Evening star., 1952-12-16
Truman Warns
Against Cutting
Arms Program
Situation Too Grove
To Reduce Tuxes,
President Declares

President Truman warned TO-DAY
against cutting defense mobiliza
ton "for the sake of slightly lower
taxes and little more comfort.
In an address to the Alumni
Association of the Industrial Col.
lege of the Armed Forces at For
McNair. the President declared
this country could produce fal
more than it now is turning out
for defense if the necessity be.
came more urgent.
Nevertheless he said, there!
been a great deal of talk about
the country'S so-called inabilit,
to continue a defense program oi
the magnitude of this one. Thai
is very dangerous talk because il
could conceivably lead this coun.
try to decision to cut back the
defense program to point before
the minimum needs of our ma.
tional security.
Stresses Enemy's Efforts.
"This would happen at a time
when we are confronted by a
potential enemy that is very hos
tile and very powerful. And that
potential enemy. you can be sure
is putting a far greater proportion
of his national product into the
building of military strength, year
after year, than we are"
NeWsmen were not permitted to
hear the talk. indicating the Presi-
dent wished to talk off the record
about some matters not in the
prepared text.
The President made several ref
erences to the incoming admins
tration, although he did not men,
tion President-elect Eisenhower
by name. He remarked that it is
lone of the facts of life which
every President has to face that
the right course of action is not
always the popular course.
Took Hard Course.
"As I end my more than seven
years as President" he continued
Il do so with pride that the Ma
tion during those years did not
shrink back from facing hard
realities. The Nation, chose q
course of strength and not OF
weakness. 1t chose a course OF
leadership. In the worldwide
struggle against communism, not
a course of withdrawal. 1t chose
to bear all the financial burden
that had to be borne. not to cut
corners for the sake of slightly
lower taxes and a little more
comfort in our daily living"
The President conceded that
the defense mobilization program
in recent years has cost vast
amounts and put heavy burden
of taxation on the people.
Claims Peoples Support.
He said he was confident that
the people appreciate the need
for the defense program and are
wise enough to know that we
can afford to pay the cost of
whatever is necessary to prevent
a new world war"
Expressing confidence that the
present cost of defense mobiliza-
ton does not put an undue strain
on the national economy, the
President continued:
I'VE can afford these things as
long as we maintain our produc-
tive. fully-employed expanding
economy. Our resources, though
we measure them in dollars. are
not really dollars. They are our
farms and our factories. our great
producing organizations and the
skills of our people.
These resources can be used
in whatever way the great emer-
gency of our time demands. We
have the resources to do what
ever is necessary to protect and
preserve our democracy and our
freedom. We have shown over
the past years that we also have
the courage and the will
COmmends Graduates.
Mr.. Truman commended the
graduates of the Industrial Col
lege for their part in the defense
effort. He noted that more than
1000 students have taken short
courses on economic mobilization
given by the college faculty and
that almost 1000 others have
completed correspondence courses
in that subject.
He cautioned the country
against a false sense Of security
and an erroneous assumption that
the defense mobilization program
is over.
Ear from it," he declared. 1--WE
have just about completed the
buildup of ouor munitions indus
tries, but there are still over $10O
billion in actual production to
turn out. This mobilization
base job-its planning. its provi-
sion and it's n1aintenance-will be
one of the big jobs facing the new
administration"