The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1961-03-10
From THE PROGRESSIVE,
Madison, Wisconsin

turned out to be much more of al
on-the-one-hand-an -the-other edi
torial than we had intended. Our en-
thusiasm was greater than that. AnC
it has grown. We know how I. F
Stone, the crusading Washington
commentator, must have felt wher
he wrote in his WEEKLY that his
enthusiasm was a bit embarrassing
that it was much like the prophet
Jeremiah being caught giving three
lusty cheers. For our part, we intend
to maintain a critical vigilance but
there is no doubt that our chronic
crankiness of the past decade is melt
ing rapidly in the glow of the fine
words and good wishes of President
Kennedy and his associates.
We like the style and poise and
freshness with which the new Presi-
dent approaches Congress and the
country. We admire the sharpness of
his mind, the range of his interests,
the clarity of his speech, and, most Of
all, his awareness of the nations
needs and his commitment to affirm
ative action. And we are pleased, too,
to see the English language restored
to official use.
We were especially impressed by
the swiftness and decisiveness with
which President Kennedy moved to
proclaim civilian supremacy in the
formulation of American foreign
policy. That was the clear-cut pur-
pose of the White House decision to
crack down on the warlike utterances
planned by Admiral Arleigh E. Burke,
chief of Naval Operations. The Ad-
miral proposed to deliver an address
in which he would personally take a
stand for severing diplomatic rela-
tions with the Russians, as he has SO
many times before. His theme was
reported to be the total futility of
negotiations with the Soviets.
The White House firmly put stop
to this dangerous nonsense, serving
notice that the United States has a
unified foreign policy and will no
longer tolerate the confusion of coun-
sci that prevailed for so long under
Mr.. Kennedy's predecessor. Curious
ly, in acting as it did, the Kennedy
administration showed that it was
of the warning uttered by
former President Eisenhower in what |
was certainly one of his finest hours,
his farewell address to the nation. Mr..
rose above partisan issues
and personal considerations, to speak
up, as lifelong military man, against
The perils of permitting the military
70 dominate the civil power of the
Two Republican bitter-enders, Sen
ators Styles Bridges of New Hamp-
shire and Barry Goldwater of Ari-
iona. raised feeble protests against
President Kennedy's "gag rule, but
most of the rest of the nation rejoiced
n the Presidents resolute insistence
hat the military brass must not be
permitted, through oratory broad
ides against countries with which we
re negotiating, to imperil the Presi-
Ient's pursuit of peace.
AS he went about the task of COM
letting his official family, President
Kennedy made appointment after APP !
ointment that stirred new hope in !
he hearts of American progressives. !
uch an appointment, for example, l
vas that of Edward R. Murrow to i
erve as director of the United States I
Administration. Muir c
ow, distinguished newscaster and
nalyst who won his liberal spurs in I
courageous struggle against Nc t
arthyism, gave up post that paid t
lore than 100000 year to serve
is country at less than one-tenth $
nat amount. His opening statement b
Whatever is done will have to t
land on a rugged basis of truth p
arried the authentic Murrow ring.
The team that Mr.. Kennedy put
,gether in the critical field of for "
gn economic aid is superb. George 1
all. Undersecretary of State for Ec- p
nomic Affairs, is a seasoned inter- A
ational lawyer and close friend of p
dlai Stevenson. Henry Labouisse, di- r
,ctor of the international Co-opera- p
We Administration, is one of the 81
career civil servants of W