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HEHS CONFERENCE
GOVERNOR FARRIB BRYAMT
TALLAHASSEE
OCTOBER 8, 196
NEWSMEN PARTICIPATING: Doug Starr, ASSOCIAIRD PRESS; Frank Pepper,
HCTV; John Reyes, HFGA. HTVJ; George Thurston, "FLA HJXT;
Ray Starr, use mm; James Gillespy. ammo P8838 Immanm:
Martin Waldron. ST. PBIERSBURO TIMES SERVICBP-IAHI HERALD; Bob
Sherrill. MIAMI HERALD-~ST. PETEBSBURB TIMES SERVICE; Bud Mellichsmp,
ABC RADIO; A1 Beckett, FLORIDA DBVBLOPNBNT CCHNISSION.
GOVERNOR: Good morning, gentlemen. Are there any questions that you
have this morning?
R. STARR: Yes, Governor. Yesterday Mr. Jerrerd came out of your
office after being in with you, and I recetiously asked him who use
running the Development Commission these days, and Mr. Jarrsrd said,
and I quote: "The people." Has there been any replacement named for
Mr. Roger Stake, Governor?
GOVERNOR: No. Mr. Stoke has consented to continue in that position
until the end or the administration, so he will continue to he the
Director for the rest of the year.
R. STARR: Governor, on another subject -- last night the Republicans
sort of took a page out or the Democrat's book in Miami. Hr. Smother:
has been urging. and I believe you backed him up on the fact,
recognising a Cuban ggvernment in exil Last night the Republican
nominee, Mr. Miller, in Miami said that it the Republicans got into
the whitehouse they scold recognise a Cuban government in exile. Do
you think this would swing any votes in Florida for the Republicans?
GOVERNOR: I don't really know. or course, the Cubans do not vote
here and they are the ones most intensely interested in that facet of
it. I do know, or course, that the Republicans did not recognize o
Cuban government in exile when they were in power, but I would assume
that this could be done. It in a program that I have espoused for
some time, and I think it would he a good proposition.
R. STARR: Don't you think this might swing some votes in this state
so sympathetic to the Cubans?
OOVEENOR: well, it might, but I don't think that ought to he the
basis on which it is done o- and if that is the heals on which it is
done, it is not a very sound basis. The question is how can we best
solve the problem posed by the presence of a Communist threat in Cubs.
This Ought to be determined independently or the Parties and their
acts.
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PEPPER: Governor will you repeat o- I know it will be a repeat ~-
briefly your plans or your and Mrs. Bryant's plane for meeting Bra.
Johnson this evening?
GOVERNOR: Yea. we plan to drive from here to Britten and Join the
Leg! Bird Sggclal at that point and cone on into Tallahassee aboard
the train, participate with her in the exercises that are held here
in the Student Union Building and elsewhere, 30 with her then to the
Residence where there will be a brief moment for coffee, and return
to the train.
R. STARR: You don't intend to go on with her tomorrow on the rest or
her Florida tour do you?
GOVERNOR: I may go on with part or it. I really haven't made a
determination yet. As you know, programs or thin kind are sometimes
not as hell organited as leaner hectic thingo, and if it is
appropriate I will so on. Otherwise not.
TBURSTON: It you do so with the party into what Florida do you plan
to do any speaking yourself?
GOVERNOR: Probably not. I don't think that is the purpose or this
trip. (laughter)
R. STARR: Governor, you also had a meeting in your office, I believe,
on the new university in the Pensacola are Can you tell us what
revolved from that meeting?
aavaanoa: Yes. It was a presentation by the architectural start or
the Board of Control or some ideas for the development architectually
or a Vent Florida university. It was one idea. and there were certain
aspects of it that thoae present liked very much. Al to other aapecta
or it, it was suggested that alternatives ahould be reviewed, and that
is being done and then a selection or choice will be made.
3. STARR: In it true air that one or the roots looks like a Howard
Johnson Restaurant? (laughter)
GOVERNOR: It may be true, but I wasn't conscious of it.
SHERRILL: Governor, about the treaaure that's been round at: the
coast. I on not familiar with it. Ia there a good statutory back-
ground for aplitting this sort of thing with a private organization
without approval by the Legislature?
GOVERNOR: I don't know. I Would assume that the start hot gone into
this thoroughly, but to tell you whether or not there is a statutory
background for it, I do not know. I would assume that there is a
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legal foundation for granting leases and, or course, implicit in the
power to grant leases in a power to make terms. I would think that
under thin general preposition that would be true. I assume that
theae leaaea I have been cigning have been checked and are legal.
mam: Hell, of come, I am sure you are right on that, but it
still isn't the some thing, in it, as allowing them to -- on ita
race it'a not exactly the rare thing as allowing then to dispose of
this material.
GOVERNCh: I say not. I think under the terms or the leaae it muet
all be turned in and then a settlement made on the baaia stipulated
in the lease and thereafter individual rights to carve.
SHERRILL: I have heard that come of the -- maybe it was in the paper,
I don't know o- material that had been turned over to the private
organization was auctioned yeaterday in new York. I wondered when I
heard that.whether or not thia committee Ihidh.you or Governor
Collins eat up to appraise the artifacta really had been called in
to appraise the artiraota...
GO?ERNOR: Now I can't answer that specifically. I do any that Dr.
Dickinson and others on the committee appointed, I believe by me,
to handle this matter are being brought in more directly than they
have been as the result or convereaticna that I have had with Dr.
Dickinson and Hr. Kidd to ineure that the very points about which
you speak are pursued.
SHERRILL: A couple of meetings back of the I.I. Board, you voiced
some concern, I believe, about whether or not the state was being
on hand cloeely enough when this stuff was brought up. Maybe the
treaeure hunting aeaacn in over, but if it isn't have any further
steps been taken to aupervice the actual bringing up or this treasure?
GOVERNCR: Mr. Kidd tells me... Are you familiar with the stop: now
taken?
SHERRIIL: Hell, I Just heard that there was one man available. But
as you pointed out at the time, there would be several ships hunting
at the came time. He couldn't be everywhere at once.
GOVERNOR: he. or courae, you don't need to be there when they are
hunting, you need to be there when they are finding. I know you
appreciate this. Because if you have several salvage leaaea out
there is no use keeping a man aboard when they are Juet looking.
hr. Xidd reels, and I rely on hie Judgment in thin, that the
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presence of this man, in fact or in prospect, and his ability to skin-
dive himself, and his knowledge of marine archaeology is adequate to
insure, at the present level of salvage, the rights of the state.
Now, if you recall, we advised him that we wanted to do whatever was
necessary and to spend the money that was necessary. I feel confident
that if there was a shortage of personnel he would bring it immediately
to our attention. It is too valuable not to do so.
SHERRILL: At the time more or less that you were thinking along these
lines, Waldron and I were talking with Mr. Kidd in which we attempted
to see some of the files on the Real 8 Corporation and he was
reluctant to show these to us. I was wondering how you feel about
this as a member of the 1.1. Board. be you think these should be open
to reparatorial inspection?
GOVERNOR: I don't know how he got the files. I don't know what's in
the files. Normally public records are open. If confidential
investigations were made to determine something about the integrity
of the people or something of this kind, it would be a question.
SEERRILL: No, I don't believe it was...
GOVERNOR: Let me Just answer you generally. Normally, if they are
public records, they ought to be available. new, if he had some
specific reason for withholding them, first of all I was not aware
that he had withheld them, and secondly I wouldn't know what his
reasons are yet. I'll be glad, however, if I can get a moment, to
check into it for you.
SKERRILLz Thank you. Say, about the artifacts, Governor, if I could
Just ask one more question on that. Once they are gone, you know
they are gone, and these -- as you have said many times -- are very
valuable. I wonder if enough reports from the 1.1. Board have been
issued or if enough information has been given out. I'm asking how
you feel about this...if enough information has been given out to the
public about the actual status of these artifacts which have been
brought up. Where are they? How many have been sold? how many hays
been sold by whom, and so forth?
GOVERNOR: I rather doubt that it has. One problem with displaying
the artifacts of value is security and the insurance rates. I am
confident that inventories have been made and to the extent that these
inventories do not reveal location or point out to others secret
information that certain solvers might have acquired and ought to be
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protected in, this information all ought to be available. I assume
that it is. Is there any failure to make available this data?
SHERRILL: There may be a failure on our part to look for it. I
didn't know. It Just seems like all or this has been going on and it
is now reaching a point where it is actually being sold and very little
of this has been in the newspapers.
GOVERNOR: Well, I'll tell you this. I tried awfully hard to get it
there. I took it down and displayed it to President Johnson. we
have had displays over here, we had it here in the Cabinet. Ive done
everything in the world that I could to draw attention to what is being
done there.
ShERRILL: Nb sir. What I meant was how much has Real 8 gotten and
has the committee actually set in Judgment on whether Real 8 has gotten
more than its share or its spproyriate share and so forth.
GOVERNGB: I don't know the answer to that, and I can't tell you.
HALDRCN: Hell Governor, it, indeed, some of these artifacts were sold
on the auction in New York.yestarday does this give you any feeling
that Plorida museums will not have their rightful heritage?
GOVERNOR: no it does not. These people don't spend the dollars and
the time to salvage this to give it all. I know they love history
and I know that they are as civic minded even as you and I, but
nevertheless I would think that they would want some compensation for
their efforts.
HALDON: One point being that they salvaged this material which
belonged to the people or the State or Florida. My point is do you
think an antiquities act which would require that to be sold and
remain in the State or Florida would be desirable?
GOVEEROR: You pose a problem there. I don't want an antiquities act
that keeps this stuff on the bottom or the ocean. all you have to do
to eee that this material is left on the bottom or the ocean and not
enjoyed at any time by anyone, including the citizens of Florida,
would make it unprofitable because these people aren't motivated as
you and I would be by an historical urge.
HALDRON: Well, would the antiquities act prohibit the state from
salvaging it itself?
GOVERNCR: No, I don't think so. I haven't read the act. I don't
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really know what an antiquities sot is, but I would not think so. I
would not think either that the state could do as good a Job of it as
can be done by private industry because the profit motive is such a
strong one and the prospects of a good profit is a very creative
force. I don't think we will close our mind to the possibility which
you suggest of establishing a state team as it were with perhaps
boats and whatever is necessary to equip them properly. and it may be
that in Mr. Kidd's office there is now sufficient information for
which those who have furnished it have been properly compensated to
enable us to do this, and this certainly ought to be explored. At
this time, so far as I know. it has not.
HAYES: Governor, we have not since Senator Johns and Williams
resigned from the Legislative Investigating Committee. Do you feel
that what they did was in the best interest of the people of Florida?
GOVERNOR: Well, I'm not sufficiently familiar with the results of
what they did. I have always taken the position that legislative
committees ought to be able to investigate, even if they want to
investigate the Governor. This is their prerogative. Sometimes
its annoying. Sometimes I suppose its painful, but it ought to be
done. On the other hand, I think the legislative committees have
a responsibility to do this in a fashion which will not be an abuse
of their authority and power. It may be in an exercise of this
sense of responsibility that these two Senators did resign.
WALDRON: Members of the Legislature often feel free to criticize
the Governor, but very few Governors ever criticize the Legislature;
Do you feel that the division of powers is such that you do not
criticize them?
GOVERNOR: I really don't feel that there is a great deal to be
gained by it. I try not to exercise emotional responses to
situations but to do those things which will make my task easier and
better done, And while it might give me some satisfaction to say
what I think of this fellow or what I think of that follow. I don't
believe it will help me in my task and really this is what is the
controlling factor. I have a Job to do and not an emotional urge
to satisfy.
R. SThRR: I know we asked you last month, sir. if Hszgr Burns had
set up any offices here in the Capitol. I believe you told us at that
time: "No not at this time." I notice quite a few Burns people in
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and around the Capitol and in your office. Has any space been given to
them?
GOVERNOR: No it has not. However, I think you Just notice more
Burns people generally than there were before, but no formal
arrangements. The offices are open for his people if they need any
inforuation, and I wasn't even conscious that this was even going on.
GILLBSPY: no you anticipate making space available snytine soon?
has he asked for it?
GOVERNOR: No he has not. Nor has Hr. Holley. I have offered it to
both of them.
WALDRON: Governor, you ouggested the possibility that you might
find a position for Mr. John Evans, your former assistant. Have
you found any such position?
GOVERNOR: No, I have not. Mr. Evans, as you know, is doing some
work for me in Cold War Education and things of this kind, but his
status as far as this office is concerned is exactly the same as it
was before he resigned from the committee. There has been no change.
WALDRON: Is he a paid employee of the Democratic Party?
OOVBRNOR: Not that I know of. New this could be and I don't know
about it, but I am not conscious of it.
D. STARR: Where does he drew his salary from, the Governor's Office?
GOVERNOR: No, he has no salary from the Governor's Office at all.
OILLESPY: You don't pay him for what he does for you?
GOVERNOR: Yes and no. When he travels for me on Cold War Education
I pay his expenses, but I don't believe I have paid him any
compensation new in quite a long while. I may be getting a bill one
of these days and wish I had gotten it earlier, but as of right now
I don't think I owe him anything.
D. SThRR: Do you know who pays his salary?
GOVERNOR: No, I don't. I really think you ought to ask him about
his relationship with persons other than me.
SHERRILL: Have you heard any snorte since it was printed that your
law firm to be did some work for the state?
GOVERNOR: Shorts? (laughter)
SHERBILL: or other noises.
GOVEHNOR: A few chuckles maybe. he, I have really had very little
reaction to it. I haven't gotten... 9erhaps my mail hasn't had time
to come in on it yet. Are there further questions? Thank you.
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