Special Interview Klutznick: Going ‘home’ to Chicago and Do Nothing

— Secretary of Commerce Philip Klutznick, after administering for almost 14 months one of the Federal Government’s most diversified and complex departments, is going “home” to Chicago soon and never take a job again.

Now past 73, the oldest member of President Carter’s Cabinet, Klutznick will leave Washington when his friend, the President, departs on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, to “spend a little time doing nothing” and later to do “some writing.”

“When the boss leaves, I leave,” he said. “I am going home–which I never really left,” he said in an interview in his office. “I’ll take a few months thinking about my future. No one has offered me the responsibility of heading a major company and I wouldn’t accept if anyone had. Not at 73 and one-half. Perhaps I’ll go into competition with you fellows and write. I’ll try an original idea. After being president (of a junior Jewish club in Kansas City) and chairman of a board or both since I was 14 years old, I’d like to spend a little time doing nothing. I won’t take a job–voluntary or involuntary. I want to spend time with my grandchildren and do what I want to do for the first time in my life.”

WILL TEACH FOR A FEW WEEKS

Actually, Klutznick will do something immediately upon retiring from the Carter Cabinet. He will teach for “a couple of weeks” at the Wayne Morse Institute of Law and Politics at the University of Oregon in Eugene, but he has not made other commitments besides some speeches.

Before he was sworn in as Secretary of Commerce Dec. 19, 1979, he took a leave of absence as president of the World Jewish Congress. He said that on or about Jan. 16, when the WJC meets in Jerusalem, Edgar Bronfman of New York will be nominated president. “At the moment, I’m president on leave and he’s acting president,” Klutznick said.

Klutznick said he is writing a report for the WJCongress to be delivered by someone else since at the time of its meeting he must remain in Washington to wind up his affairs as Commerce Secretary. “I remain concerned with the Congress as with B’nai B’rith and other organizations but I am not committed to day-to-day work,” he said. He then added, smiling, “I probably will attend meetings of the Jewish Federation in Chicago again.”

POSITION OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE

Discussing Jewish matters, Klutznick said “it is lacking in objectivity to think things are the same as 30 years ago. The position of our people has deteriorated in recent years due in the main to changes in forces internationally. One can say he won’t exchange Jewish blood for oil but the fact is the oil-producing countries are powerful. I regret Israel is not one of them.”

“There’s been a complete shift in economic influence and at least in their perception in political influence in the world. It’s not as deep as some think but you cannot cure it by strong words. This has influence on minorities wherever they may be. We’ve blinded ourselves in a way and we have some catching up to do.”

In discussing the rise of religious feeling here and abroad among Christians, Moslems and Jews, Klutznick said “we ought to worry less about anti-Semitism and more in what we–as a community–are doing. Getting frightened by anti-Semitism is going to happen from time to time but we must consider what our own community is doing. Is Israel as forthcoming as it should be? Is our Jewish community living in the 1980s rather than in the 1960s? Some leaders ought to retire and let younger people take over. They might have better ideas. We’ve got a big job ahead of us. We are facing a crisis of greatest proportions because we haven’t caught up with it.”

DEVELOPMENTS UNDER KLUTZNICK’S AEGIS

Among Klutznick’s responsibilities is enforcement of the U.S. laws against the Arab League’s boycott of American businesses that trade with Israel. Under his aegis, U. S. activity against American firms that held the boycott has increased. “It’s an operating Department,” he said. “Nobody is complaining except those who are charged.”

A Department official later told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that in the year that ended Sept. 30 (more than 9 of the 12 months under Klutznick), the Department handled 33 enforcement cases and 12 resulted in fines and compliance actions while 21 companies received warning letters. In 76 cases, activity ended after no violations were established and about 126 warning letters were issued for late reporting on possible violations. In the last quarter of the year, under Klutznick, seven enforcement actions were taken.

Coincidentally, Klutznick is being succeded as Secretary by the son of an old friend in Omaha. Malcolm Baldridge, his successor, is the son of Malcolm Baldridge Sr., who is now 93. The elder Baldridge was Klutznick’s Congressman and maintained his law office three floors above Klutznick’s in an Omaha building.

Asked to state his proudest accomplishment as Secretary, Klutznick replied with characteristic wit–“I’m still here.” Told that his was a good response, he shot back–“it’s a Washington answer.” After that he spoke proudly of the “somewhat unique” relationship between businesses, labor and government during his time as Secretary. “I hope it carries on,” he said. He and Labor Secretary Ray Marshall “behaved like twins” and “most business groups with whom we had to work in delicate situations were completely supportive as indeed were labor groups.”