Evening star., 1950-09-10
President Tells u. 5.
OF Sacrifices Needed
For National Defense

F0T National Defense
This is the tert OF President
Truman'S address last night
cbarting the country's economic
course for the months ahead:
Last week, I talked with you
about Korea. and about our ef-
forts to maintain peace and free
dom in the world,
Tonight, I want to talk with
you. about what we must do here
at aome to support our fighting
men and to build up the strength
which the free world needs to
deter Communist aggression.
The leaders of Communist i'm
perialism have great military
forces at their command. They
have shown that they are willing
to use these forces in open ag-
gression. in spite of the united
opposition of all the free nations.
Under these circumstances, the
free nations have no alternative
but to build up the military
strength needed to support the
rule of law in the world. Only in
this way can we convince the
Communist leaders that aggres-
sion will not pay.
To do our part in building up
our military strength and the mil
itary strength of the free nations
throughout the world, the United
States must more than double its
defense efforts. We have been
spending about SIS billion a
year for defense. We are STEP
ping up this rate rapidly. BY next
June, under our present plans. we
expect to be spending at the rate
of at least $50 billion a year.
In the year after that, we shall
have to spend much more than
$50 billion. And we must be pre-
pared to maintain a very strong
defense program for many years
to come.
This defense program cannot
be achieved on the basis of busi-
ness as usual. All of us-whether
we are farmers, or wage earners,
or Observation-Disclosures give up some
of the things we would ordinarily
expect to have for ourselves and
our families.
World Faces Great Danger.
The danger the free world faces
Is so great that We cannot be
satisfied with less than an all-out
effort by everyone. We have not
given up our goal of better life
for every citizen in this great
country of ours. But, for the
time being, we have to make alb
solutely sure that our economy
turns out the guns and planes
and tanks and other supplies
which are needed to protect the
world from the threat of Com
munist domination.
To do this job. we must meet
and solve three hard. tough pro-
blems.
First, we must produce the
materials and equipment needed
for defense.
Second, we must raise the money
to pay the cost of our increased
defense efforts.
Third. we must prevent inf1a-
ton.
Solving these three problems
Is the challenge we face on the
home front. And we must solve
them If we are to preserve our
freedom and the peace Of the
world.
First is the problem of pro-
ducing the materials and equip
ment we need for defense. We
can do that. But 1t will impose
great new demands upon the pro-
ductive power of our economy.
To meet these demands, we
must do everything we can to
expand our total production. This
will require harder work and
longer hours for everybody. It will
mean additional jobs for women
and older people.
1t means that businessmen
should expand productive facili-
ties, develop new techniques and
increase efficiency in every way
possible. It means enlarging our
capacity to produce basic mate
rials such as steel, aluminium and
copper.
Americas productive ability is
the greatest in the history of the
world, and it can be expanded
great deal more to meet the con-
ditions with which we are faced.
With our economy now producing
at an annual rate approaching
$275 billion. the goal I set last
year of a $300-billion economy by
1854 will undoubtedly be far sur
passed. With this kind of dynamic
growth, we can arm ourselves and