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PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S NEWS CONFERENCE NO. 10, 04/21/1961
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00:00402 correspondents from many nations gather at the State Department in
00:14Washington DC to attend President John F. Kennedy's news conference. Here on
00:19April 21st 1961 is President Kennedy's tenth question-and-answer meeting with
00:25the press gentlemen I've several announcements to make I know that many
00:41of you have further questions about Cuba I made a statement on that subject
00:46yesterday afternoon we are continuing consultations with other American
00:51republics active efforts are being made by ourselves and others on behalf of
00:58various individuals including any Americans who may be in danger I do not
01:04think that any useful national purpose would be served by my going further into
01:09the Cuban question this morning I prefer to let my statement of yesterday suffice
01:14for the present I am pleased to announce that the United States has offered
01:19concrete support to a broad-scale attack by the United Nations on world hunger I've
01:26instructed the food for peace director to offer 40 million dollars in food
01:31commodities towards an initial United Nations reserve of a hundred million
01:36dollars this will be administered by the United Nations food and agricultural
01:42operation I am informed that other United Nations members will also make similar
01:47contributions food will then be used to relieve hunger and to improve nutrition in
01:53underdeveloped countries of the world our participation in this project will
01:57complement rather than diminish our existing food for peace program third I'm
02:04pleased to announce that the Veterans Administration will pay a special
02:07insurance dividend of two hundred and thirty million dollars and the decision made
02:11this morning to approximately five million holders of GI life insurance
02:15beginning July first these dividends have been speeded up in order to assist the
02:23economy and lastly I'm pleased to announce that the Peace Corps is
02:27proceeding with its first project at the request of the government of Tanganyika an
02:33African country that will gain its first independence on December 28 peace
02:38corps will send to that country a party of surveyors geologists and civil
02:42engineers to help Tanganyika's own technicians map and construct roads 20
02:47surveyors four geologists and four civil engineers will provide some of the skills
02:54needed to accelerate the development plan there's nothing more important in
02:57Tanganyika than development of roads to open up the country and I'm delighted that
03:02some Americans have volunteered to help in this important effort I brought the
03:12vice president came to the White House at my invitation and I informed him of
03:18brought him up to date on the events of the past few days president can you tell
03:25us the status of the mid-April economic review you promised yes I stated at a
03:31previous conference at the at the end of mid-April I think 75 days we were going
03:38to undertake a review of the economy that is now underway under the direction of
03:43dr. Heller and I hope when that survey is completed that we will have a
03:49statement to make on it quite respecting your feeling of not going beyond your
03:58statement of yesterday on Cuba there still is in print this morning quite
04:04widely distributed published report that you took the decision to continue
04:11training Cuban refugees with arms provided by this government and for
04:17releasing ships and fuel for launching the current operations in Cuba furthermore
04:24this report says that you reach this decision against the advice of Secretary
04:29Rusk and Mr. Bold now is this true I think that the facts of the matter
04:37involving Cuban will come out in due time and I'm sure that an effort will be made
04:44to determine the facts accurately as for me I'm confining myself to my statement for
04:50good reason yeah this is not a question about Cuba it's a question about Castro
04:58could you tell us whether any intelligence that you have received can shed any light
05:05on the reports that the Prime Minister has been incapacitated that he has not been
05:10heard from since Monday or Tuesday or reports to that effect no I cannot own I
05:16saw some I think reference was on the ticket this morning that mr. Castro was
05:20seeing some members of the press today so I suppose we will have a better idea of
05:24that later on president that's great mr. president the leaders of House and
05:32Senate Republicans told us yesterday at press conference that they are setting up special study
05:40committees on the effect of automation and technological improvements in agriculture as well as industry
05:50are you hoping that your Democrats in Congress will set up similar study committees do you need them
05:58well I do think that on the subcommittee on labor a committee subcommittee headed by
06:04congressman Hollander of Pennsylvania has been conducting studies on the effect of
06:10automation for some months regard to the effect of automation on agriculture I think
06:16it is some of our most serious problems which have arisen in agriculture have been because of
06:24research combined with automation which have brought an extraordinary increase in production with far
06:31less manpower so that I know that this problem is a matter of a substantial concern to all of us
06:38I'm glad that the Republicans are conducting this study because I think all the attention we can get by both
06:44parties into what I consider to be a genuine national problem automation what happens to the people who are thrown out of work I think will be most useful and
06:53agriculture where we have a great increase in production with around 4 million people less than we had several years ago some years ago in many ways it's one of the most extraordinary and admirable facets of our national life I think it's unfortunate that we're not able to bring it more to the attention of the world where so many people including in the Soviet Union and in China are spending most of their time on subsistence agriculture that we're able to have this extraordinary production with very
07:11few people but like all blessings they bring problems with them and I'm glad they're conducting the study at your last news conference you expressed hope that the Soviets would agree within a few days to a ceasefire in Laos more than a week has gone by since then and the Soviet Union was able to bring it more to the attention of the world where so many people including in the Soviet Union and in China are spending most of their time on subsistence agriculture that we're able to have this extraordinary production with very few people but like all the blessings they bring problems with them and I'm glad they're conducting the study
07:29Mr. President at your last news conference you expressed hope that the Soviets would agree within a few days to a ceasefire in Laos more than a week has gone by since then and the Soviets have not agreed yet could you tell us how much longer you will wait before contemplating other kind of action
07:47I understand that the British and the Soviets are conferring at the present time using it in a general sense and we are hopeful that a ceasefire can be
07:59obtained in Laos
08:02we continue to be hopeful
08:04Mr. Nixon on the Ev and Charlie show yesterday said that he was going to give you 10 days grace to produce on your campaign promises that certain things would be done by 90 days did he go into this or other domestic politics in your White House meeting
08:23there was nothing stated about politics Mr. Nixon and I discussed matters of national concern and it was done in a wholly non-political way Mr. Nixon's response was most helpful
08:42Mr. President
08:47Mr. President
08:48I wonder if you will tell us what your grounds your investigations of the Major General Ted Walker incident in Europe if you will please tell us what grounds you found for relieving him of his command for allegedly teaching troops
09:00allegedly teaching troops anti-communist doctors I when I saw the stories in
09:07regard to the things which had been said or at least alleged to have been said
09:14in regard to General Walker I called secretary McNamara and asked him to
09:17investigate it secretary McNamara then I believe suspended General Walker and my
09:25term may not be precise pending a completion of the investigation but no
09:31decision has been made in regard to General Walker until the investigation
09:35has been completed to find out exactly what was going on I do not believe that
09:41secretary McNamara took even that limited action however merely because he felt
09:46that General Walker was teaching talking against the communists that was not the
09:50grounds for concern but no final decision to the best of my information has been
09:56made on the matter of General Walker he will be given every opportunity and those
10:00who have been critical of him will be given every opportunity to present their
10:05case and a final decision will then be made by mr. McNamara who will then bring
10:12the matter to my attention and I will then review it without prejudice to
10:17general walker oh yes thank you mr. president you don't seem to be pushing
10:26the space program nearly as energetically now as you suggested during the campaign
10:32that you thought it should be pushed in view of the feeling of many people in this
10:38country that we must do everything we can to catch up with the Russians as soon as
10:42possible do you anticipate applying any sort of crash program or doing anything that
10:51we have added I think it was a hundred and thirty million dollars to the budget on
10:56space several weeks ago which provides some speed up for Saturn some speed up for
11:02Nova some speed up for Rover the and I will say that the budget for space next year
11:10will be around two billion dollars now we are now and have been for some time
11:16attempting to make a determination as to in developing larger boosters whether the
11:23emphasis should be put on chemical nuclear rockets or liquid fuel how much
11:29this would cost and some of these programs have been estimated to be between 20 and
11:3540 billion dollars we are attempting to make a determination as to which program
11:40offers the best hope before we embark on it because you may commit a relatively
11:45small sum of money now for a result in 1967 eight or nine which will cost you
11:50billions of dollars and therefore the space the Congress passed yesterday the
11:56bill providing for Space Council which will be chaired by the vice president we are
12:00attempting to make a determination as to which of these various proposals offers the
12:05best hope and when that determination is made we will then make a
12:10recommendation to the Congress in addition we have to consider whether there is any
12:14program now regardless of its costs which offer us hope of being pioneers in a
12:22project it's possible to spend the billions of dollars on this project in
12:27space to the detriment of other programs and still not be successful we are
12:32behind as I said before in large boosters we have to make a determination whether
12:36there's any effort we could make in time or money which could put us first in any
12:42new area now I don't want to start spending the kind of money that I'm
12:46talking about without making a determination based on careful scientific
12:51judgments as to whether a real success can be achieved or whether because we're so far
13:00behind now this particular race is we're going to be second in in this decade so I
13:07will say to you that it's a matter of great concern but I think that before we
13:13break through and begin a program which would not reach a completion as you know
13:18until the end of this decade for example trips to the moon maybe ten years off
13:22maybe a little less but it are quite far away and both as I say enormous some I don't
13:27think we ought to rush into it and begin them until we really know where we're
13:31going to end up and that study is now being undertaken under the direction of
13:35the vice president don't you agree we should try to get to the moon before the
13:40Russians if we can if we can get to the moon before the Russians that we should
13:44it is your responsibility to apply the the vigorous leadership to spark up this
13:51program when you say spark up the program we first have to make a judgment based on the
13:56best information we can get whether we can be ahead of the Russians to the moon
14:01we're now talking about a program which may be which are many years away the
14:05Saturn is still on a 40 hour week isn't it mr. president we have as I say
14:11appropriated a hundred and twenty six million dollars more to the Saturn and
14:17we are attempting to find out what else we can do the Saturn is still going to put
14:20us well behind that does not offer any hope of going to the being first to the
14:26moon the Saturn is several years behind the Soviet Union I can just say to you
14:30that regardless of how much money we spend on the Saturn the Saturn is going to
14:34put us we're still going to be second the question is whether the nuclear rocket or
14:38other kinds of chemical rockets offer us a better hope of making a jump forward but
14:44we are second in the and the Saturn will not put us first I want however to speed up if we can
14:51the Saturn and we are the vice president is now leading a study to see what we ought to do in this
14:58area thank you mr. president do you anticipate that there will be a vote in both houses of
15:04Congress this year on your medical care program I don't know if we had a vote in the house would
15:10depend of course in the action of the ways and means committee so that I'm not I haven't any
15:15information yet as to whether we'll get a vote in the house possible there'd be one in the Senate
15:19which is not constricted by the same rules there have been reports on Capitol Hill that this
15:25administration has reconciled itself to no vote on medical care this year in either house in the
15:30house yeah in either body in either house yes sir well I haven't seen the reports and I would not make
15:39that assumption I'm hopeful that we are dependent in the house on committee action there can't be a
15:46vote in the house without action by the committee and because of the rules of germaneness the Senate
15:53however there's a somewhat different situation where there's no rule of germaneness so it's
15:57possible that somebody might offer the bill in the Senate as an amendment to another bill I don't
16:02know that yet but there is very possible that you could get a vote in the Senate this year the
16:06House is a different problem because we can't get a vote unless the Ways and Means Committee acts
16:10President your order to investigate General Walker suggests that you look askance at the teachings of
16:17the John Birch Society tell us how you feel about that organization well I don't think that their
16:23judgments are based on accurate information of the kinds of challenges that we face I think we face an
16:32extremely serious and intensified struggle with the communists but I'm not sure that the John Birch Society
16:41is wrestling with the real problems which are created by the communists advance around the world I would
16:52hope that all those who are strong who strongly are concerned about it would address themselves to the
16:58kinds of problems which are created by Laos Vietnam by internal subversion by the desperate life lived by so
17:10many people in this hemisphere and in other places which the communists exploit these are the kinds of
17:14problems that we are dealing with I said something about them yesterday the use which the communists make
17:20of democratic freedoms and the success which they are able to once they've seized power the success with which
17:28they're able to maintain their power against dissent this seems to me to be the problem we've talked
17:35about and read stories of seven to fifteen thousand guerrillas operating in Vietnam killing two thousand
17:41civil civil officers a year two thousand police officers a year four thousand now there's been an election in
17:49Vietnam in which seventy-five percent of the people are eighty percent to endorse the government and yet we read how
17:56Vietnam is in danger because of guerrilla operations carried on by this small well disciplined well
18:03supplied across the border a group of guerrillas how we fight that kind of a problem which is going to be
18:12with us all through this decade seems to me to be the one of the great problems now before the United States
18:18and I would hope all those who are concerned about the advance of communism would face that problem and not
18:26concern themselves with the loyalty of president Eisenhower president Truman or mrs. Roosevelt or myself or someone else
18:34yesterday before the editors intended to suggest another approach or a new departure in the administration's dealing with the Russians
18:44no I didn't know practice what has been described as a quiet diplomacy approach and your speech yesterday seemed to suggest that you have to decide upon another approach
18:59no I wouldn't attempt to make a judgment or response to that I think that I'm concerned about the kind of problem which I just described I don't feel satisfied that we have an effect of the
19:14answer to it yet and I think it's a matter of greatest possible concern to all of us because I think events are moving with some speed the use which the communists make of democracy and then when they seize power the effectiveness with which they manage the police apparatus so that dissent cannot arise and so that the people can no longer express their will liquidation by the
19:44by gunfire of the opposition or by forcing them out of the country to be refugees this suggests the kind of a problem which we're going to have in this decade and in my judgment it's an extremely difficult matter for the free nations to deal with
20:03but I must say that it's a matter of which we must address all of our energy and all of our attention
20:12how would you evaluate the present state of your domestic program in congress I think we've done better recently yesterday the Senate passed the dollar 25 cent minimum wage there was action on aid to dependent children and on social security the vote in the Senate passed the dollar 25 cent minimum wage
20:28dependent children and on Social Security. The vote in the Senate was a very
20:35ample on the minimum wage. I think there were only 28 votes against it so that I
20:41think that at least yesterday there was a, yeah, we made progress.
20:46How much more, sir, do you think needs to be done in order to give you a satisfactory score on your hopeful legislative program?
20:55Well, I'm hopeful that we can move ahead on the various other parts of the
20:59program, including education and housing. We are making progress on Social Security,
21:06distressed areas, and minimum wage. There may be other proposals which we might
21:12make to the Congress after we've considered, completed our review of the
21:16economy and made a judgment as to exactly what peak or plateau the economy is going
21:23to reach this year. And that is what we're attempting to do now and to see
21:26whether any additional governmental programs may be necessary to encourage it.
21:30President.
21:32Since last Saturday, a certain foreign policy situation has given rise to many
21:37conflicting stories. During that time, reporters in Washington have noticed that
21:45there's been a clamming up of information from formerly useful sources, to my
21:50knowledge of the State Department and the White House has not attempted to take a
21:54representative group of reporters and say these are the facts as we know them. And
22:00this morning we are not permitted to ask any further questions about this foreign policy
22:05situation. In view of the fact we're taking a propaganda lambasting around the
22:10world, why is it not useful, sir, for us to explore with you the real facts behind
22:17this or our motivations? Well, I think in answer to your question that we have to
22:23make a judgment as to how much we can usefully say that would aid interest of
22:32the United States. One of the problems of a free society, problem not met by a
22:38dictatorship, is this problem of information. A good deal has been printed in the paper. I
22:45wouldn't be surprised if those of you who are members of the press will be receiving a lot
22:50of background briefings in the next day or two by interested people or interested agencies. There's
22:58an old saying that victory has a hundred fathers and defeat is an orphan. And I wouldn't
23:04be surprised if information is poured into you in regard to all the recent activities. Now, I think we see some of this, but I think we see some of the
23:15the problems, uh, to move from this particular case in the problem of space where the Soviet Union and no reports were made in regard to any experiments that they carried out, our man in space. I saw in a national magazine about some student said the Americans talk a good deal about their man in space. The Soviet Union says nothing and yet it wins.
23:34Well, that is one of the problems of a democracy competing and carrying on a struggle for survival against a dictatorship. But I will say to you, Mr. Van Oka, that I've said as much as I feel can be usefully said by me in regard to the events of the past few days. Further statements, detailed discussions,
24:03and not to conceal responsibility because I'm the responsible officer of the government, but merely because I and that is quite obvious, but merely because I do not believe that such a discussion would benefit us during the present difficult situation. But as I say, I think you'll be informed and some of the information based on what I've seen will not be accurate.
24:21Mr. President. Have you any assurance your tax investment incentive plan will be supported in Congress? No, I think it will be a hard fight because the plan when it was set up was intended to secure as much revenue as it will be supported in Congress.
24:28I think it will be a hard fight because the tax credit plan, as it may have been lost because of the tax credit plan, the tax credit plan put special emphasis on stimulating the actual
24:58a new industry and therefore a new employment but in order to make up the
25:03revenues we lost by the tax credit plan we've had to take control of other
25:08revenues and of course those people are going to object the expense accounts and
25:13the dividend credit and so on so that I think we'll have a hard fight you've
25:18asked for it at this session do you think your educational program will be
25:21persuasive this session I hope so because I really believe that tax credit
25:27program in fact the whole tax bill was carefully considered by people in the
25:32Treasury as well as the Council of Economic Advisers had the strong support of Mr.
25:37Dillon and others who have given this matter great consideration I'm hopeful
25:40the Congress will respond favorably but it is a technical matter it involves
25:45important interest and I think it will have a very soberly considered which I
25:50hope it will be but I am hopeful it will pass and I think would be useful if it
25:54would are you contemplating visiting any other countries besides France if you're
26:02on your trip at the end of May to see General de Gaulle I'm planning my only
26:07present plan is to go to France and some talk going to London I understood to Chris and the
26:13Ratsville baby well that has been considered but I've not reached any
26:18judgment on it I think there's some interest by the family and it would really
26:22be a question of whether we could what it would be the best thing to do would you
26:28explain the reason for the dropping of espionage charges in Chicago recently
26:34against the Russian spy Mellick and was that a part of a bargain for the RB 47 flyer
26:40an answer to the last part of the question it was not there was no connection the
26:45dropping of the charges was made after an examination of the details of the case and
26:50and of the national interest and it was felt that it would be useful to take the
26:58action we took sorry something more responsive but I will say it was not in the
27:03God the RB 47. Mr. President we have demonstrated a great capability in space and
27:09communications and meteorology while these are not as dramatic as a man orbiting in
27:15space there has been a strong feeling among scientists the world over that the
27:19country that would first develop a space telecommunication system to bring
27:25communications within the reach of every nation the world at the price they could
27:29afford would make an even greater impact than the country that orbited land first in
27:34space are you considering putting more funds because there has you have cut some in
27:41both communications and meteorology are you considering adding more funds I believe
27:45that we have or about to if we haven't already done so put an additional and I
27:53just have to go from memory now of something a decision made several weeks ago I
27:58I'm under the impression that we decided to put another 25 to 27 million dollars
28:04into a communication satellite so that as part of this general program yes but
28:12the industry also has been interested in putting its funds in it are and there was
28:17a statement by mr. Webb that we weren't going to at this point put any of this
28:26program into industry's hands till we had investigated further since they're willing
28:31to spend money are you considering perhaps allowing them to share the cost in
28:35advance well if they want to I don't know enough about the matter to give you a
28:40detailed answer except I do know that we did put an additional sum of money for a
28:44communication satellite amounting to the sum that I suggested they are now if
28:49there are any other further things that can be done or if anybody else wants to put
28:51their money into it I'm sure that mr. Webb would be agreeable but I must say from
28:57examining this and other programs I find that the government puts most of the
29:01money into them do you intend to send Vice President Johnson to Southeast Asia
29:08soon we have been considering the vice president going to Southeast Asia and I
29:15think a decision will be reached on that in the next perhaps over the weekend of the
29:19next few days mr. Roberts uh given the threat that you put this morning and in recent days on this
29:27problem of fighting the indirect communist tactics do you still and also given the
29:37rather harsh language out of Moscow including mr. Khrushchev's note to you do you still feel that it is useful to go ahead with efforts at the
29:48diplomatic level to negotiate formal agreements with the soviet government
29:53well we still continue to hope that some agreement could be reached on a
29:57cessation of nuclear tests we are of course very discouraged by the newest
30:03insistence of the Soviets on a veto quite obvious that the Senate would not accept
30:10such a treaty nor would I send it to the Senate because the inspection system then
30:16would not provide any guarantees at all now I noticed the language used by mr. Khrushchev
30:24himself not merely one of his representatives in mr. Lippmann's article that and his
30:30strong insistence on the tripartite and on unanimous agreement in regard to the inspection
30:36system I'm hopeful that there may be a change in that but if there isn't a change in that position it's
30:42going to be very hard to get an agreement and but I believe that mr. Dean should
30:47continue because if this the test conversations should break up then of course our hopes of
30:55getting any agreement on disarmament would be substantially lessened and we could look for a
31:02proliferation of atomic testing in other countries so that I feel mr. Dean should continue though we have been
31:10discouraged by the Russian position do you feel sir that it's that it is possible to have really a two-level
31:18operation here an undeclared kind of warfare which you have been talking about and yet a formalized effort not only in the test band negotiations but terms of exchanges and other types of negotiations are these two things
31:39compatible the incompatibility may rest in the fact that it's hard to get an agreement on any matter when there is a suspicion and between the two systems and when one of the systems are pressing their interest with great vigor around the world makes the chances of getting any agreement far less I thought the best hope
32:06hope was the nuclear testing even though that was always true that the obstacles were large but if there is any chance at all of getting an agreement on a cessation of nuclear tests regardless of what appears to be the obstacles I think we should press on so in answer to your question I still believe that mr. Dean should continue to work at Geneva
32:30thank you thank you
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