Evening star., 1960-05-03


today:
OF this. presumably the last
congressional session during my
term of Office, four months
have gone by. Thus far the one
major accomplishment is enact
ment Of civil rights legislation,
Although Congress rejected cer-
tain of my recommendations in
this area - those relating to
equality of job opportunity and
assistance to States attempting
to desegregate their schools
the new civil rights measure is
another important step toward
the attainment of the ideal of
equal rights before the law for
every citizen.
With only two months ap-
parently left in the session, we
still have a great deal to get
done for America. I stress this
now because, first, the time
grows short in which to legis-
late prudently and wisely,
without undue haste; and, sec
ond, too great a preoccupation
with the events of an election
year could seriously impede
constructive effort. With the
Congress controlled by one
party and the executive branch
by the other, these difficulties
could become severe.
We should jointly resolve that
the shortness Of time and po-
litical rivalries will not be al
lowed to prevent us from serv-
ing the American people ef-
fectively. Matters are still
pending that are vital to the
health of our economy and to
the Nations security and world
peace; none of us can afford
to electioneer at the expense
Of these. Nor can we yield to
the temptation to neglect prof.
ects that we know are essential
to good government but possess
little popular appeal, and at the
same time overemphasize others
in the hope of benefit to one
party or the other, or individ-
uals therein.
Mutual Security
Relating these considerations
to a few of the programs still
pending, I refer, first. to our
mutual security effort.
During most of our Nations
history, our growth was strongly
influenced by two unique con-
ditionS. First, for more than a
century and a half two great
oceans protected us from the
violent struggles of the Old
World. Although in recent
years we became engaged in
two global wars, our relative
isolation gave us months in
which to assemble, train and
equip our forces deliberately
and unmolested. Second, from
the very beginning, our Ma
tion's rapid expansion was en-
couraged by commercial and
financial assistance from the
nations of Europe. These coun-
tries provided us with valuable
skills and the capital needed to
accelerate the development of
our resources, industries and
commerce.
These conditions have radi-
cally changed. America emerged
from World War II as the
mightiest nation in a free world
that, in the main, was ex-
hausted and crippled. Soon
thereafter we came to realize
that new weapons of great
power, speed and range had
markedly reduced the value of
our ocean shield. Our home
land, in any future major war.
would be prime target, and
our warning time against sur
prise attack would be minutes,
not months. Our security can
not now be achieved by meth
ods and a level of effort believed
adequate only a few years ago.
In a world, moreover, in
which an aggressive theology
drives ceaselessy to destroy hu-
man freedom, it is now the
United States to which as
piring free peoples, particularly
in under-developed areas. must
look, as America once did to
others, for the technical knowl-
edge and financial assistance
needed to help them strengthen
their economies and protect
their independence.
Recipients of Aid
Such changes as these gave
rise to our mutual security pro-
gram, one of the most neces-
sary and successful enterprises
America has under TIA k e n
throughout her history. Started
more than a decade ago, the
program helped to save Greece
forestalled economic collapse in
Turkey and Western Europe,
supported the countries of the
SEATO alliance, sustained the
strength and independence of
South Korea and the Republic
Of China, and made real
progress, in under developed
nations on five continents, in
combating disease, poverty
and suffering. and thus has
strengthened the resistance OF
those areas to Communist ,pene-
tration, Propaganda and subver-
sion. Clear it is that the mutual
security program provides the
surest path by which America
can lead to and sustain a dur
able peace with justice.
Such a program serves the
Nation at large rather than any
particular locality, section OF
group. Only with difficulty
therefore, can its great rewards
be measured by individual COM
munities and citizens. 1t in
eVitablV follows that i'm the an.