The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1962-08-30
Washington
News Notes

Inc Srsre CepsFt"su
The Elections
Washington, ID. c. = Tasks
facing President John F. Ken
nedy at the moment are more
formidable than at any time
since his election. They include
a ticklish financial dilemma, a
problem In the field of foreign
policy. a still-unresolved Berlin
crisis, and a tough fight to elect
a larger Democratic congression-
al majority this fall.
In the battle to stop the out
flow of gold from the United
States and bring about equili-
brium in the balance of pay
ments, the President is hard-put
to find a quick or an easy solu-
ton. He Is depending upon Sec
rotary Robert Mcnamara and the
Defense Department to accom-
plish the lions share of this
task. But II Is too early to say
whether they can accomplish 1t.
Meanwhile gold continues to
flow away from the U. S. = as
foreign economists suspect that
the United States might be forced
to 60 off the gold standard II II
does not devalue the dollar =
which President Kennedy pledg-
ed recently not to do.
Mcnamara Is trying to save an
additional billion dollars in the
balance of payments struggle He
has already accomplished some
thing in this direction but more
Is needed. President Kennedy has
said he hopes to have the pay
ments balanced by the end OF
1863. This would take much OF
the pressure off the dollar.
But there are some who doubt
that he can do IL.
Next among the Presidents
serious problems at the moment
Is the State Department and for
eign policy. State is not popular
among the people. nor Is the
present Secretary. Dean Rusk.
He seems unfortunately to per-
sonify sophistication and APP
peasement and the opposite of
the toughness reflected by the
image of John Foster Dulles.
Since his foreign policy has
suffered several awkward and
humiliating failures, in present
State Department hands, Mr..
Kennedy must either clean out
the leadership or shake 1t up
drastically. II he is to change the
image which has been created
among the people - one similar
to that which helped defeat the
Democrats in 1852.
But to do this would be an ad.
mission of inadequacy and there
Is apparently reluctance to take
drastic action at this particular
time. However. this situation Is
perhaps the heaviest potential
political liability now being car
ried by the President, and an
other Joseph Mccarthy might
cost the Democrats heavily in
1854. The American people are
extremely sensitive on the hand
ling of the Communist issue by
the State Department.
The other obstacle mentioned
- this falls elections = Is also
a tough task for the President
Only once in this century has the
White House been successful in
increasing its representation In
Congress In an off-year.
In recent months the President
has put the question squarely
before the people. He has chal-
lenged voters - that their ac-
ton in this falls elections will
spell defeat or victory for his
legislative program. that II they
elect more Democrats they will.
In effect. be endorsing his pro-
gram. II they do not. they will.
in effect, be saying they do not
favor IT,
The odds just now are that
they will repudiate the Presi-
dents program - and this will
be q blow to Mr.. Kennedy's pres
tige and his program. He has
taken on an odds-against him
fight II Is but one of his present
serio6ss dilemma.