Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-22


FOLLOWING Is the teri OF
address to the Nation last nigl
Just one week ago I talket
with you about our Fedora
budget as q whole. Tonight
want to talk with you about ont
part Of it; Our mutual securit!
programs. These programs ar,
the source Of military and eco
nomic strength for our alliance
throughout the free world. The!
form. In fact. q saving shield o
freedom.
Although the cost Of thes'
programs amounts to only 5 pc
cent Of the budget. I am talkinl
exclusively about them tonigh
for two simple reasons.
First: In my judgment thes,
programs do more than an.
other - dollar for dollar - il
securing the safety of our coun
try and the peaceful lives Of al
Of us.
Second: 1ney are the mos
misunderstood Of any of thu
Federal Governments activities
Their nature. their purposes
their results are vitality import
ant to all Of us-but little known
to many of US.
The common label Of foreign
aid" Is gravely misleading-fol
it inspires q picture Of bounty
for foreign countries at the ex.
pense of our own. No miscon.
ception could be further from
reality. These programs serv,
our own basic national and per.
sonal interests.
They do this both Immediately
and lastingly.
In the long term. the ending
or the weakening Of these pro.
grams would vastly increase the
41bk % 4utuIC Wal.
And-in the immediate sense
It would impose upon US add.
tional defense expenditures man,
times greater than the cost Of
mutual security today.
This evening 1t is my purpose
to give you incontestable proc
Of these assertions.
The Lesson Of War
We have, during this century
twice spent our blood and oul
treasure fighting in Europe-ant
twice in Asia. We fought be.
cause we saw-too late to pre-.
vent war-that our own peace
and security we're imperiled. BY
the urgent danger-or the ruth.
less conquest-of other lands.
We have gained wisdom from
that suffering. We know, anC
the world knows. that the Amer.
lean people will fight hostile
and aggressive despotisms wher
their force is thrown against thu
barriers Of freedom. when the,
seek to gain the high ground Of
power from which to destroy US
But we also know that to fight
Is the most costly way to keeT
America secure and free. Ever
m America victorious in atomic
war could scarcely escape dis.
astrous destruction of her cite,
and q fearful loss ofNlife. Victory
itself. could be agony.
Plainly, we must seek lea
tragic. less costly ways to defenl
ourselves. We must recognize
that whenever any country fall
under the domination of com.
munism, the strength Of the Free
World-and Of Americas By
that amount weakened and
this process, through our neglect
or indifference. should proceed
unchecked, our continent woulc
be gradually encircled. Oui
safety depends upon recognition
Of the fact that the Communist
design for such encirclemeni
must be stopped before 1t gain,
momentum-before 1t Is agar
too late to save the peace.
Two Tasks In U. s. Policy
This recognition dictates two
tasks. We must maintain .
common worldwide defense
against the menace Of interna.
tional communism. And we mus
demonstrate and spread thu
blessings Of liberty-to b
cherished by those who enjoy
these blessings. to be sought By
those now denied them.
This is not a new policy, mol
. partisan policy.
This is q policy for Americs
that began 10 years ago wher
o Democratic President and q
Republican Congress united II
an historic declaration. They
then declared that the indie.
pendence and survival Of two
countries menaced by Com.
munist aggression-Greece anc
Turk<N-were so important tt
the security Of America that W.
would give them military and
economic aid.
That policy saved those ma.
tons. And 1t did so without the
cost Of American lives.
That policy has since been ex.
tended to all critical areas Of the
world. It recognizes that Amer.
lea cannot exist as an island Of
freedom In q surrounding sea Of
communism. II is expressed con-
cretely by mutual security
treaties embracing ~ other ma.
tons. And these treaties reflect
q solemn finding by the Presi.
dent and by the Senate that ouI
own peace would be endangered
II any Of these countries were
conquered by international com.
munism.
Lesson Repeated in Wet Nam
The lesson Of the defense Of
Greece and Turkey 10 years age
has since been repeated in the
saving Of other lands and peo-
pies. A recent example is the
Southeast Asian country Of Wet.