A Way with Words

Even his harshest critics would agree that Michigan's Republican Governor George Romney has a way with words. Last week he was using that way for all it was worth.

Just back from a two-day, eight-speech trip to Oregon, Romney addressed 1,300 newspaper editors and publishers in New York. Said he:

"I believe that America's great hope and opportunity lies in rediscovering the uniqueness of our institutions, in tapping anew the limitless power for human progress of our revolutionary principles. I believe that America's hope and opportunity, which is the world's hope and opportunity, is for a rebirth of Americanism in America, through a modern application to today's problems of our proven American principles."

Romney listed some "disturbing national problems." Among them:

> "The decline in religious conviction, moral character and wholesome family life. This threatens us most."

> "The increasing trend to substitute government and money for individual responsibility, family responsibility and voluntary cooperative brotherhood in solving our mounting human and social problems of juvenile crime, adult immorality and debauchery, and senior-citizen aimlessness."

-- "The accelerating concentration of power in Washington, which is fast nullifying our constitutional division of governmental responsibility. Most of those who oppose this trend ignorantly or negatively refuse to recognize that to stop it, obsolete state constitutions and local governmental charters must be modernized so that state and local governments can perform their constitutional functions effectively."

-- "The extent to which the 'Great Society' is a paternalistic cloak for a 'Great Government' that is already beginning to further weaken the voluntary root sources of our nation's real strength."

-- "The decline in world respect for the United States of America."

Speaking of the Great Society's programs, Romney said: "They have merit only as they can help certain individuals who lack education, skills and training for productive employment. But they do not begin to solve the problems of automation and hard-core unemployment. They do nothing to put the people, as consumers, back in control of our economy. And they have the fatal defect of crippling the private, voluntary efforts which are essential to a full realization of their lofty goals."

Back in Detroit, Romney opened the Tigers' first home game of the season, not in the usual fashion of lobbing a ball from a box seat, but by doffing his suit coat, donning a fielder's glove and going out onto the mound, where he fired off two fast balls to Detroit's Mayor Jerome Cavanagh. Then he retired to the stands to watch Detroit defeat the Kansas City Athletics, 1 to 0.

At week's end Romney flew off to Europe with 75 businessmen on an eight-day, six-country swing to drum up international trade for Michigan. As a top possibility for the G.O.P.'s presidential nomination in 1968, he was asked the usual what's-your-political-future question by newsmen in Amsterdam. Replied Romney: "I have not yet decided whether to run for Governor or for the U.S. Senate in 1966."

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