographed while you've been here, you've also tried to capture some of the music that's inherent in Louisiana. I have always attached enormous importance to the musical part of my films.

I think it's so important because music is the heart of a country, the heart of the people. And if you want to really move deeply the people, the people attending performances, you have to have good, very good, and very moving music to your film. And that's what we're doing now. (St. James Infirmary is played and sung) And so you have jazz. We have spirituals, we have jazz. We have Cajun music, too.

We've been recording in the Cajun Country. There's wonderful folk music with French songs on it and I think this is a very good cocktail of America regrowing France in some way and French heritage. Many people, I think, have difficulty seeing something that's wonderful right before their eyes. It's often said that you have to have someone come and visit you to be able to see what was right before you all the time. Do you find that that's true? Quite true. I think that we say in French (speaks French) Nobody is a prophet in his own country. I don't know the same with the equivalent in English and maybe in Cajun language we may have something equivalent (speaks French) nobody's prophet in his own country. I think this is the reason I think we need sometimes a spotlight from abroad. We need all countries need to be in a spotlight

have a real look that some people look to the country with new eyes, with a special look. There's an interesting footnote to that story, Ron. it seems that one of our French-speaking state officials, Secretary of State Paul Hardy, was asked to appear in that film. But when Monsieur Mazelle (???) was deciding what title should appear under his name, they both decided that perhaps it would be better to leave him untitled because after all everyone knew Hardy's ambitions and it was possible that he could be governor when the film was released. It's going to be interesting anyway. Next week we're going to look at the current political activity in the state. We're going to look at the effects of the new community property law and we're going to visit an alligator farm. And we hope you'll join us then on Louisiana: The State We're In. I'm Beth George, for Ron Blome. Good evening. Production funding for this program was provided in part through contributions to Friends of

Louisiana Public Broadcasting. The preceding was MLB the production.