Evening star., 1960-10-21
Eisenhower Rops Critics Of Prestige,
Calls Claims Debosement of Truth

BAN COtANO4ONO, OCI. Il
ZAP. President Eisenhower
says claims that America Is
becoming q second rate power
with prestige already at an all
time low are q debasement Of
the truth and irresponsible.
Retorting, Senator Kennedy's
camp accuses Mr.. Eisenhower
Of an attack on the Demo-
cratic presidential nominee in
making such assertions and has
demanded equal free teleyision
and radio time for q reply.
Roger Kent, Senator Ken.
nedy's California campaign
chairman. contends that Mr..
Eisenhower-on cross country
speaking tour which the White
House has billed as nonpolitical
made q partisan campaign
speech last night before San
Francisc o's Commonwealth
Club. The Presidents speech
was carried by radio and tele-
vision stations in the area.
Deny TV Time Asked
James c. Hagerty, presi-
dental press secretary, de-
clined comment on that charge
but said Mr.. Kent didn't know
what he was talking about in
declaring Mr.. Eisenhower had
asked for free TV and radio
time.
The President. who few on
TO San Diego. Calf. today for
a midday speech, did not men
,tion Senator Kennedy by name
in his talk to an audience Of
about 1900 at the Common
wealth Club dinner.
There was q round Of ap-
plause when Mr.. Eisenhower
said:
". While maintaining a
healthy critical insight, let us
not be misled by those who,
inexplicably. seem so fond of
deprecating the standing, con-
dition and performance Of the
entire Nation.
Surely we must avoid
Smugness and complacency.
But when in the face Of q
bright record Of progress and
development, we hear some mis-
guided people wall that the
United States is stumbling into
the status of q Second-class
power and that our prestige
has slumped to an all-time
low, we are simply listening to
debasement of the truth.
Raps Comparisons
Related to this irresponsible
practice of defacing the true
American portrait is the de-
velopment Of an almost COM
pulsive desire to make counter
felt comparisons, especially be-
tween our Nation and others"
Senator Kennedy has con-
tended that United States
prestige abroad deteriorated
during the Eisenhower ad-
1ninistration.
The Democratic candidate
has declared he does not re-
gard this country as a second
rate Nation. He has said
America is strong but needs to
be stronger in the decade ahead
because of Russia's gains in
military might and in its
economic growth. !.
He also has said the soviet
rate Of economic growth is
Swifter than this country's, and
that this is cause for concern.
In his speech. Mr.. Eisen-
hover said:
Because of different back
grounds and situations such
comparisons rarely contain any
validity whatever. The eco
nomic and social status Of a
nation cannot be conveniently
compared like Olympic track
records.
Consider a country-the
Soviets, for example-rich in
natural resources and abun-
dainty stocked with manpower
that suddenly emerges through
a violent upheaval, from a
strictly feudal agrarian society
into a nation with an expanded
and centrally controlled indus
trialiSn.
Obviously It's economic
growth can, for a time, leap
ahead at a rate faster than
a nation which had long since
become highly industrialized."
Advance on Speech
The Presidents speech was
made public in advance Of de-
livery. Even before he went
before his dinner audience, the
Kennedy camp was firing back.
Mr.. Kent said there was no
question the address was a
partisan campaign speech. He
added:
1T was intended as an at
tack on Senator Kennedy and
,Ss an Endorsement Of Vice
EsAAdent Nixon (the Republic
can presidential candidate)
and it has been so interpreted
by everyone who has seen the
text.
Like the Presidents So
called non-political tour, it.
shows that the Republicans are
crudely using Mr.. Eisenhow-
er's Office to advance the hopes
Of Nixon. -.
1T is a mockery of justice
for any officeholder-includ-