State of the Union AddressesEisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David)
History
State of the Union Addresses
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David)
Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
Our long-range problem, then, is not the stamina of our enormous engine of
production. Our problem is to make sure that we use these vast economic
forces confidently and creatively, not only in direct military defense
efforts, but likewise in our foreign policy, through such activities as
mutual economic aid and foreign trade.
In much the same way, we have tremendous potential resources on other
non-military fronts to help in countering the Soviet threat: education,
science, research, and, not least, the ideas and principles by which we
live. And in all these cases the task ahead is to bring these resources
more sharply to bear upon the new tasks of security and peace in a
swiftly-changing world. IV.
There are many items in the Administration's program, of a kind frequently
included in a State of the Union Message, with which I am not dealing
today. They are important to us and to our prosperity. But I am reserving
them for treatment in separate communications because of my purpose today
of speaking only about matters bearing directly upon our security and
peace.
I now place before you an outline of action designed to focus our resources
upon the two tasks of security and peace.
In this special category I list eight items requiring action. They are not
merely desirable. They are imperative.
1. DEFENSE REORGANIZATION
The first need is to assure ourselves that military organization
facilitates rather than hinders the functioning of the military
establishment in maintaining the security of the nation.
Since World War II, the purpose of achieving maximum organizational
efficiency in a modern defense establishment has several times occasioned
action by the Congress and by the Executive.
The advent of revolutionary new devices, bringing with them the problem of
overall continental defense, creates new difficulties, reminiscent of those
attending the advent of the airplane half a century ago.
Some of the important new weapons which technology has produced do not fit
into any existing service pattern. They cut across all services, involve
all services, and transcend all services, at every stage from development
to operation. In some instances they defy classification according to
branch of service.
Unfortunately, the uncertainties resulting from such a situation, and the
jurisdictional disputes attending upon it, tend to bewilder and confuse the
public and create the impression that service differences are damaging the
national interest.
Let us proudly remember that the members of the Armed Forces give their
basic allegiance solely to the United States. Of that fact all of us are
certain. But pride of service and mistaken zeal in promoting particular
doctrine has more than once occasioned the kind of difficulty of which I
have just spoken.
I am not attempting today to pass judgment on the charge of harmful service
rivalries. But one thing is sure. Whatever they are, America wants them
stopped.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account