Evening star., 1951-01-08
Text of Tuan Message to Congress on State Of the Union

mean to be able to turn them
out If we need them.
The planes we are producing
now are a lot bigger-and a lot
better-than the planes we had
during the last war.
We used to think that the
Bit was a huge plane. and
the block-buster it carried was
a huge load. But the B-36 can
carry five of those block busters
in its belly. and it can carry
them five times as far. OF
course, the B-36 is much more
complicated to build than the
Bit, and far more expensive.
One Bit costs about $275 900,
while now one B-36 costs about
$3.5 million.
I ask you to remember that
what we are doing is to provide
the best and most modern mil
itary equipment in the world
4OT our lighting 1OTCeS.
Two-Part Program.
This kind of defense pro-
duction program has two parts.
The first part is to get our
defense production going as
fast as possible. We have to
convert plants and channel
materials to defense production.
This means heavy cuts in the
civilian use Of copper, alum
mum, rubber and other essen
tial materials. It means short
ages in various consumer goods.
The second part is to increase
our capacity to produce and to
keep our economy strong for
the long pull. We do not know
how long Communist propa-
ganda will threaten the world.
Only by increasing our out
put can we carry the burden of
preparedness for an indefinite
period in the future. This
means that we will have to build
more power plants and more
steel mills, grow more cotton,
mine more copper and expand
our capacity in many other
ways.
The Congress will need to con-
slider legislation, at this session,
affecting all the aspects of our
mobilization job. The main sub
jects on which legislation will be
needed are:
First. appropriations for our
military build-up.
Second, extension and revision
of the Selective Service Act.
Third, military and economic
aid to help build up the strength
Of the free world.
Fourth. revision and extension
Of the authority to expand pro-
duction and to stabilize prices,
wages and rents.
Agricultural Laws.
Fifth. improvement Of our
agricultural laws, to help obtain
the kinds Of farm products we
need for the defense effort.
Sixth, improvement of our
labor laws to help provide stable
labor management relations and
to make sure that we have
steady production in this emer-
gency.
Seventh. housing and train
ing Of defense workers. and the
full use of all our manpower
resources.
j. Eighth, means for increasing
the supply Of doctors. nurses,
and other trained medical per-
sonnel critically needed for the
defense effort.
Ninth. aid to the States to
meet the most urgent needs of
our elementary and secondary
schools. Some of our plans will
have to be deferred for the time
being. But we should do all
we can to make sure our chill
dren are being trained as good
and useful citizens in these
critical times ahead.
Tenth, major increase in
taxes to meet the cost of the
defense effort.
The economic report and the
budget message will discuss
these subjects further. In ad-
dition, I shall send to the Con-
gress special messages contain
ing detailed recommendations
on legislation needed at this
session.
In the months ahead. the
Government must give priority
to activities that are urgent
like military procurement and
atomic energy and power de-
velopment. It must practice
rigid economy in its nom
defense activities. Many Of the
things we would normally do
must be curtailed or postponed.
But in a long-term defense
effort like this one, we cannot
neglect the measures needed to
maintain a strong economy and
a healthy democratic society.
Should Act Promptly.
The Congress, therefore. should
give continued attention to the
measures which our country will
need for the long pull. And it
should act upon such legislation
as promptly as circumstances
permit.
To take just one example
we need to continue and COM
plete the work of rounding cut
our system of social insurance.
We still need to improve our pro-
lection against unemployment
and old age. We still need to
provide insurance against loss
of earnings through sickness.
and against the high costs of
modern medical care.
Above all, we must remember
that the fundamentals of our
strength rest upon the free
doms of our people. We must
continue our efforts to achieve
tho full roo 1.-Two ficy, of n,rr damn