Evening star., 1960-10-08
Kennedy Comments
On Eisenhower

Mr.. Niven-Sendt0T, tDhtLe
the main theme for your
campaign has been the de-
cline of American potDer and
prestige in the last eight
years, you haze hardly crit
icised President Eisenhower
at all. In a speech last 1oeek
end, you said you had no
quarrel tDith the President.
NotD come, isn't Mr.. EtSen-
HOMER and not. Mr.. Nixon
responsible for any such de-
cline?
Senator Kennedy-Well, I
understood that this was the
Eisenhower-Nixon administra-
ton according to all the Re-
publican propaganda that I
have read.
The question is what we are
going to do in the future. I
have been critical of this ad-
ministration, and 1 have been
critical Of the President. In
fact. Mr.. Nixon discussed that
a week ago in his speech. I be-
lieve that our power and pres
tige in the last eight years has
declined. Now the issue is what
we are going to do in the future
and that is an issue between
Mr.. Nixon and myself.
He feels that we are moving
ahead. that we are not going
into a recession in this country
economically.
He feels that our power and
prestige is stronger than it ever
was relative to the Communists,
that we are moving ahead.
I disagree. I believe the
American people have to make
the choice on November 8
between the view of whether
we have to move ahead faster
and what we are. doing now is
not satisfactory, whether we
have to build greater strength
at home and abroad, and Mr..
NiXons view. That is the great
issue.
President Eisenhower moves
from this scene on January 20,
and the next four years will
be the critical years, and that
is the debate. That is the argu-
ment between Mr.. Nixon and
myself. And on that issue the
American people have to make
their judgment, and I think it
is an important judgment.
j l think in many ways this
election is more important than
any since 1882, or possibly in
this century, because we dis
agree very fundamentally on
the position of the United
! States.
If his view prevails. then I
think that that is going to bring
an important result in this
country in the sixties.
If our view prevails, that we
have to do more, that we have
to make a greater national and
international effort, that we
have lost prestige in Latin
America - the President Of
Brazil, the new incumbent run
ming for Office, called on Castro
during the campaign because he
thought it was important to get
the vote of those who support
Castro in Latin America. In
Africa-the United States has
ignored Africa. We gave more
scholarships to the Congo this
summer than we have given to
all Africa the year before. Less
than 200 for all the countries
of Africa, and they need trained
leadership more than anything.
We have been having a very
clear decision in the last eight
years. Mr.. Nixon has been part
of that administration, he has
had experience in it, and be-
lieve this administration has
not met its responsibilities in
the last eight years, that our
power relative to that of the
Communists is declining, that
we are facing a very hazardous
time in the sixties, and unless
the United States begins to
move here, unless we start to
go ahead, I don't believe that
we are going to meet our re-
sponsibilities to our own peo-
pie or to the cause of freedom.
I think the choice is clear,
J ;,.,al,,oe 49, f,,k,,ra