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1961 - Speech, President Kennedy: Special Message To Congress, TRACK ONLY R2 of 2 Pt. 1 of 4

Reel Number: H2027-04-P1

Color: Black and White

Sound: SD

Year / Date: 1961

Country: USA

Location: DC,Washington

TC Begins: 19:42:15

TC Ends: 19:47:08

Duration: 00:04:53

1961 - Speech, President Kennedy: Special Message To Congress, TRACK ONLY R2 of 2 Pt. 1 of 4 The Office of Civil & Defense Mobilization will be reconstituted as a small staff agency to assist in the coordination of these functions. To more accurately describe its role, its title should be changed to the Office of Emergency Planning. 19:42:33 As soon as those newly charged w/ their responsibilities have prepared new authorization & appropriation requests, such requests will be transmitted to the Congress for a much strengthened Federal-State civil defense program. Such a program will provide Federal funds for identifying fallout shelter capacity in existing structures, & it will include, where appropriate, incorporation of shelter in Federal buildings, new requirements for shelter in buildings constructed w/ Federal assistance, & matching grants & other incentives for constructing shelter in State & local & private buildings. 19:43:14 Federal appropriations for civil defense in fiscal 1962 under this program will in all likelihood be more than triple the pending budget requests; & they will increase sharply in subsequent years. Financial participation will also be required from State & local governments & from private citizens. But no insurance is cost-free; & every American citizen & his community must decide for themselves whether this form of survival insurance justifies the expenditure of effort, time & money. For myself, I am convinced that it does. 19:43:57 I cannot end this discussion of defense & armaments w/o emphasizing our strongest hope: the creation of an orderly world where disarmament will be possible. (applause) Our arms do not prepare for war--they are efforts to discourage & resist the adventures of others that could end in war. 19:44:25 That is why it is consistent w/ these efforts that we continue to press for properly safeguarded disarmament measures. At Geneva, in cooperation w/ the United Kingdom, we have put forward concrete proposals to make clear our wish to meet the Soviets half way in an effective nuclear test ban treaty--the first significant but essential step on the road towards disarmament. Up to now, their response has not been what we hoped, but Mr. Dean returned last night to Geneva, & we intend to go the last mile in patience to secure this gain if we can. (applause) 19:45:14 Meanwhile, we are determined to keep disarmament high on our agenda--to make an intensified effort to develop acceptable political & technical alternatives to the present arms race. To this end I shall send to the Congress a measure to establish a strengthened & enlarged Disarmament Agency. 19:45:32 Finally, if we are to win the battle that is now going on around the world between freedom & tyranny, the dramatic achievements in space which occurred in recent weeks should have made clear to us all, as did the Sputnik in 1957, the impact of this adventure on the minds of men everywhere, who are attempting to make a determination of which road they should take. Since early in my term, our efforts in space have been under review. With the advice of the Vice President, who is Chairman of the National Space Council, we have examined where we are strong & where we are not, where we may succeed & where we may not. Now it is time to take longer strides--time for a great new American enterprise--time for this nation to take a clearly leading role in space achievement, which in many ways may hold the key to our future on earth. (applause) 19:46:44 I believe we possess all the resources & talents necessary. But the facts of the matter are that we have never made the national decisions or marshaled the national resources required for such leadership. We have never specified long-range goals on an urgent time schedule, or managed our resources and our time so as to insure theft fulfillment. Continued... 25May61; Presidential Speeches; Cold War; NOTE: Any continuous ten minutes of 19:42:15 - 20:00:35 sold at per reel rate.

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