davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1963-05-19
Fact Fiction and National Security: Some Answers

reason. II Is that the Soviet
challenge will fade away II we
will take the lead In what could
be called a policy Of minus tit
fOr-minus-tat.
Recently, for example, some
psychologists have developed a
ror-image explanation of Com
munist behavior. They argue that
the Communists see us as we see
them. 1t follows, they say, that If
we trust the Communists. they
may trust us. Therefore, we should
take some unilateral initiatives to
quiet their suspicious; they would
reciprocate: we would take new
steps; and so on.
OF course. this view ignores the
fact that diplomacy largely con-
sists OF unilateral initiatives de-
signed TO produce a desired re-
sponse by the other side. We have
taken a great many initiatives
aimed at encouraging tension-re-
ducing. trust increasing responses
by the Soviet Union. Usually the
response has been like that OF the
Russians In frustrating serious
and honest discussions on arms
control.
But leaving this aside, consider
midas experience. No state h las
tried harder than India TO find
security by a deliberate policy Of
inoffenSiveness. India has had 10
learn the hard way, as others
have. including ourselves, that ex-
pansionist states do not respect
weakness.
Evening star., 1963-05-19

to prove that democratic nations
with a large industrial base start
wars2 / know of none. Certainly,
many military conflagrations have
been lit by countries which were
weak, and did not even have a
munitions industry. Others have
been started by relationships in
which a demagogue like Hitler.
bent on aggression, had managed
to seize power.
Some people talk as though the
reason for our big defense pro-
gram is a conspiracy OF some sort
between the military and indus
try not the Soviet threat.
This recalls an occasion when
the Duke of Wellington was ap-
preached by man saying, "Mr.
Peabody. believe" The Duke re-
piled, IF you believe that, you
can believe anything"
Obviously. the price OF national
security these days is high. OBJ
viously, too. this country has re-
lied chiefly on private industry TO
do most OF the research and build
nearly all Of the new weapons
systems needed for national de-
tense. l don't think any OF us
would want II otherwise.
Those who think our defense
program is unnecessarily large
should say where they think It
could safely be reduced Nothing
is gained when they attack
vague underlined they" by giving
them an ominous and conspira-
torial label
In conclusion, let me say this:
History does not award It's
prizes IN terms Of the merits OF
ones cause but In terms OF
the efficacy OF ones efforts on
behalf Of his cause.
Ours must be the steady spirit
IN an unsteady world
Evening star., 1963-05-19
Bock of Achievement

Viewed in the context of 1858
space technology, Mercury was a
giant step. 1t took vision and a
not inconsiderable amount of
CUTS to plan a program of its
scope and nature.
AS with all space programs,
Mercury overran its schedules in
both time and money. Exactly
how much Mercury has cost to
date is a matter of some debate,
hinging on what is charged up
to it. But the $3.50 million cited
here last week by Manned Space
Flight Director D. Brainerd
Holmes is unrealistically low.
Deputy Space Administrator
Hugh L. Dryden mentioned $500
million at Philadelphia last De-
cember, but this seems a trifle
high. 1t certainly topped half a
billion dollars, however.
"Timewise," as the jargoneers
say. Mercury had some bad Slip
pages. When the project was
started, its managers were hoping
for orbital flights early in 1861,
and on at least one occasion a
top agency official had to be
Evening star., 1963-05-19
Economic Background

Mr.. Gordon was on the Pres
ident'S council of economic ad-
viSers, but planned to return to
his job as professor at Williams
College.
He had sent his family back to
Williamstown, Mass, and was
ready to join them when, in late
November, lightning struck. Pres
ident Kennedy pushed his budget
director, David E. Bell, into an
even hotter spot, director of the
foreign aid program, and picked
Mr.. Gordon as his successor.
In an effort to learn his COM
plicated job, Mr.. Gordon has
been working IL hours a day,
often seven days a week. Bureau
subordinates, like reluctant schol-
ars, are eager for school to end
and for the Gordon family Zone
wife, two daughters, one SOM to
return from Massachusetts,.
I'm getting awfully tired" one
helper said, "of these Sunday
meetings"
Now 46, Mr.. Gordon, a Phi Beta
Kappa and a Rhodes Scholar,
went to Swarthmore, Harvard and
oxford and has since cogitated
in the loftiest academic circles.
A budget official who has
worked closely with the new boss
says:
HE does his homework. He
reads deeply, and asks for an
endless number Of facts. He has
tremendous absorption and re-
tentive capacity.
When he gets before a con-
gressional committee, he doesn't
deliver a lecture on economics.
He assumes their intelligence is
as high as his. And he permits
himself to be interrupted"
During a House appropriations
hearing Mr.. Gordon discussed
such complex issues as:
What about the imbalance of
gold payments2
What can be done about inter-
tapping governmental committees?
In the long run is 1t cheaper
Evening star., 1963-05-19
WAR INEVITABLE?

Fifth, another persistent illu-
sion is that an armaments
buildup leads inevitably TO war.
A common line Of argument goes
as follows:
~ Arms races have always
led 10 war.
(2) Disarmament alone will
reverse the arms race.
tS) Therefore, disarmament
Is the only road TO peace.
II was not an arms race that
led TO World War II. On the con-
trary, the failure of the democ-
racies to prepare for war did more
than anything else to convince
Hitler that he could achieve his
goals by force.
II would be nearer the truth TO
say that peace and security-the
are not identical-depend on a
certain imbalance Of forces, an
imbalance which will persuade
would-be aggressors not TO be.
Evening star., 1963-05-19
The Lost-Minute Rush

Finally, in December, organized
chaos. Last minute decisions to
make. Previous decisions to un-
make. This in, that out.
Any department head who feels
he is getting the short end can
appeal to the President in whose
name all this fiscality takes place
and who makes the final, bind
ing verdict.
At last, in January, the budget
as big and as unsexy reading
as a metropolitan phone book
goes to Congress.
And nobody is happy.
Conservatives cry out that I'M
less this spending trend is re-
versed the Nation is ruined.
Liberals moan that unless we
operate more boldly the Nation is
ruined.
Both conservatives and liberals
Evening star., 1963-05-19

rule of law in international af-
fairs. It is fine for spiritual lead
ers to hold this goal before us.
But, as many of them know, the
rule of law is not a practical al
tentative to the present crisis.
There is at present no body Of
commonly-h I'D legal principles
actually practiced and applied by
the states of the world. Since 1917
Soviet international lawyers and
leaders have held. in effect. that
traditional international law is
but a capitalistic device and has
no validity.
The United Nations is, and
should continue TO be, an i'm
portant avenue OF American for
eign policy. The charter describes
the kind of world we hope for,
and provides the closest approx
nation we have TO a code OF in
ternational good conduct. United
Nations bodies serve as useful for
ums OF diplomacy and co-opera-
tive action, for some purposes.
Obviously, however, the United
Nations is not an operational
world community capable OF en-
forcing international law. The
maintenance Of peace depends on
the strength and will OF those
members OF the United Nations
who want 10 uphold the charter.
In our deeply divided world. peace
depends on the power and unity
Of the Atlantic Community. on
the skill Of our direct diplomacy,
and, most Of all. on our own re-
solve TO defend our liberties and,
1t may be, from time TO time on
our READINGS TO use force, II nec-
essary, to put down an aggressor
and lawbreaker.
Evening star., 1963-05-19
History Of Budgets

Probably the first Government
ever established had some sort of
budget, although up to modern
times this could be impromptu
and primitive.
William Writ, President James
Monroe's Attorney General, got
$4,000 a year and took care of
United States business from his
private law office. Believing he
deserved a raise, a clerk and a
nook in a Government building,
he went to Monroe, said So-and
bureaucracy was on the march.
Monroe said. we'll see, talked
with other department heads
about their wants, and made his
recommendations to Congress.
Here Monroe did alone what
450 Budget Bureau employees now
do for the President. Not until
1921, when Warren G. Harding
was President, was a bureau of
the budget set up.
Its first director was crusty,
colorful Charles G. Dawes, his
portrait hangs outside the direc-
tors office, and his old fashioned,
wide-lapel suit, his stiff collar
and his stiff expression epitomize
his no-nonsense approach to
government.
Evening star., 1963-05-19
A Doves Story

Mr.. Gordon tells this story of
his famous predecessor:
Dawes once summoned cabinet
members to his office.
Gentlemen he said, I have
called you here to witness a dem
onstration.' Whereupon he picked
up a broom, swept the rug, and
held up the broom for all to
admire.
Excellent broom Dawes said.
'Excellently made. Does a fine
job. It's an Army broom
Then Dawes picked up another
broom and again swept the rug.
Excellent broom Dawes said.
Well made. Does a fine job. A
Navy broom. But the Navy broom
costs 80 cents more than the
Army broom.
Gentlemen, why?'"
Despite Pentagon unification,
Evening star., 1963-05-19

Just something called a test ban,
but a system that will reduce the
risks in the world without adding
to them. This is not simply a
matter Of terms which will safe
guard against cheating. The prin-
cipal peril in the test-ban is the
danger of Soviet abrogation of an
agreement without warning.
fear that our tactics in the
test ban negotiations have gone
a long way TO harden the general
Soviet position and to convince
Khrushchev that we may be weak
enough in spirit TO give way un-
der pressure.
Even some Of our good friends
abroad are wondering just how
really determined is our will TO
come to their defense In a pinch.
deeply believe that in national
security matters we should act ac-
cording TO an order OF national
priorities which puts first things
first, and second things second.
What is really important is TO
protect our military deterrent-to
maintain a position where our de-
terrent power and our will TO use
1t are credible not only TO the
Russians but also TO our allies. II
there is a conflict beween a test
ban agreement and a credible de-
terrent, the deterrent must come
first
Evening star., 1963-05-19

pose a restraint only on us and
not on the adversary.
We are constantly warned that
some free world action is too
dangerous because the adversary
may be provoked and plunge the
world into nuclear war. The final
logic of this position could be to
tie our hands, while leaving the
way open to Sino-Soviet initia-
tivps
Evening star., 1963-05-19

Mr.. Gordon has heard the serv-
ices still have separate brooms.
II intended to check into this"
he said with a grin, "and ask,
'Why?'"
After Frank Pace was named
budget director in 1949, he made
a pilgrimage to Dawes to ask the
old gentleman for advice.
you'll find out that cabinet
officers are vice presidents in
charge of spending" Dawes said.
"As such, they're the natural en-
emieS of Presidents"
Evening star., 1963-05-19
Long -Ronge Benefits

aNS"SS SSHSiNS
Technically, the greatest long
range benefits from Mercury are
in the fields of materials and
communications. The basic cap
Sule design truncated conical
shape and blunt, ablative-cooled
heat shield - are being carried
over almost unaltered into the
two-man Gemini program. The
worldwide Mercury control net
work will continue to be useful
for many years to come.
Mercury has repeatedly been
called a dead-end program, in
capable of growth. 1t is this; it's
one-man capsule imposed inher-
ent limitations on it, which in
turn were imposed by the Atlas
rockets load-lifting capability.
But it is less pertinent to view
Mercury as a dead-end program
than as transition program. In
four short years, in four short
flights, Mercury picked man up
off the earth and put him out in
space. We know now not only
that man can survive in space,
but also that he can function
with purpose and effectiveness.
This is the biggest single lesson
from Project Mercury.
The project is continually
ballyhooed as great scientific
endeavor, but this is a prostitu-
ton of terms. The science"
gained from Mercury you could
put in your eye. 1t is an engineer
ing program and very good one.
No more can justly be said of it;
no less should be said.
From an administrative point
Of view, Mercury showed some
signs of shaky management. but
this may just be the inevitable
condition of program that grew
too big too fast. The successor
programs, Gemini and Apollo,
give promise of sounder admins
tration- which is absolutely es-
sential, considering the sums Of
money involved.
The rather Hollywoodish crea-
Evening star., 1963-05-19
PRoLIFERATIoN

Sixth, another misleading
view Is that a nucIear test ban
will prevent the prOliferation Of
nuclear weapons. We are told
that success at Geneva In Sc
curing a test ban agreement can
stop the spread Of nuclear
capabilities.
All Of us, / am sure, regret that
Evening star., 1963-05-19
TEST BAN

Seventh, some people 20 so
far as 20 hold that any test ban
agreement Is better than none.
The logic Of this position Is 10
20 on making one concession
after another, regardless Of
whether there Is matching evi-
dcnce Of a spirit Of reasonable
compromise by the other side
and regardless Of whether the
end result Is an enforceable
agreement.
What we should be after is not
Evening star., 1963-05-19
HOPE ONLY

Third. another frequent error
Is the idea that the problems Of
today can be dealt with by our
hopes for a world order tomOr-
row.
No one. OF course, would deny
the attraction OF the ideal Of the
Evening star., 1963-05-19
Do-NoTHlNG

Second, at the opposite ex-
treme Is n fallacy held by many
fine and decent people who let
their wishes prevail over their
Evening star., 1963-05-19
Project Mercuy's Achievement
Is Its Test of Men and Systems

hog-tied to keep from promising
the world a 1860 first flight.
AS the world knows, the first
orbital Mercury flight was on
February 20, 1862. With that
event the Nation got, in John
Glenn, its first big, authentic,
peace-time hero since Charles A.
Lindbergh. The emergence of the
homespun, All-American Glenn
as a national idol in a time of
national cynicism may have been
the most important byproduct of
the program.
Evening star., 1963-05-19

Senator Jackson, Democrat Of
Washington, discussed our Sc
curity situation and some mis-
conceptions about IL in a speech
last week TO the Business Ad-
vis0ry Council. These are ex-
cerpts from his speech.
Evening star., 1963-05-19
A Voriety Of Sources

zone of the challenging things
about this job." Mr.. Gordon says,
'is that you talk with the Penta-
gon one day, Reclamation on the
next and Health, Education and
Welfare the next. But as for
knowing everything about the
budget-it's an utter impossi-
bility."
That status symbol, a chauf-
feur driven limousine, complete
with telephone and reading lamp,
isn't for Mr.. Gordon. And he isn't
angling for one. A budget chief,
he thinks, should practice thrift.
One staff member reports that
on a Government trip to Hawaii
a reception committee was lined
up waiting for the budget director.
Suddenly he was spotted on the
tourist class ramp. and "the dig
nitaries hastily ran from the rich
end Of the plane to the poor end"
Mr.. Gordon also spurned a
fancy hotel suite for a modest
room more in keeping with the
SIG day a Government employe
gets while travelling.
With no balanced budget FORE
seen until 1866 or 1867, however,
Mr.. Gordon goes along with the
President on deficit spending.
"The new deficiteersmen," Sem
ator Dirksen, Republican of Illi-
noiS, calls them.
But less partisan criticism
much of it from within the bu-
reau itself is heard, too. 1t usu-
ally runs along these lines:
Government has become so ex-
tremely technical that budget
examiners have increasing trouble
riding herd on agencies.
William D. Carey, the Budget
Bureaus executive assistant di-
rector, recalls that after World
War II he was among those who
checked UP on the new atomic
program.
I'VE didn't know a neutron
from a space Ship" Mr.. Carey
says.
But by working at it industri-
ously-"We went everywhere, we
looked into everything = they
managed to cut a quarter of a
billion dollars out of the atomic
budget.
Evening star., 1963-05-19
NUcLEAR WEAPONS

Fourth, another mistaken idea
is that nucIpar we9~ Inn
Evening star., 1963-05-19
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Eighth, another widespread
Illusion Is that much Of our
present difficulty Is due 10 the
so called military Industrial
complex" II reminds me of
Senator Nye and the "muni-
tiOns- makers" We so nearly
persuaded ourselves that the
munitions lobby had caused
World War I that we almost
ignored the Nazi threat.
Is there any historical evidence
Evening star., 1963-05-19

ton Of the astronaut image and
subsequent commercialization Of
that image is an unfortunate as
pect of the program probably
its most unfortunate. 1t is now
apparently well established that
men who train for space have
personal property rights in their
extraordinary status. The fact
that men can get rich in the
astronaut business is often ex-
planned away by pointing out that
their pay ($17,000 a year for the
civilians in the program) is low
considering the risks they take.
Actually, test-piloting the job
all the aStronauts left to enter
space flights a lot riskier.
Mercury, probably to a greater
extent than subsequent programs
will be. was astonishingly risk
free. An instance in point is the
postponement last Tuesday Of
Mai. Cooper's flight because a
radar set went bad. The radar
was not a primary item in the
tracking system; it was a second
airy. or "back-up" item to a piece
of equipment that was working
well.
Evening star., 1963-05-19
Coution Is the Rule

In short, If one word can be-
used to characterize the opera
tion of Mercury over the years, it
is "over-caution." Never has a
flying machine had so many
built-in redundancies and safe
guards to protect its pilot. Some
where short of utter ruthleSsness
the program might have COM
promised with safety in the in
terestS of saving time. At least a
year. and probably 500 million
or so. might have been Topped off
the program with no real dis
regard for reasonable safety.
The fact that no one was
killed in Mercury is attributable
not only to the super-safe con-
dition of the system, but also to
the fact that there were not many
exposures of personnel to danger
In addition to four orbital flights
involving humans, there were two
Sub-o -orbital ones. Aggregate time
in peril, for six men, was SO hours
and IA minutes. One way Of look
ing at it is that the law of aver
ages did not get a chance to work.
The 53A-hour flight accumu-
lation means that Project Mere
ury cost the taxpayers something
more than $40 million an hour
for flight time. Viewed from what
it has done to advance the space
age. this would seem to be money
we'll spent.
Evening star., 1963-05-19
It's Billions Now


Now, with the Government
pumping billions into the econ
omy each month, Mr.. Gadstone's
observation has even greater sig
nificance.
Kermit Gordon, trying to In
sure individual prosperity and to
keep the kingdom strong, is now
peering ahead to 1865.
Unlike some cocksure econo-
mists, he is refreshingly candid
about what he sees through the
fiscal mistS.
Recently he genially assured
Congress:
"Short-term economic forecast
ing, although better than plain
guessing, is a long way from be-
ing q science"
Still one must try.
So the Presidents fiscal experts
are attempting to estimate this
Nations growth. the amount of
money that will roll into private
and corporate hands, how much
can be siphoned off by the Gov
ernment, and where this tax
money should be spent.
Soon cabinet officers will drop
by to get the rough estimates.
From July through September
department and agency officials
will plan in detail, attempting to
justify their requests.
Then comes the test. In any
administration there are more re-
quests than money, so budget ex-
aminerS probe for weaknesses, for
fat, for projects that could just
as well be delayed.
The budget President Kennedy
sent to Congress was an enormous
500 billion, but the departments
had originally asked for about
$119 billion. Examiners whacked
Sc billion out of civilian requests
and $13 billion out of the military
budget.
Evening star., 1963-05-19

find pet projects missing, and
angrily declare that a pennywise-
pound foolish policy will ruin the
Nation.
Congress, with the final respon-
sibility for spending and taxing,
now goes to work with its own
pruning knife or with its own
meat axe, depending on its mood
and the temper of the Nation.
Evening star., 1963-05-19
BY ARTHUR EDSON
Associated Press Staff Writer

Kermit Gordon's job is to fig
ure out how to spend 500 billion
q year. It isn't easy.
AS the new director of the
Budget Bureau, Mr.. Gordon has
a major role in deciding what
direction this country will go, and
how much taxes we will have to
pay to take us there.
Budget directors come and go
steadily. Mr.. Gordon is the sew
enth in 10 eventful, often acri-
moniouS years.
One Budget Bureau veteran
says resignedly:
Were the whipping boy in this
town and have been for years"
Mr.. Gordon scarcely sat down
before the attack began.
Senator Byrd, Democrat Of Vir-
ginia, who has made a career Of
denouncing high Federal spend
ing, demanded his resignation.
Representative Thomas B. Cur
tis, Republican of Missouri, not
ing Mr.. Gordon's position in sup
port of deficit spending said:
1T is like putting the goat to
watch the cabbage patch"
Most Of us find budgeting
dreary If not frightening, and its
beauties and possibilities escape"
Yet almost a century ago the
British statesman, William Glad
stone, put 1t in perspective.
Budgets are not merely affairs
Of arithmetic" Gladstone said.
but in q thousand ways go to
the root Of the prosperity of In
dividuals, the relation of classes,
and the strength of kingdoms"
Evening star., 1963-05-19
PORTRAIT OF A BUDGET DIRECTOR
Saying No Is a Full Time Job

to buy or lease automatic COM
putersp (No small question, this.
The Government uses more than
1,100 Of these monsters.)
Why does the Government
build an airport and then pay for
space in it?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-14

ments now worn away, CamuS
reminds us that the same was
so Of classic Greek statuary:
"See Greece. Mind and feel
ing, a taste for expression as
evidence of decadence. Greek
sculpture starts to decline as
soon as the statues begin to
smile and have an expression
in their eyes. :. The paradox
Of the Greeks who are great
artists in spite of themselves.
The Doric Apollos are admit
rable because their faces are
expressionless. Unfortunately,
however, the way they were
painted did actually give them
an expression. But now that
the paint has gone, the
masterpiece remains"
+ 4 4 \
Germaine Bree's excellent
anthology Of excerpts from
lesser-known works of Camus
and a complete play lies
Justes" is interesting testi-
mony Of Camus' popularity in
this country, for it is in
French, although the fine in
PRODUCTION and exhaustive
notes are in English-and is
on sale, among other places,
in the paperback display
racks Of drug stores and bus
terminals. ! know of no other
similar edition Of a foreign
writer in the United States
not a reprint or importation
in a foreign language, but an
original anthology in an
ordinary paperback which the
publishers expect, perhaps
correctly, will have a certain
mass appeal. It is an excellent
introduction to Camus for
those that have even a little
French. for the editor ex-
plains the more difficult lin
guiStic expressions, and
provides biographical notes
not only on the author but
on many Of the individuals
mentioned in the text.