Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-19


My fellow citizens:
] wish to speak to you tonight
about one thing-the strength
OF America. 1 mean the strength
OF our free society, the strength
of our natural resources, the
strength Of our power to defend
ourselves-and the strength of
moral purpose that tells us what
We are defending and why.
/ speak not of solemn plati-
tudes--but of urgent realities.
For this strength is very much
at stake in this time of national
decision.
Obviously, all Americans wish
Tor this strength. But this is my
profound conviction: There is
one kind of political leadership
that knows how to achieve this
Strength-and one that does not
] can tell you-quickly-some
OF the things upon which be-
lieve rests our strength as a
people.
/ can tell you-quite simply
In terms of some of the pledges
made to you in Iceland the
pledges that. I can tell you in
1856. have been kept.
Some Promises Fulfilled
l promised you a Government
whose strength would be its in
tegrity-for we all know that a
Government that fails to stir the
pride of its own people cannot
prove worthy of leadership of
the free world. We have kept
that pledge.
1 promised you a foreign policy
whose indispensable strength
would be this: The will and the
ability to make known our deter
mination to resist aggression be-
fore-and not after-the event.
We have kept that pledge.
l promised you a military de-
Tense that would be, beyond all
peacetime precedent, the best
our ANTON has ever had. And to-
day the strongest deterrent
power we have ever possessed
proves-we have kept that
pledge.
1 promised you to encourage a
free economy of growth and
abundance. shared by all. And
today Sc million jobs-and the
highest wages in our history-a
rising farm income-and the I'M
precedented strength of or
ganized labor-all prove that we
have kept that pledge.
These are but a few of the
ways we have sought-and have
found-new strength in America.
Some Promises Not Made
And-to put the matter in
plain political terms-let me in
dictate some ways this leader
ship has not pretended to seek
strength.
have not promised you-nor
do l ever intend to-that the
way to defend peace or freedom
Is to abandon simultaneously
our military draft and our test
ing OF our most advanced mill
tary weapons. For know-as
l believe all Americans know
that without strength in this
world of today, the road to sur
render is paved with good in
tentions.
l have not pretended-nor will
I ever-that the way to serve the
strength of America-the unity
of America - is to appeal to
faction and division. For 1
have always believed that. in the
American design, each group
may have particular problems,
but none has particular privi-
leges: each has special needs, but
none has special rights.
l have not pr0mised-nor will
ever-that the way to make the
American economy strong is.
simultaneously to lower Federal
taxes sharply. to increase Federal
spending lavishly-and so to
create an economic atmosphere
in which imitation again can run
riot.
And these few instances, nv
fellow citizens, remind us of one
plain truth. The strength of
Americans political life depends
not upon the size Of political
promises-but the integrity Of
political purposes.
Purposes Turned Into Deeds
Let us now see how some of
our purposes have in these last
four years-been expressed in
deeds.
How have we sought to
strengthen the fabric Of Ameri-
can society?
Here are a few OF the ways:
l. II took Just 81 days after I
took the oath of Office as your
President for this administra-
ton to create the Department of
Health, Education and We'll
fare-the first new department
created in 40 years. AS a re-
suit, for the first time in our
history, critical problems of our
peoples welfare are met on the
same cabinet level-with the
same care-as the greatest issues
OF world affairs.
2. We have extended the COW
erage OF social security-and in
creased its benefits-to give tens
OF millions Of citizens the great
est protection they have ever
known. Thanks to these ac-
tons. those Americans most
needing this protection-our
aged, widows and orphans-are
this year receiving from social
security funds more than 81
billion in new additional benefits.
3. In housing: There have been
more new homes built since
January, 1858, than in any COM
parable previous period in our
history. Today three of every
five families in our towns and
cities own their own homes-a