State of the Union

John Kennedy's second State of the Union message was the longest speech that he has made as President. In 53 minutes and 7,250 words he urged programs that covered the legislative spectrum. Among his major subjects: sbTHE ECONOMY. "At year's end," Kennedy said, "the economy which Mr. Khrushchev once called a 'stumbling horse' was racing to new records in consumer spending, labor income and industrial production." For continued economic expansion, the President asked Congress to approve acts to retrain workers for new jobs, help train and place youths entering the labor market, and grant an 8% tax credit for businesses investing in new machinery and equipment. Noting that "the time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining," he also asked Congress for standby authority to lower income tax rates in times of recession, speed up federal public works programs and strengthen the unemployment insurance system.

sbEDUCATION. Seeing "no reason to weaken or withdraw" his aid-to-public-schools bill, pigeonholed by Catholic opposition last year, Kennedy urged its passage. But he virtually ensured its demise by noting that last year's bill provided "the maximum scope permitted by our Constitution" --thus sticking by his guns that aid to parochial schools is unconstitutional. He also proposed aid to colleges, and a "massive attack to end adult illiteracy. 'Civilization,' said H. G. Wells, 'is a race between education and catastrophe.' It is up to you in this Congress to determine the winner of that race."

sbCITIES. Kennedy proposed a new Department of Urban Affairs and Housing because "both equity and common sense require that our nation's urban areas, containing three-fourths of our population, sit as equals at the Cabinet table."

sbCIVIL RIGHTS. Kennedy asked Congress to act on pending bills to do away with such bars to voting as literacy tests and poll taxes--but Congress has been sitting on the bills for so long that it is not likely to disinter them. Kennedy boasted that "this Administration has shown as never before how much could be done through the full use of executive powers. But there is much more to be done."

sbHEALTH. In a strong plea for medical care for the aged tied to social security, the President said that "no piece of unfinished business is more important or more urgent," asked that a bill on the matter be passed "without further delay." Kennedy also recommended "a new public welfare program, stressing services instead of support, rehabilitation instead of relief, and training for useful work instead of long dependency."

sbAGRICULTURE. Kennedy promised to submit to Congress "a new, comprehensive farm program ... to prevent chaos in the Sixties with a program of common sense," but offered no details of the program. "The revolution on our own countryside," said the President, "stands in the sharpest contrast to the repeated farm failures of the Communist nations and is a source of pride to us all." But, warned Kennedy, "without new, realistic measures," increasing farm production "will some day swamp our farmers and our taxpayers in a national scandal or a farm depression."

sbDEFENSE. The President ticked off the specifics of the U.S. buildup in military strength over the last year, including a doubling of the delivery rate of Polaris submarines and the production capacity of Minuteman missiles. Because "we have rejected any all-or-nothing posture which would leave no choice but inglorious retreat or unlimited retaliation," said Kennedy, the U.S. has also doubled the number of ready combat elements in the Army's Strategic Reserve, increased the active fleet by more than 70 vessels and tactical air forces by nearly a dozen wings, expanded antiguerrilla forces and modernized weapons and ammunition. He promised a further military strengthening of U.S. forces in 1962, but pledged also "a supreme effort to break the log jam on disarmament and nuclear tests . . . until the rule of law has replaced the ever-dangerous use of force. The world was not meant to be a prison in which man awaits his executioner. Nor has mankind survived the tests and the trials of thousands of years to surrender everything including its existence now."

sbFOREIGN POLICY. The President's tone was one of muted optimism: "For every apparent blessing contains the seeds of danger--every area of trouble gives out a ray of hope--and the one unchangeable certainty is that nothing is certain or unchangeable." He emphasized his belief that "freedom, not coercion, is the wave of the future," contrasted the growing unity of the free world with internal rifts among the Communists. "It is not free societies which bear within them the seeds of inevitable disunity." He asked for a special $3 billion fund for the Alliance for Progress program to aid Latin

America, promised that the "war of attempted subjugation" in South Viet Nam "will be resisted," promised to support newly emerging states "even when the views of their governments may sometimes be very different from ours." He underlined the continuing menace of the Berlin crisis: "We are prepared to talk, when appropriate, and to fight, if necessary." But, Kennedy added: "Our basic goal remains the same: a peaceful world community of free and independent states --free to choose their own future and their own system so long as it does not threaten the freedom of others." sbUNITED NATIONS. The President strongly backed the U.N., criticized "those who would abandon this imperfect world instrument because they dislike our imperfect world. For the troubles of the world organization merely reflect the troubles of the world itself. And if the organization is weakened, these troubles can only increase." Though the U.S. may not always agree with every U.N. action, he said, the U.N. has no "stronger or more faithful member than the United States of America." Kennedy urged Congress to approve U.S. purchase of $100 million in new U.N. bonds to help keep the U.N. solvent.

sbFOREIGN TRADE. Kennedy made his strongest appeal for presidential power to cut tariffs--by as much as 50% to meet the challenge of the European Common Market and the threat of Commu nist economic expansion. "Our decision," he said, "could well affect the unity of the West, the course of the cold war and the growth of our nation for a generation to come. The United States did not rise to greatness by waiting for others to lead. This nation is the world's fore most manufacturer, farmer, banker, consumer and exporter. The Common Market is moving ahead. The Communist economic offensive is under way. The opportunity is ours, the initiative is up to us--and the time is now."

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