Evening star., 1960-05-03
TEXT OF MESSAGE ....
Eisenhower Presses
For Action on Bills


ations of Salts. 900, 900 for this
program for the 1861 fiscal year,
Nearly half of this-a sum OF
one-twentieth of our own de-
fense budgets to assist the
military forces of the free
world, comprising 5 million SOL
diers, 1900 eombatant ships,
and 10000 aircraft. I need not
remind the Congress of the low
cost at which this force for
freedom is sustained as COM
pared to the cost of an aircraft
carrier, squadron of jet bomb
ers, or an Army or Marine
Corps division in our own de-
fense structure.
OF the other parts of the
program, one-third is for eco
nomic assistance required to
help sustain these large forces
abroad. The remainder con-
sistS of loans, technical assist
ance and grants to help under
developed nations. These are
the funds that spell the differ
ence between hopeless stagna-
ton and progress for hundreds
Of millions Of people who, with
US, believe in freedom.
Responsibility of Nation
Congressional approval of
these funds for mutual security
will profoundly benefit our
people. To our allies and to
others with whom we discuss
the great issues Of our times,
it will signify that a unified
America has not wearied in the
discharge of its responsibilities
and that we are unshakable in
our determination to attain a
world order in which men are
free to pursue their goals in
peace.
And / emphasize once again
that. as We strive to build the
kind of world in which America
believes, our adverSaries are
not all included in the single
word communism" They are
distress and privation as well,
and also the desperation of
peoples when they realize that,
lacking outside help, they
struggle in vain to better their
lives. Widespread chaos and
misery cannot provide a world
climate in which our free Re-
public can prosper and remain
secure. There is for America
no higher purpose or greater
need than to measure up to her
world leadership responsible
ties.
l am keenly aware of the
contention that, because of an
adverse balance of payments,
and because of certain failures
in administration, America
should curtail these mutual
security efforts. We must, and
do, strive for greater efficiency.
Likewise, we do have a prob
lem with balance of payments;
but the way to meet this is
by positive actions which ex-
pand exports. Neither diff
Guilty can be met by Withdraw
ing from our responsibilities
for world leadership and from
partnership in the protection
OF freedom. We need-in our
own interests-greater human
progress and economic growth
throughout the world. We
cannot achieve these by an
assault either on mutual se-
curity or on liberal trade
/ policies.
I congratulate the Congress
Nor its actions thus far on the
funds for mutual security in
the authorizing legislation, and
I reaftirm the imperative neces-
sity Of providing the appropria-
tions that the authorization
would allow.
Farm Problem
Next is agriculture, a subject
on which I have commented
repeatedly to the Congress.
In no domestic area do we
have a more obvious need for
corrective action. We cannot
wonder that the patience of
our farmers wears thin. BY
force of law the Governments
surplus holdings, especially of
wheat, continually increase.
These overhang the market,
depress prices, and impose an
ever more onerouS burden upon
all the citizens, our farmers
particularly. I have offered
many recommendations for at
tacking the problem through
bipartisan action. Action there
has been on occasion but, in
respect to wheat especially, far
less than needed or of a kind
that would make our farmers
present troubles grow worse.
In an effort to break the
legislative stalemate I recently
advised the Congress that,
within broad guidelines which
I suggested, I would approve
any constructive farm bill that
the Congress might enact.
There is as yet no agreement
on the part of the two Houses
of Congress on a constructive
approach.
Meanwhile, farmers grow
more concerned about their fu-
ture, and our people generally
become increasingly unhappy
as their Government expends a
thousand of their tax dollars
every minute on the self-de-
feating wheat program. Lately
I have noted, with deep con-
Germ, growing disposition in
certain congressional quarters
to favor proposals long ago re-
4 jected as unworkable, and
which would obviosuly go be-
yond even the very broad lin
its 1 outlined almost three
months ago.