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Show 153 Anticipating the president's signature on the executive order, the Department of the Interior had sent out an embargoed press release detailing the scope of Johnson's action. However, in response to congressional opposition, Johnson reconsidered the action. Johnson was scheduled to sign the declaration at the final cabinet session, but he balked. The New York Times quoted a White I louse spokesperson who said Johnson delayed signing the documents because of a crowded schedule.465 The Interior Deparuncnt recalled the press release, but the information was out. The resulting debate, or "bitter fight," between Johnson and Udall was so intense that Udall threatened to rcsign. 466 After his arguments with Udall and in light of "violent protests" from Aspinall and others in Congress, Johnson eliminated from his proposal the 911,000-acre Sonoran Desert National Monument in Arizona.467 From Alaska he withdrew the proposed 2.2million-acre Mount McKinley and 4.1-million-acre Gates of the Arctic national monuments. But the expanded Utah national monuments remained. In the last 90 minutes of his administralion, Johnson signed a scaled-down version of Udall's proposal enlarging Arches and Capitol Reef national monuments and calling on Congress to elevate them to national park status. The New York Times, which ran several front-page articles about the controversy, called Johnson's scaled-down proclamation a "rebuff' to Udall. 468 4 ~s New York Times, ··Proclamations Ready," January 19, 1969, I. '""Gordon Eliot White, "Withdrawal Sparks Johnson. Udall l;cud," Deseret News, January 21, 1969, Bl. 467 Gordon Eliot White, "John)on Enlarges Arches, Capitol Reef," Deseret News, January 20, 1969, Bl. William M. Blair, 'Johnson Rebuffs Udall on Plan 10 Set Aside Vast Park Acreage," New York Times, January 21 , 1969, I. ' 68 |
