Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1958-05-24
Text OF President
EisenhoWer's
Address To
Negro Leaders

negro Leaders
Washington, May 12.-Following
is the text Of President Eisenhow-
er's remarks to a luncheon meet
ing of Negro leaders sponsored by
the National Newspaper Publish
ers Association:
Thank you very much. / am
truly grateful for the warmth of
your reception.
Mr.. Walker (William o. Walker,
publisher of The Cleveland Call
and POST, ladies and gentlemen:
Always it is a privilege for me
to have the opportunity of greeting
to the nations capital any group
of Americans who are assembled
to participate in any of our coun-
try's problems. In doing so, l am
always careful to use no adjectives
in describing the American group
that / am talking to. Though some
are farmers or some are Chambers
of Commerce people, or some like
you may be Negroes, we are Amer
leans and we have American prob
lens.
Just as l would before any other
group, should like to talk to
you about the things that bother
me. / know more about them
than | know exactly what bothers
you.
It's the problems of living in
this world-of our country living
in this world-and in under the
threat Of communism; the threat
of its force, of it's economic pen
etration, of its propaganda and
it's political efforts. It's the
strength of our economy, its down.
tips and it's upturns, it's booms
and its recessionary movements.
Three Problems Noted
We have three especially i'm
portant problems in the interna-
tional world that now, in my
opinion, in my conviction and in
my knowledge affect our economy.
These are the problems of our Sc
curity through our own military
forces, through our mutual aid
programs with our friends, through
world trade-the way they affect
our economy and the way our econ
omy affects them. These are re-
ciprocal influences because if our
military defense is strong, you and
l feel strong in the things that
we do-in the papers you publish
or the work that you do. You have
the feeling of security that you
would not get unless this country
were paying for its military de-
lenses.
Likewise, our economy would
not have the same sense of conf
dence and buoyancy. We would
not buy as we should. We would
think there was no way of saving
something out of this terrible
threat, should it ever eventuate.
In mutual aid our effort is de-
signed to bring to a higher level
the economic strength of many of
the newly developing countries so
that they may share their burden
of our common security.
Reciprocity Defended
Certainly our reciprocal trade
as it operates makes each of us
each of these countries-stronger
because of the exchange of goods
that we need in return for those
that we over-produce and send to
others.
All of these things affect our
economy, and / repeat that only as
that economy is strong can it keep
these programs functioning effect
lively and smoothly to the benefit
of all of US.
Defense must be kept at the
absolute minimum in cost but with
the maximum efficiency. This
group is part of America that is
paying the bills. This bill is some
thing on the order of forty billions
and more annually. Each of you
is now wearing clothes that have
been increased in price because OF
those costs. The taxes you have
paid have gone into them. There
fore, it is very pertinent for us
to examine the necessity for these
costs. Exactly how much do we
need in deterrent force-how much
do we need all the way along the