1961 - Speech, President Kennedy: Special Message To Congress, TRACK ONLY Pt. 4 of 10
Continued... But while we talk of sharing & building & the competition of ideas, others talk of arms & threaten war. So we have learned to keep our defenses strong--and to cooperate with others in a partnership of self-defense. The events of recent weeks have caused us to look anew at these efforts.
20:15:37 The center of freedom's defense is our network of world alliances, extending from NATO, recommended by a Democratic President & approved by a Republican Congress, to SEATO, recommended by a Republican President & approved by a Democratic Congress. These alliances were constructed in the 1940's and 1950's--it is our task & responsibility in the 1960's to strengthen them.
20:16:06 To meet the changing conditions of power--& power relationships have changed--we have endorsed an increased emphasis on NATO's conventional strength. At the same time we are affirming our conviction that the NATO nuclear deterrent must also be kept strong. I have made clear our intention to commit to the NATO command, for this purpose, the 5 Polaris submarines originally suggested by President Eisenhower, w/ the possibility, if needed, of more to come.
20;16:43 Second, a major part of our partnership for self-defense is the Military Assistance Program. The main burden of local defense against local attack, subversion, insurrection or guerrilla warfare must of necessity rest with local forces. Where these forces have the necessary will & capacity to cope w/ such threats, our intervention is rarely necessary or helpful. Where the will is present & only capacity is lacking, our Military Assistance Program can be of help.
20:17:19 But this program, like economic assistance, needs a new emphasis. It cannot be extended without regard to the social, political & military reforms essential to internal respect & stability. The equipment & training provided must be tailored to legitimate local needs & to our own foreign and military policies, not to our supply of military stocks or a local leader's desire for military display. And military assistance can, in addition to its military purposes, make a contribution to economic progress, as do our own Army Engineers.
20:18:01 In an earlier message, I requested 1.6 billion dollars for Military Assistance, stating that this would maintain existing force levels, but that I could not foresee how much more might be required. It is now clear that this is not enough. The present crisis in Southeast Asia, on which the Vice President has made a valuable report--the rising threat of communism in Latin America-the increased arms traffic in Africa--& all the new pressures on every nation found on the map by tracing your fingers along the borders of the Communist bloc in Asia & the Middle East--all make clear the dimension of our needs.
20:18:49 I therefore request the Congress to provide a total of 1.885 billion dollars for Military Assistance in the coming fiscal year--an amount less than that requested a year ago-but a minimum which must be assured if we are to help those nations make secure their independence. This must be prudently & wisely spent--and that will be our common endeavor. Military & economic assistance has been a heavy burden on our citizens for a long time, & I recognize the strong pressures against it; but this battle is far from over, it is reaching a crucial stage, & I believe we should participate in it. We cannot merely state our opposition to totalitarian advance without paying the price of helping those now under the greatest pressure. Continued...
25May61; Presidential Speeches; Cold War;
NOTE: Any continuous 15 minutes of speech, 20:00:05 - 20:45:05 sold at per reel rate.
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1961 - Speech, President Kennedy: Special Message To Congress, TRACK ONLY Pt. 4 of 10 Continued... But while we talk of sharing & building & the competition of ideas, others talk of arms & threaten war. So we have learned to keep our defenses strong--and to cooperate with others in a partnership of self-defense. The events of recent weeks have caused us to look anew at these efforts. 20:15:37 The center of freedom's defense is our network of world alliances, extending from NATO, recommended by a Democratic President & approved by a Republican Congress, to SEATO, recommended by a Republican President & approved by a Democratic Congress. These alliances were constructed in the 1940's and 1950's--it is our task & responsibility in the 1960's to strengthen them. 20:16:06 To meet the changing conditions of power--& power relationships have changed--we have endorsed an increased emphasis on NATO's conventional strength. At the same time we are affirming our conviction that the NATO nuclear deterrent must also be kept strong. I have made clear our intention to commit to the NATO command, for this purpose, the 5 Polaris submarines originally suggested by President Eisenhower, w/ the possibility, if needed, of more to come. 20;16:43 Second, a major part of our partnership for self-defense is the Military Assistance Program. The main burden of local defense against local attack, subversion, insurrection or guerrilla warfare must of necessity rest with local forces. Where these forces have the necessary will & capacity to cope w/ such threats, our intervention is rarely necessary or helpful. Where the will is present & only capacity is lacking, our Military Assistance Program can be of help. 20:17:19 But this program, like economic assistance, needs a new emphasis. It cannot be extended without regard to the social, political & military reforms essential to internal respect & stability. The equipment & training provided must be tailored to legitimate local needs & to our own foreign and military policies, not to our supply of military stocks or a local leader's desire for military display. And military assistance can, in addition to its military purposes, make a contribution to economic progress, as do our own Army Engineers. 20:18:01 In an earlier message, I requested 1.6 billion dollars for Military Assistance, stating that this would maintain existing force levels, but that I could not foresee how much more might be required. It is now clear that this is not enough. The present crisis in Southeast Asia, on which the Vice President has made a valuable report--the rising threat of communism in Latin America-the increased arms traffic in Africa--& all the new pressures on every nation found on the map by tracing your fingers along the borders of the Communist bloc in Asia & the Middle East--all make clear the dimension of our needs. 20:18:49 I therefore request the Congress to provide a total of 1.885 billion dollars for Military Assistance in the coming fiscal year--an amount less than that requested a year ago-but a minimum which must be assured if we are to help those nations make secure their independence. This must be prudently & wisely spent--and that will be our common endeavor. Military & economic assistance has been a heavy burden on our citizens for a long time, & I recognize the strong pressures against it; but this battle is far from over, it is reaching a crucial stage, & I believe we should participate in it. We cannot merely state our opposition to totalitarian advance without paying the price of helping those now under the greatest pressure. Continued... 25May61; Presidential Speeches; Cold War; NOTE: Any continuous 15 minutes of speech, 20:00:05 - 20:45:05 sold at per reel rate.