The Speech

The U.S. is ready, willing and able to face up to the danger that threatens at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. But in the mind of John Kennedy, the nation is less prepared for the crises that lurk half-hidden in Africa, South America and Asia. This week John Kennedy would go before Congress and the nation (in a televised speech from the White House) to announce the first stages of the U.S. response to the latest Soviet threats. The emergency measures, while geared to the specific danger of a Berlin conflict, are the start of a long-range, permanent toughening of national muscle for the cold war's far future.

In preparing his speech, the President was still selecting from a range of alternate responses, but the general outlines of his summons to duty were clear. Last week the Selective Service announced a widening of the draft pool from 80,000 to 100,000 men--a preliminary to a larger military step-up. There will be at least three new divisions assigned to the Army, bringing authorized strength up to 70,000 men.* From the Navy's huge mothball fleet, landing craft and (possibly) troopships will be activated. The Air Force will gain new troop-carrier wings. The President is unlikely to restore reserve and National Guard units to active duty until and unless he declares a national emergency; but he may ask National Guard commanders to extend the normal period of summer training in order to achieve greater readiness.

New attention will be focused on civil defense. Last week the President turned over to the Pentagon primary responsibility for civil-defense planning. He was also considering a call for a big new program, including more public bomb shelters, food storing and home-shelter education.

Sure that his requests are vital to national security, President Kennedy will at long last ask for the specific sacrifices that he urged the U.S. to make in his Inauguration Speech. The new programs will cost more than $3 billion. Rather than risk inflation by further deficit spending, the President will ask Congress for a tax hike--and Congress will be hard put to refuse.

* At present the Army has 856,233 men, assigned to 14 divisions (five of them in Europe, three in the Pacific theater), five regiments, 80 air defense battalions, one infantry brigade, one combat command, one armored group. The Navy, with 620,405 men on active duty, has 376 warships, 16 fleet carrier air groups, 31 carrier antisubmarine squadrons, 47 supporting air squadrons. Air Force strength is 819,410 men; the prime weapons are 37 strategic wings (including some 600 B-52s), 19 air defense wings, 32 tactical wings. The Marines have 176,847 men assigned to three divisions (a fourth is being formed), three tactical aircraft wings.

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