THE RS-70 PROGRAM EXTENSION OF REMARKS OF HON. ALPHONZO E. BELL, JR.

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• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: March 21, 1962
• Content Type: OPEN

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -= APPENDIX
But there are no easy answers in so com-
plifying the issues is worse than no solution
plea a test of national survival. Oversim-
at all. -And direct action that is negative
and irresponsible inevitably does more harm
than good.
In these ways the.. loyal and well-meaning
will aid rather than arrest the tide of com-
munism. As FBI Director J. Edgar ~-toover
has said: "Unfortunately there are those
-who make the very mistake the Communists
are so careful to avoid.
"These persons concentrate on the nega-
tive rather than on the positive. They are
merely against communism without being
for any positive measures to eliminate the
social, political and economic frictions which
the Communists are so adroit at exploitillg."
The same sound counsel was offered by
Attorney General Kennedy the other day
when he was asked how citizens could best
fight the Communists and their conspiracy:
"IP all the effort that is expended on them
could be turned to positive causes-strength-
ening our scliopls, seeing that American his-
tory is taught, strengthening local govern-
ments., interesting people in politics and in
voting-this energy would do very much
more good: '
If we are to survive, if our freedoms, politi-
cal systems and economy are to be pre-
served,- the precious energy of patriotism
dare not be wasted.
Mr. Hoover reminds us that "both Hitler
and Mussolini were against communism.
However, it was by what they stood for, not
against, that history has judged them."
EXTENSION OF' REMARKS
oa'
HON. CORDON L. McDONOlJGH
OF OALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Monday, March. 19, 1962
Mr. McDONOUGH. Mr. Speaker,, at
a recent meeting of the California con-
gressional delegation, the commander oP
the American Legion, Department of
California, Roscoe T. Morse, and the
members of his rehabilitation commis-
sion discussed-the question of the need
for additional hospital beds in California
to take care of the increasing and ex-
panding veteran population of Califor-
nia due largely to veterans from eastern
States moving to California for perma-
nent residence.
Mr. Lewis. S. Sloneker, director of the
rehabilitation commission of the Ameri-
can Legion, Department of California,.
read the following statement which re-
veals the urgent need for additional hos-
pital beds and other facilities in Cali-
fornia.
The fallowing is the statement sub-
mitted by Lewis S. Sloneker:
STATEMENT TO THE CALIFORNIA CONGRES-
BION,AL DELEGATION, WASHINGTON,; D,C.,
FEBRUARY 26, 1962
(By Lewis S, Sloneker)
Mr. Chairman and Members of the.Cali-
fornia congressional ,delegation: We deeply
appreciate. this opportunity to again meet
with you and we bring you- greetings Prom
the American Legion, department oP Cali-
fornia. This is .our 16th annual meeting
with you, and we wish again as in the past,
to discuss some of the major problems affect-
ing war veterans and. their dependents in
California.
-GENERAL ~ ~.
The shortage oY hospital beds for sick. and
disabled veterans who are in need of care,
are broke, and have no place to go, is still
our major problem. Veterans by the thou-
sands continue to come to California from
every other State in the Union to live. A
high percentage of them are badly disabled,
unemployment, ,have previously made ap-
plication to other Veterans' Administration
hospitals, but are now applying for hospitali-
zation in California. -
During the calendar year 1961 there were
79,655 applicants for hospitalization received
by the Veterans' Administration in Cali-
fornia, plus 2,890 for domiciliary care, which
was over 2,000 more than received during the
previous year. In spite of this, there has
been a reduction in the number of operating
beds from 13,224 to 13,176. Our overcrowded
State hospitals are still caring for approxi-
mately 5,000 veterans because beds are not
available at Veterans' Administration -hos-
pitals. On January 31, 1962, there were 2,406
veterans on the waiting lists, including 91 at
the California Veterans' Home, plus 434 who
were scheduled Yor admission sometime in
the future. They, too, are actually waiting
for a bed, making a total of 2,840 veterans
declared legally and medically eligible for
admission waiting for a bed.
By executive order the Veterans' Adminis-
tration is operating under a ceiling of 125,-
000 hospital beds, The Administrator of
Veterans' Affairs has .the authority to in-
crease the number oP beds in one area by
decreasing an equal number elsewhere. He
cannot do this without sufficient- appropria-
tions to make. the necessary changes. We
sincerely believe it is long past time when
some adjustments should be made by redue-
ing the number of Veterans' Administration
hospital beds in some locations where .there
appears to be a surplus, and increasing by
an equal number in locations such as Cali-
fornia where there is such a shortage.
Under date of January 31, 1962, the House
Veterans' Affairs Committee published reports
it received -from Veterans' Administration
general medical and surgical hospitals as to
their utilization oP the prebed care (PBC),
and completion oP bed occupancy program
(CBOC), authorized by Public -Law 86-639.
it is interesting to note that a great many
of the hospital directors gave as their reason
for not utilizing the prebed care .program as
being that they had no wafting list. Here
are a few examples as to what they had to
say in part:
Alexandria, La.: "Our demand for hospital
beds has not been so great over the past
gear as to require a waiting list of any
significance."
Batavia, N.Y.: "We do not now and have
not had a waiting list: '
Hlg Springs, Tex.: "We do not use prebed
care to the fullest extent because we had
available beds:'
Buffalo, N.Y.: "Since there is no delay in
admissions; it has not been felt either neces-
sary ar practical to Initiate preliminary diag-
nostic studies."
.Cheyenne, Wyo.: "Our patient load has
been slightly below our estimates. There
has been no waiting list established.."
Chicago, I11. (West Side) : "We have had
adequate surgical beds available for the ad-
mission of veterans at the time they apply
for hospitalization without having to place
them on the waiting list."
Cleveland, Ohio: "This hospital does not
have a waiting list."
Dayton, Ohio: "This sta;tlon rarely has a
waiting list."
Dearborn, Mich.: "There is no waiting list
at the present Yor acute short-term pa-
tients."
Denver, Colo.: "We have no waiting list"
Durham.., N.C.: "The greatest percent oP
time we operate the medical and surgical the -State of California because bf the al-
services Without a wetting list:' mast equal veteran population:
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Fayetteville, N.C.: "We do not have a wait-
ing list necessitating a delay in admission."
Fort Bayard, N. Mex.: "This is an isolated
station without a waiting list :'
Baltimore, Md. (Fort Howard division) :
"There is no waiting list at Fort Howard and
all applicants Por hospitalization are being
afforded an opportunity for immediate ad-
mission: '
Fort Wayne, Ind.: "Fairly low patient de-
ma nd: '
Grand Junction, Colo.; "We most always
have beds available for immediate admis-
sion."
Hot Springs, Ark.: "This; station does not
have a waiting list :'
Jackson, Miss.: "Applicants found to be
in need of hospitalization can be admitted
with very few exceptions."
Kerrville, Tex.; "We have had little or no
waiting list:'
Little Rock, Ark.: "Because of available
hospital beds a dearth oP patients on the
waiting list."
Louisville, Ky.: "At no time during the
past 12 months has this hospital had.a short-
age of beds."
Madison, -Wis.: "This hospital has had to
date no waiting list so that beds have always
been available."
Manchester, N.H.; "With no waiting list
for medical beds and only rarely occurring
list in surgical specialities such as urology:'
Miles City, Mont.: "Beds have been avail-
abl~ for immediate admission."
Montgomery, Ala:: "We do not have any
appreciable waiting list which allows us to
admit the needy veteran immediately :'
Mountain Home, Tenn.: "Patients have
been admitted directly without recourse to
a waiting list:"
Muskogee, Okla.: "We maintain only a very
small waiting list: '
Nashville, Tenn.: "Lack of waiting list,
permitting admission of patients very early
after being seen at admission office or after
receipt oP 10-P-LO (application):'
Newington, Conn.: "No waiting list:'
Omaha, Nebr.: "In past b months we did
not have a waiting list except for a Pew days: '
Providence, R.I.: "Throughout most of the
year we are able to provide hospitalization
promptly as needed:'
Salt Lake City, Utah: "Wa have not had
a medical and surgical waiting list." -
Spokane, Wash.: "The ability to imme-
diately admit both medical and surgical
Cases as we have no waiting list."
Syracuse, N.Y.: "Waiting list has not
posed a problem at this hospital."
Tucson, Arfz.: "We have-had no significant
waiting list and adequate vacant beds are
always available."
Tupper Lake, N.Y.: "Availability of bens
ion immediate hospitalization."
Washington, D.C.: "Because oP bed avail-
ability there is no waiting list."
Whipple, Ariz.: "We have no waiting list."
White River Junction, Vt.: "Lack of wait-
ing. list:,
Wilkea-Barre, Pa.: "Due to the limited
waiting list + + "applicants were scheduled
as .applications were received: '
Wilmington, Del.: "Sparcity of medical ap-
plications for hospitalization + + + we have
had practically no waiting lint for the past
3 years."
Wood, Wis.; "We have not developed wait-
inglists."
These above examples indicate surplus
beds. This compared- to the situation in
California does not provide an equal service
for our Nation's war veterans.
For further proof of unequalized hospital
care for veterans, we submit a brief com-
parison between the State of New York and
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- APPENDIX March ~1
Number of general medical
and surgical hospitals___
Operating beds___________
Average daily patient load
according to budget and
allocation of funds_____
Waiting list (general medi-
cal and surgical hospitals
only) on Dec. 31, 1981___
9
7,118
8
4, 921
Patients treated, fiscal year
1961____________________ b1, 840 48,199
We are not recommending or even ad-
vocating that hospital care for needy and
deserving veterans be taken away or se-
duced in any one or more locations just to
satisfy our needs in California. We do be-
lieve beyond a shadow of a doubt that the
facts prove additional hospital beds for vet-
Brans are needed in California. However,
our veteran population continues to increase
and the number of hospital beds continues
to be reduced. If the ceiiixtg of 126,000 hos-
pital beds is adequate for our Nation's vet-
erans, adjustment must be made to give
California more beds by reducing them else-
where, or additional beds should be pro-
vided by increasing the telling.
REPLACEMENT HOSPTTAL FOR OAKLAND
As we have so strongly pointed out to you
in the Bast how unjustified it was to re-
place this 712-bed hospital with a b00-bed
hospital which is now under construction,
we would like to again urge that something
be done. Veteran patients in the East Say,
Sacramento, and San Joaquin Valley area
must, for the moat part, look to the Veter-
ans' Administration hospitals at Oakland,
Livermore, and Fresno, for their care (Liver-
more hospital's designation was changed
from a TB to a general medical and surgical
hospital approximately 1 year ago; however,
TB cases continue to be about b0 percent
of its load) . The Oakland Veterans' Ad-
ministration Hospital admitted a total of
6,742 patients during the calendar year
1981. Four thousand and flity-six of these
were admitted as medical emergencies.
Fresno Veterans' Administration Hospital
admitted 2,973, and 2,281 of these were ad-
mitted as medical emergencies. Livermore
hospital admitted onlg 1,829 and no figures
were available as to the number of emer-
gencies; however, most of their patients
are long-term care which results in a very
slow turnover.
Many of you will recall that in 1954, when
we first called it to your at*.ention that sonte-
tSting should be done to renovate or com-
pletely overhaul or replace the Oakland Vet-
erans' Administration Hospital, you request-
ed us to go back and make a study as to
whether it should be completely overhauled
or replaced. We came beak in 1965 and re-
ported the findings of our study, at which
time we recommended that a new 800-bed
hospital be built across Alice Street from the
present hospital and that it be connected
with corridors overhead and underground,
and that the present Oskiand hospital be
moderately renovated and maintained for the
administrative offices, physical medicine and
.rehabilitation, and intermediate Care-in
other words, to care for the patients who
have reached maximum hospital benefits but
are in need of nursing and attendant care
and attendant) care cases: We doubt if there and demand upon the Veterans' Adminis-
is any other area in the country where tration as they are all eligible. for Veterans'
better than 7b percent of the total number Administration care.
of patients admitted are medical ewer- Whfle the Congress has recognized Fed-
gencies, eraI responsibility for 74 years b;~ providing
We strongly recommend that something Federal aid for the maintenance in part for
be done to adequately increase the number the care of veterans in State homes, it has
of hospital beds at the replacement hospital not provided any funds for capital outlay.
for Oakland or perhaps even better now A bill, ,H.R. 270, introduced durJ.ng the 1st
that they have gone this far with the con- session of the 87th Congress by Congressman
struction, that a new 500-bed hospital be Slss would assist the 33 States iin the con-
constructed in the Sacramento area. struction, expansion, remodeling, and alter-
LONO BEACH HOSPTTAL
Since our last me2tir_g with you, the Vet-
erans' Administration reactivated approxi-
mately 130 hospital beds in the old tempo-
rary barracks-type construction which
brought the operating capacity back up to
1,800 beds. However, they do not have suf-
ficient funds or sufficient personnel to do the
job expected of them. They are abort ap-
proximately 200 professional personnel. The
per diem cost Ss $23.98 as compared to the
Bronx, N.Y., Veterans' Administration Hos-
pital at $28.118,'axid Hines, Ill., Hospital at
x1328.686. If they were permitted a more equal
per diem cost they would have money avail-
able to hire badly needed personnel.
There has been approximately a 8-year de-
lay in bringing this hospital under perma-
nent construction. The first phase of this
construction program has been completed
which brought an additional 581 beds under
permanent- construction. This was done
through funds appropriated by the SSd Con-
gress. The second phase of this planned
construction program to bring approximately
780 additional beds under permanent con-
struction in accordance with the .originally
approved plans, is already past the emer-
gency state and we urge you to cause the
necessary funds to be appropriated and the
Veterans' Administration directed to get on
with the job.
VETERANS' ADMINISTRATION REGIONAL OFFICE,
LOa ANGELES
We would like to again remind you of the
long overdue and urgent need for a building
of permanent construction to house the Vet-
erans' Administration regional office in Los
Angeles. The largest Veterans' Administra-
tionc regional office remains housed in an
old quonset but type of temporary construc-
tion that was built on Veterans' Admixtistra-
tion property for the Douglas engineering
division early in World War II. There has
been much talk and planning in the past
about constructing a new Federal building
on Veterans' Administration property in
West Los Angeles. It would provide for +the
ltottsing of a post office, the entire regional
office of the Veterans' Administratiolt, and
several other Federal agencies.. We have
been advised that it had the wholehearted
approval of the Post Office Department, the
1 Ad inistration and -the
m
S
ation of buildings of State and. territorial
soldiers' homes by providing grants to sub-
sidize in part the capital outlay cost. We
urge your wholehearted support of this bill.
NATIONAL CEMETERY
Again. we appeal to you to use your best
efforts in having the Federal (xovernment
provide a national cemetery in the Los
Angeles area. There are over a million vet-
erans residing in the area. The number in-
creases by the hour. We do not know of
any place in the United States with any-
where near the veteran population that is
so far removed from a national cemetery.
The Veterans' Administration cemetery in
west Los Angeles, where over 45,C100 deceased
veterans are buried, has very little space for
future burials. Veterans who die outside of
a Veterans' Administration hospital or
domiciliary, unless their hospital care is
being paid for by the Veterans' .Administra-
tion in a hospital within the f.,os Angeles
regional office territory, or their bodies are
unclaimed, are not eligible for burial in the
Veterans' Administration cemetery. Many
next of kin from this area cannot afford
transportation to Golden Gate Cemetery at
San BrAno, near San Francisco, Calif. At the
rate deceased veterans are being buried at
Golden Gate Cemetery, it will be only a mat-
ter of a vary few years when there will be
no more space there for burial. This being
a fact, some serious consideration should be
given to providing another national ceme-
tery in northern California.
CONCLUSION
Charles L. Bacon, national commander of
the American Legion, and Robert M. McCurdy
(California)> chairman of the National Re-
habilitation Commission, will appeal before
the entiro membership of the House Vet-
erans' Affairs Committee tomorrow morning
at 10 a.m. at which time they will present
our legislative proposals within the jurisdic-
tion of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. We
sincerely hope and request that each of you
obtain copies of their statements, and sup-
port the American Legion's very moderate
and justified legislation requests concerning
veterans' affairs.
erv ces
General
Veterans' Administration. Certainly for ef- (~ The F,$-7~ 1QC6gragl
'
Admin-
flciency and economy the Veterans
istration needs a new regional office build-
ing in Los Angeles. Wa sincerely hope the
Congress will take the necessary action to
appropriate funds and direct that exuch a
building be constructed without further de-
lay.
VETERANS' HaME OF CALIFORNIA
It has been the policy oP the Federal Gov-
ernment since 1888 to pay a part of the ~t
this site for constructing a Veterans' Admin- domiciled in State veterans' homes. Fed-
istration hospital. The Veterans' Adminis- eral subsidy is the amount of ffi2.60 per day
tration then went out site-hunting, and per member or patient, or up to b0 percent
finally decided on the location at Martinez of .the cost, is the amouxtt new peing paid
and announced their plans to construct a by the Government.
600-bed replacement hospital. We carne As our veterans get older, break down in
back to you objecting to this loss of beds. health, have disabilities that make thcxm un-
We advised you that there was already a employable, together with the ever-increas-
shortage of beds, and our recommendations ing veteran population, there is urgent need
were that this new replacement hospital be to provide a State Veterans'. home in south-
a 1 000 bed hospital with 260 of those beds ern California. Each veteran cared Yor in
t
'
EXTENSION OF' REMARKS
of
HON. ALPHONZO E. BELL, JR.
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, March 21, 1962
Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, joining with
my colleagues who are supporting the
RS-70 program, I would lake to con-
tribute for placement in the RECORD the
following comments which I think are
particularly meaningful, fromseveral ex-
perts in this field:
THE RICHEST DRAMA
(By Joseph Alsop)
For sheer richness of human and political
meaning. this town rias not seen anything
home is relieving the cos
being set aside Yor the intermediate (nursing a State veterans
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -APPENDIX
quite like the B-70 row for a-very, very long
time.
The surface facts are familiar enough by
now. The Chief of Air .Staff, Gen. Curtis
LeMay, wants to spend somewhere between
$5 and $10 billion on these heavy bombers
of the -new generation. The House Armed
Services Committee, headed by the power-
ful old "swap fox," Representative CARL
VIT7SON, has taken the unprecedented step
of "directing", the Defense Department to
give General LeMay what he wants.
Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara
is grimly determined not to give General
LeMay what he wants, because he is con-
vinced that the money will be wasted. -The
result has been a direct clash between Mc-
Namara and LeMay, two of the most formid-
able personalities to appear in the U.S. Gov-
ernment in the last quarter century.
The clash has produced good stories, as
might be expected. At one moment, the
Secretary of Defense, who can deploy facts
and figures on the scale of the Normandy
landings, was trying to overwhelm LeMay
with all the facts and figures unfavorable
to the B-70. The general, not an easy man
to overwhelm, barely removed his famous
cigar in order to answer, with firm finality:
"I never believe any statistics except my
own: '
Besides good stories, this clash has also
come close to producing exceedingly serious
results. It may yet do so, in truth, if the
directive of Representative Vlrrsox is not
watered down somewhere along the long
legislative road. Ten days ago, McNamara
was within an ace of asking for LeMay's res-
ignation, even though he has truthfully de-
scribed the general as "one of the two or
three great fighting leaders of this American
generation"
Here you might suppose, is drama enough
for any governmental episode, but beneath
the surface this particular episode has two
additional, almost invisible themes which
are really more dramatic than the clash
itself.
One is the theme, ever recurring in non-
fossilized military services, of the conflict
of Wills involved in changes of doctrine.. For
instance, cavalrymen ran the U.S. Army, and
Cavalry doctrine was U.S. Army doctrine,
until the retirement in the late thirties of
Gen. Malin Craig. Then Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, following the advice General
Pershing gave the- President from his sick-
bed,, reached down among the very junior
general to make George C. Marshall Chief of
Staff in succession to Craig.
The result was a change in doctrine, ending
a long conflict. The ideas of the General
Staff officers and the War College-trained
men replaced the ideas of the cavalrymen
when Roosevelt chose Marshall instead of
the cavalry candidate, the forgotten Gen.
I~ugh Drum.
In the U.S. Navy, the interwar years were
marked by an equally ferocious coniiict of
wills and doctrine. But the battleship ad-
mirals surrendered to the carrier admirals
only when the Prince of Wades and the Re-
pulse went down in the Gulf of Siam.
In the Air Force today, by the same token,
it !s noteworthy that the Air Staff's B-70
brief was prepared with no help even re-
quested from the brilliant Under Secretary,
Joseph Charyk, or from the equally brilliant
Chief of Research and Development, Gen:
Bernard Schriever.
Charyk and Schriever are the missilemen,
in the same position today as the carrier
admirals in the thirties. General LeMay and
the Secretary of the Air Force, Eugene Zuck-
ert, are the big-bomber men, really in the
same ~ position as the battleship admirals of
the past, although they heartily detest the
Comparison. Eventually, one may be cer-
tain, the aid doctrine will. give way to the
new doctrine; "but the process of replace-
ment, as always, Ls neither easy nor painless.
As for- the other subtheme of the 8-70
drama, it is even more interesting and sur-
prising. This country has been fortunate
to have such Secretaries of Defense as James
V. Forrestal and Robert A. Lovett. ~ But w?
.have never had a Secretary of Defense, or
any other civilian official in the Pentagon;
who has attempted what McNamara is now
attempting.
What McNamara is attempting has, in
fact, been accomplished only twice in this
"century, by Lord Haldane in the British War
Office and by Elihu Root in the U.S. War.
Department, in the years before the First
World War.
McNamara is attempting nothing less
than a thoroughgoing reform, modernization,
and rationalization of the huge, sprawling,
powerful generally admirable, but always re-
form-resistant armed services of the United
States.
Hence- the money that may be wasted is a
secondary issue in the 8-70 fight. The true
issue is McNamara's authority to carry
through this vast reform and modernization.
The betting is on McNamara, and this is
forttnate despite LeMay's great qualities.
ARGUMENT FOR ITEM VETO POWER
(By Roscoe Drummond)
Fortunately there is no easy or automatic
solution to the loggerheads deadlock be-
tween the House Armed Services Committee
and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara
over whether to spend more money on the
improved B-70 bombers.
The Congressmen unanimously say they
intend to compel the Pentagon to spend
$920 million to speed the production of the
new style B-70's which they see as the
plane of the suture:
President Kennedy and Secretary Mc-
Namara say they are not going to be com-
pelled to spend this money, even if appro-
priated, because they believe the new B-70
is the plane of the past, and will be obsolete
by the time it is combat ready in 1967.
I say it is fortunate that there is no easy
answer to this dilemma because it is part
of the genius of our system of divided gov-
ernmental powers that, when a stalemate is
reached, neither side can easily steamroller'
the other, and an accommodation has to
be made.
The constitutional issue is unresolved.
Many Presidents, including Mr. Truman,
General Eisenhower, and now Mr. Kennedy,
have refused to spend money appropriated
by Congress. But now the Armed Services
Committee votes to appropriate an extra
$320 million for the B-70's; it proposes to
direct the President to spend it. The in-
tention is to leave the administration no
choice.
There is no doubt that Congress has ex-
clusive ,power to make the laws-within
constitutional limits-which the President
must execute. But there is a difference
between a law and an appropriation. The
Constitution empowers Congress to pro-
vide and maintain the Armed Forces of the
country. It does not stipulate that Congress
shall exclusively determine what the
Armed Forces should be provided with--
what kind of bombers, what kind of shoes,
what kind of missiles, etc.
Congress can put a ceiling on what can
be spent. There is no evident way for it to
compel the President to spend to the ceiling.
Even 1f the- President can not ba forced
by law to spend more money on the 8-?0's,
he can be influenced by the appropriation
and by the power of congressional advocacy.
It is at this point I venture a sugges-
tion. It seems to me that the deadlock
over spending an .increased B-70 appropria-
tion presents a sound argument and an ideal
time for Congress to give the President the
item veto.
A2193
- This is a power which the Goverltors of
most of the big States with large budgets
already possess. It is a power which all
modern Presidents have asked Congress to
give them in the interest of prudent Gov-
ernment financing. It enables a President to
veto specific items in an appropriation bill
without vetoing the whole bill.
I submit that with respect to the con-
troversial B-70 appropriation, the item veto,
which is a constructive tool of good govern-
ment in its own right, would strengthen the
hand of Congress.
Congress cannot force the President to
spend the B-70 money. It can influence
the President to spend it by the power of
its own advocacy. To increase its influence
it must mobilize and focus its maximum
majority visibly and decisively upon the B-70
appropriation.
What better way of doing that than to
empower the President to veto this B-70 item
and then passing it over his veto by a two-
thirds majority?
if Congressrcannot muster such a ma-
jority, it cannot win the argument. If it
will give the President the item veto, in
line with a bill introduced by Senator KEN-
NETH KEATING, Of NeW YOrk, it will pro-
vide itself with the best possible means of
dramatizing the B-70 issue.
Over the years the item veto would save
more money. than Congress is asking the
President to spend on the B-70's.
[From the Washington Post, Mar. 9, 1962)
THE B-70 IssuE
Differences between the House Armed
Services Committee and the administration
over appropriations for the B-70 program,
involving as they do $491 million in a $13
billion bill, seem not so great as to justify
the high temperatures that are running.
Neither do they seem to involve necessarily
and inescapably the large constitutional
questions that have been raised. No doubt
some patient negotiating will disclose that
positions on this particular program are not
irreconcilable and that the Constitution
need not become involved.
There are philosophies of military spend-
ing about which men are bound to feel
deeply. Chairman CARL. VINaaN, of the
House Armed Services Committee, can sum-
mon to his case the Warning that Lecky is-
sued in his "History of England," when he
said:
"One of the most serious dangers of mod-
ern popular politics is that gambling spirit
which, in order to lower estimates and reduce
taxation, leaves the country unprotected,
trusting that the chapter of acxidents will
save it from attack. The reduction of taxes
is at once felt and produces an immediate
reputation, while expenditure which is in-
tended to guard against remote,- contingent,
and unseen dangers seldom brings any credit
to a statesman."
Still, the size of the program as submitted
to the committee is hardly such as to-argue
strongly that such fears are reasonable. And.
the administration, far its part, can fall back
on "Macaulay," who, in an even more excel-
lent history, warned that "war could not be
carried on without large expenditure. But
the larger the- expenditure which was re-
quired for the defense of the Nation, the
more important it was that nothing should
be squandered:'
Whether the disputed item is an example
of failure to provide against unseen danger
or a squandering of public funds is a matter
which experts must decide. The President's
hope that an agreement can be worked out
does not seem unreasonable in view of the
amounts and purposes of the appropriation.
Although this year's item is in dispute now,
the situation, @.t least, should be clearer a
year from now when the future of the last,
manned- bomber will be more discernible.
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A2194 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -APPENDIX
Mcxrch ~~
Perhaps there can lee a compromise that But it is hard to credit the notion that the the development of America's commercial air-
would neither preclude development, if a.t Constitution, in authorizing Congress to liners of the future. Let's stop stalling.
that time it should -seem wise, nor commit raise -and support armies and make rules for Meanwhile, the B-70 issue has aroused.
txs to the whole 810 billion weapons system the Armed Forces, meant Congress to dic- additional controversy as to the rights and
if a year hence it should seem unnecessary. Late every choice of weapons for the military. duties of Congress as opposed to the execu-
The constitutional issue raised Ss an old 7n practice, for Congress to try to do so is to Live branch of the Federal Government.
one. The prevailing relatiorx of legislature make chaos of the very arrangement Con- Congressman VINSON has raised this point:
and Executive, since 'the rise of constitu- grass set up-a Defense Department to act "It is eminently clear that i;he role of
tional and parliamentary governments, has as agent of both the Executive's and the Con- Congress in determining national, policy, de-
been that of penury fn the legislative branch grass' broad military responsibilities. The fense or otherwise, has deteriorated over the
and profligacy in the Executive. The law- division of duties seems clear enough.. years."
makers, historically, have had to restrain The deterioration of the congressional. role, VIN$ON added that "Perhaps this is the
monarchs and presidents and prime minis- "defense and otherwise," of which the com- time and the occasion to reverse the trend."
tars. The legislators usually have sat in the mittee rightly complains, stems from far Certainly it is a cause for public concern.
driver's seat pulling on the reins. In that more deep-seated causes. The tremendous -
posture, their power is undeniable? unassail- growth in the size and power of the e:Kecu- [From the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Mar. 14,
able, and inescapable. When the roles are tive branch in just the past few decades is 1962]
reversed, legislative power is embarrassed.. plain for all to see. But who ti not the leg- VxlvsoN VERSUS KENNEnY
It is hard to push on the reins. Legislative islative branch conspired in it? And what A subject of much speculation in Wash-
estaYalishments, in recent decades, have has that branch been doing about it aai the in ton is tare clash of wills between Con-
found themselves frequently in this predica- time? How jealously has it guarded its real essman CARL VINSON, of Georgia, chair-
ment. They are not without remedy. They constitutional responsibilities? man of the House Armed Services Commit-
can always refuse the Executive the appro- To consider just one, the power of the tee and the Kennedy administration over
priations it wants until Ire Executive purse. Congress certainly could have used the development of the H-70 supersonic
promises to make the expenditures the legis- this power more effectively to decrease waste bomber.
lature wants. But it is a dangerous a,rld in the Armed Forces. Instead, when a De- The President asked Congress for an ap-
awkward instrument. It is most dangerous fense Secretary comes along with plans to proprlation oY $180 million to produce three
when Congress is as interested as the Execu_ close down military installations no longer prototypes of the bomber, on which $1 bil-
tive in the rest of the appropriations. needed, there are howls of anguish from lion already has been spent. ?Phe Vinson
It is such a clumsy device, in fact, that those Members whose areas would be af- committee voted- to appropriate 8491 million
the best way to deal with the issue is 'to fatted. In the same way, politics !s involved for production of the B-70 as a full weapons
avoid it. The best way to do that seems to in the B-70 question; full-speed-ahead pro- system, and furthermore, it directed the
be to follow the President's advice and talk duction would mean juicy contracts in a lot :Secretary of the Air Force, to use all of the
about the problem in the committees until of districts. - money for that purpose.
agreement can be reached. On the broader scale Congress seldom rises The question is, and ft's a constitutional
- above similar parochialisrti. Instead oY one, can the Congress direct the :President to
[From the Wall 6treet Journal, Mar. 73, sternly safeguarding the national int:erest> do something he doesn't want to do. The
1962] Congress customarily accedes to the demands Armed Services Committee beiir>,ves that it
TaE DETERIOxATxoN os CONGRESS of pressure groups, whether those demands has the power, assuming of course, that the
are formulated by the White House or its House and the Senate concur in i;he commlt-
Chairman VINaoN of the House Armed own Members. All that is not exactly what tee's directive.
Services Committee says the longstanding the Constitution intended- by giving Con- "The time has come when we must de-
B-70 squabble is a constitutional issue, re- grass the power of the purse. termfne whether the function of the Con-
fiecting the deterioration over the years of So, whatever the merits of the apposing gx:ess is solely a negative one, in that it can
the congressional role !n determining na- arguments about the B-70, let us not confuse withhold the authority or funds and prevent
tional policy, defense or otherwise. them with the deterioration of the congres-
In that deterioration there is indeed a sional role. If Congress wants to hatt the something from being done, but caa't exer-
constitutional question, but we somehow usur anon of its powers, it will have ~ look case a positive authority, and by affording
don't think the 8-70 has much to do with beyond that technical controversy, and not the means require. something to be done,"
it. The late of that supersonic bomber, least into its own behavior. said VINSON.
originally intended to replace existing types, In seeking. to uphold the authority of
is instead a matter of military and technical ]From the Los Anger Harold-Examiner Congress, VINSON is relying on the constitu-
judgrnent, on which Mr. 17xNSON and Defense Mar. l0, 1962] tional provisions that the 'Conngress shall
Secretary McNamara happen to find them- have the power to provide for the common
selves in sharp disagreement. TIME To GET MOVING defense and that the President "shall take
Mr. vIN90N and his committee insist that The B--70 bomber controversy, which has care that the laws be faithfully executed."
the Defense Department must get the B-70 been alternately on the back and front of So what could Congress do in case the
into production as Yast as possible; they the stove Yoe months, is boiling again, it President defied a congressional directive?
are trying to frsrce on the Department is a dispute that involves the vital question Well, the House might firing vnpeachment
money its chief does not want to spend for of the Nation's security, and it has been proceedings against the President or the
that purpose. Mr. McNamara, with Presi- pulled and hauled around, and back and Secretary of the Air Force, or Congress might
dent Kennedy's support, strongly favors lim- forth, far too long. try to whip the administration into line by
Sting the B-70 program to the building of Our position is identical with that of refusing to vote appropriations for other
prototypes, after which it would be decided Gen. Curtis LeIVIay, Air Chief of 'Staff'. matters.
whether to go into production. It is that while we have made notable Presidents Truman and Eisenhower both
In our opinion, Mr. McNamara makes the advances in missiles and Set's hope will con- refused to spend money that Congress had
better case. Even in a Pentagon bulging time to do so, manned bombers will be appropriated, but in those instances there-
with billions-one could say especially essential to our deterrent strength for a was no directive from Congress that the
there-the money must be carefully silo- long time to come. We cannot afford to money should be spent. There was some
toted. Mr. McNamara questions that the put our' security eggs in one missile basket. grumbling, but no talk of a showdown be-
B-70 case be developed as planned; even if it President Kennedy and Defense Secretary tween the executive and legislative branches
could be, by the time it mss in production McNamara are resisting pressure from the of the Government.
it might well be outdated by more advanced House Armed Services Committee, headed by Only once was the irnpeachrnent remedy
weapotrs. The tronsiderable additional bii- Representative Z'iARZ VlNSOrr, to spend an invoked. That was in 1866 when President
lions to put fleet.9 of 8--70"s in the air some additional '6491 million for stepped-up pro- Andrew Johnson discharged Secretary of War
years hence might be better used for better duction of the B-79 program. Three proto- Edwin M. Stanton in violation of the Tenure
systems. types are in the works-to what d~#,~ree of of Office Act, which prohibited the Presi-
Should that view prove wrong, the fact progress we do not know-at a cost t3f 8180 dent from dismissing from office., unless the
remains that somebody has to make the de- million. Senate should agree any officer appointed by
cision now. And personalities aside, com- The Air Force program calls -for 140 of him with the consent of the Senate. On
nonsense suggests that it should be the these bombers, at a cost estimated by the that occasion the vote to remove the Presi-
Secretary of Defense rather than the chair- President at 810 billion. They could not be dent from office failed by one, to .get the
man of the House coanmitise. operational until 1970 or 1971. The Presi- necessary two-thirds majority 17I the Senate.
Of course Congress should scrupulously dent's argument is that we ought to see haw It is not likely that the dispute between
examine the Pentagon's' requests, conduct the prototypes work out before going ahead Mr. Kennedy and VINSON wi:il reach the
hearings, raise searching questions, make full throttle. extreme of either impeachment or the. with-
recommendations, including recommends- All right, but let's get going as fast as holding of necessary appropriations. Al-
tions -about weapons systems, ~3r the ex- possible, and spend as much money as though VINSON seems to be in a fighting
teems case that it believes the Nation im- needed., in getting those prototypes into mood, the President is anxious to avoid a
periled by a prevailing military course, it has being. In addition to their security impor- clash and he is confident that itxrther exami-
the power to require extreme remedies. tents, they have also great potential value in nation will convince Congress that the B-70
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bomber would be obsolete by the time it
could be brought into full production.
Iri these days when Congress is responsive
to the demands of pressure groups, and when
the administration is proposing all kinds of
spending to satisfy everybody's supposed
needs, it is refreshing to find some resistance
to - spending whether it .comes from the
White House or Capitol Hill.
Statement in Support of H.R. 10141. To
Eliminate Discriminatory Literacy Tests
as a'Qualification for Voting
EXTENSION OF' REMARKS
OF
HOAI. ABRAHAM J. MOLTER
OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, March 2i, 1962
Mr. MOLTER. Mr. Speaker, last week
on March 14-15, the subcommittee of
the Judiciary Committee which is
chaired by my distinguished colleague,
the gentleman from New York [Mr. CEL-
LERI held, a hearing on my bill, H.R.
10141.
I commend to the attention of our
colleagues my statement in support of
this most important legislation:
STATEMENT IN SuPFORT OF H.R. 10141 BEFORE
SUBCOMMITTEE 5 OF THE JUDICIARY COM-
MTTTEE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MARCH
16, 1962
Mr. Chairman, I am very happy to have the
opportunity to speak in support of my bill
H.R. 10141, to protect the right to vote in
Federal elections free- from arbitrary dis-
criminatian by literacy tests or other means.
This is legislation that has been needed
for many, many years: In modern America
there is no justiflcatlon whatever for the
kind of discrimination practiced in some
States of our Nation to effectively prevent
citizens of those States from exercising their
.constitutional privilege and responsibility at
the polling booths.
Our society, Mr. Chairman, is one that is
based on consent, the citizens give their con-
sent to the various governments of the na-
tion to make decisions affecting their wel-
fare. These governments-local, State, and
national-are in turn responsible to the citi-
zens.
This system cannot be said to truly work,
however, when the consent to govern is given
by only a part of the citizens who are eli-
gible under the Constitution.
Let us reflect for a moment about those
citizens who do not vote. We have, first of
all, a large mimber of citizens who cannot
be adjudged competexit to assume their I?e-
sponsibility in this regard because of their
age. These are our children. They are no
less affected by the decisions of government,
but they do not, and rightly so, participate
in the selection of their leaders. We then
have the insane and those unfortunate
enough to have lost their .voting rights be-
cause of criminal acts.
This segment of our citizens, then, cannot
exercise the right to vote for various good
reasons.
What about the rest of our citizens-those
over the age of 21 (or 18 in two States) who
are not insane and whq have not become
criminals. As we all know these citizens are
guaranteed the right to vote by the Qon-
stitution of ?he United States. Nothing
should be allowed to prevent them from
exercising that right. Unfortunately, some
of them are denied that right by the impo-
sition of discriminatory laws such as those
we have under consideration here today.
This bill would protect the right to vote7n
Federal elections of those of our citizens
who have been discriminated against by
literacy tests.
There are a large number of citizens who
do not come from an English-speaking back-
ground and who, therefore, .have been ex-
cluded from voting; there are other Ameri-
cans who have been excluded because of the
color of their skin on the pretext that they-
are not literate.
This bill, however, -will set an excellent
standard by insisting that no one be pre-
vented from voting who has achieved asixth-
grade education.
I cannot think of any .more worthy piece
of legislation presently before the Congress
than this one, Mr. Chairman. Any bill
which enfranchises people by removing arbi-
trary discriminatory provisions in the law
deserves our wholehearted support and I
trust thax we will have the opportunity to
act on it in the House in the very near
future.
Thank you.
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
OF
HON. EI~~YAR? d. IIER~IPdSKI
- OF ILLINOIS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, March 2i, 1952
Mr. DERWINSK,I. Mr. Speaker, there
has been far too mu;;h confusion `and
misunderstanding created in the con-
troversy over medical care for the aged.
Many older persons are being deluded
into support of the administration's
proposals when, in effect, the King-An-
derson plan is inconsistent with the
problems it proposes. to cure. I insert
into the RECORD a penetrating editorial
from the Tuesday, March 20 issue of
the Chicago Sun-Times, which explores
this subject effectively. 'The editorial is
entitled "Doctor Bills Important, Too."
DOCTOR BILLH IMPORTANT, TOO
A point often overlooked in the debate
over the Kennedy administration's program
for medical care for the aged is its lack of
provision for doctor care for older sick per-
sons: The administration plan, known as
the King-Anderson bill, would offer hospi-
talization to the ailing who are on social
security. It is blank on meeting the equally
crucial burden of doctor bills -when serious
illness strikes.
IYI an effort to fill the void, one of the
Nation's leading private insurance plena, the
Blue Shield, has formulated a program for
comprehensive docto- care for those over 8b,
without Federal subsidies and at rates within
the reach of millions living on lob retirement
incomes.
We are happy to note that Illinois physi-
elana approved this program Sunday through
their State medical society. When the plan
is offered to the public about May 1, Yllinois
physicians and surgeons are committed to
providing their services to the aged at the
reduced rates under the plan.
Single persons over 65 with incomes under
$2,500, and married couples with combined
incomes of $4,000, would pay $3:20 per person
per month. They would receive anesthesia,
and doctor care in hospitals and nursing
homes. There would be radiation therapy,
X-ray, laboratory, and pathological examina-
tions. within certain limits. Those with
A2195
higher incomes would pay an additional fee
set by the physician.
This program strikes us as sound and hu-
mane. It gives older citizens an important
opportunity to insure themselves against one
of the financial calamities of illness. In this
area, at least, the traditional American right
of free choice would be preserved, and Gov-
ernment bureaucracy would not enter .the
picture.
Moreover, it is a demonstration that pri-
vate enterprise can, and will, find some an-
swers to the social problems of the day,
given the opportunity. The program is not
the complete answer, of course, for there
are still those with such low incomes that
$3.^.0 per month would be a sizable outlay.
But it is a step toward meeting a need
which everyone agrees must be met, the only
question being how to go about it. We hope
some attention will be paid to this plan in
Congress and that it may serve as a starting
point for the writing of a medical care pro-
gram for ail who require one-not one
limited simply to older persons on social
security, and not one that would impose an
additional ps,yroll tax to underwrite the care
of millions regardless of need.
Co~~nty Agent Doubts Farm Aid and
Controls Socialistic
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
aF
II01~. HOMER TI~IORNBERRY
OF TEXAH
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, March 21, 1962
Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker.,
one of the ablest and bast county agents
I have ever known is Mr. J. W. Stuflie-
beme, Jr., the County Agricultural Agent
of Washington County, Tex. He is for-
ward-looking and understands the prob-
lem of the agricultural producer of our
area in Texas:
In his Washington County Farm News
column, which appeared iri the Brenham
Banner-Press of Brenham, .Tex., on
March 14, he discusses the need to have
a clear understanding of the agricul-
tural economy under present-day condi-
tions. He points out the need for Gov-
ernment support ~ of agriculture and I
think it is one of the best discussions
of the subject I have seen.
I call it to the attention of the Mem-
bers of Congress, and the article is as
follows:
COUNTY AGENT DOUBTS FARM AID AND
CONTROLS SOCIALISTIC
(By J. W. Stufflebeme, Jr.)
The need for a clear understanding of the
economic situation, especially as it pertains
to agriculture, is absolutely essential under
present-day conditions. I think business-
men as well as farmers should strive to have
an open mind on the subject.
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, farmers
in the United States represent a potential
market of $40 billion. -That, among other
reasons, is why the problem is of vital im-
portance to business firms.
The Agricultural Economics Department,
Texas A. & M. College, supplied information
which will be used in this discussion.
it is believed by most observers, those
who have an open mind on the matter, that
agriculture has been given undue criticism
about being "subsidized. by the Govern-
ment." The merits or demerits of subsidies
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A2196
CONGRESSIONAL RIICORD -- A~P~NOIX Mccrch ~1-
are not being argued, rathor an attempt is
being made to set the recgrd straight. I
believe that agriculture is no more subsi-
dized. than other gams of the economy.
Agriculture is, however, guilty of poor pub-
- lic relations. With historir, honesty, farm-
ers call aids subsidies. Other groups camou-
flage their subsidies in high sounding phrases
like "construction differentials," "rapid tax
amortization," and so forth.
The price support operations, conducted
by the Commodity Credit Corporation in
.behalf of agriculture., are at the core of the
subsidy issue. The apposition to this faun
program, in and out of Government, may
have left an impression on the public mind
that a subsidy is something inborn and
inherent with agriculture, and entirely for-
eign to the remainder of the economy.
It is interesting, therefore, to note that
CCC farm price support losses from 1933 to
January 1, 1958, have cost the taxpayers less
than the subsidies to business through postal
deficits alone during the i0-year period 1946-
1956. Moreover, the losses connected with
price supports for farmers have amounted to
only a fraction of the cost of business--re.-
conversion payments; including tax amorti-
zation, and other financial aids to Industry
during the past few years.
The CCC farm price support losses from
the beginning of the program to January 1,
1958, amounted to a little over ffib billion.
Federal expenditures in recent years far busi-
ness aids and special services include the fol-
lowing: Mail subsidies (1946-56), almost $6
billion; business reconversion payments,
over ffi43 billion; subzaldies to maritime or-
ganizations (1938-57), ffi31/Z billion; subsidies
to airlines (1938-57), over ffi600 million.
The foregoing shows in excess of $60 bil-
lion of subsidy or subeidylike benefits to
industry, the greater part of which has oc-
curred since World War II.
A significant part of our industrial estab-
lishment operates today on Government de-
fense and other noncompetitive contracts,
without normal risks, and with profits as-
sured. Some 50 of the Nation's largest cor-
poratfona have received $80 billion in Gov-
ernment contracts during the past 5 or E
years. Such contracts cannot be labeled as
subsidies to industry, but; they do reflect
certain Federal financial support.
It is notable, moreover, that the Govern-
ment generally obtains the industrial ma-
terials for defense under contracts drawn to
assure profits to the producers, whereas the
food for the Armed Forces is procured gen-
erally without reference to profits or losses
to farmers.
Fur the past 150 years American industry
has enjoyed a relatively high protective tariff.
Yet, during all the history of America, except
the last 25 years, the farmer has had little
or no protection. He has produced in a pro-
tected market and sold in an unprotected
market. We all know the result of such a
policy for the farmer-the end came in the
late twenties and early thirties.
Now, I am not being critical of Govern-
ment aid to industry. i a~n sure these sub-
sidies are essential, but we should be fair
about the situation and realize that the shoe
fits more than one foot.
Extremists may shout that the country Ss
being taken over by the Socalists or Com-
munista. Now, what is a simple definition
of socialism?. This one will do the theory
system which advocates the vesting of the
ownership and control of the means of pro-
duction, capital, Sand, etc., in the community
as a whole..
Now, let us look at the record. In 1920,
only 48 percent of the farmers owned their
own farms; in 1930, less than 40 percent were
classified as .landowners; in 1940, over SO per-
cent of the farmers owned their farms, and
in 1961 over 80 percent oP the farmers in
Texas were landowners. Does this sound
like socialdsm?
Per capita income for farm and nonfarm
population is another guide which should be
of+intereat to all people. In 1934, the aver-
age net income per capita of farm popula-
tion from all sources was only $185; Sor non-
farm population, this figure in 1934 was
$46$, In 1944, farm per capita income: was
$696; nonfarm, $1,328. In 1981, farm per
capita Income was around $1,000, while the
per capita of nonfarm population was well
over $2,000. This doesn't sound like so-
cialism either.
We have a country which comprises B per-
cent of the world's population and 7 percent
of the world's land area. Yet, we have so
many advantages that we are the envy oP
most areas of the world. Personally, I like
the United States of America. I wou.ldn't
want to live anywhere else. And, I think
oxu? country will continue to improve and
offer all of our citizens the opportunity of
enjoying a better life foT themselves and
their children.
Health and Safety on the Road
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
OF
IiON. JOHN E. FOGARTY
OF RHODE ISLAND
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, March 14, 1962
Mr. FOGARTY. Mr. Speaker, under
leave to extend my remarks I include an
address which I delivered at the Rhode
Island Truck Owners Association dinner,
Sheraton-Biltmore Hotel, Providence,
R.I., on December 6, 1961.
The address follows:
HEALTH AND SAFETY ON THE ROAD
(Remarks of Hon. JOHN E, FOGARTY, U..S.
Representative, Second Congressional Dis-
trict of Rhode Island, at Rhode Island
Truck Owners Association dinner, Shera-
ton-Biltmore, Providence, R.I., Wednes-
day, December 6, 1961)
You have been reminded many times, I
am sure, that this is the eve of the 20th
anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day-the day
that President Roosevelt said would go down
in history as a day of infamy. In the 4
years between that day and the end of ~~Vorld
War TI, this Nation lost 275,338 mere and
women, most of them in the prime o:C life.
Every year on this date, this great sacri-
fice is mourned anew, as it should be. Aside
from the thousands of personal tragedies
that these deaths represented, the loss of the
millions of man-hours of high productivity
which we sustained was an economcc tragedy
to the Nation from which we have not yet
fully recovered.
In ail the wars in American histo2?y, in-
cluding the Korean action, the United States
lost about 550,000 of her citizens. I:n the
first 59 years of the present century, we lost
1,335,842 on the streets, roads, and highways.
Two and one-half times as many victims as
in all the ware in our history were last to
traffic accidents, most of them preventable.
Most of these victims, like our war casual-
ties, were in, or had not yet reached, the
moat productive years of their lives. And
year after year, we continue to lose almost
40,000 more, from traffic accidents alone. Is
it not time that we began to fight the high-
way holocaust in the same way that we
fight a war, with all of our resources, ail of
our strength, all of our perseverance and in-
genuity?
You gentlemen, representing the truck
transport industry of our State, area well
aware of the heavy impact of traffic accidents
on the economics of your industry. You
have, in a sense, a larger stake in the fight
against traffic accidents than any other seg-
ment of our industry and our population.
And to a great extent, many oi' you have
risen to the challenge, by painstaking
maintenance of your vehicles, by careful
selection and rigorous training of your em-
ployees, and by your strong upx~ort of bet-
ter highways, more realistic traffic regula-
tions, and more effective enforcement efforts.
Yet, in spite of constantly improved engi-
neering, education, and enforcement, we con-
tinue to kill about the same number of men,
women, and children izx traffic accidents
every year. It is true that the number of
vehicles on the roads increases every year,
and so does the number of tr,~i7ic police.
Why, in the face of increasing ati;ention and
support for the "three E's" of traffic safety,
does the traffic-death hotel remain at a seem-
ingly irreducible, constant figure? Is it pos-
sible that the "three E's" alone, sea important
as they are, are not the total ans~iver to traf-
fic accidents?
I believe that the answer to that question
is "Yes." One vital element has been omit-
ted, until very recently, from our analysis
of the situation. That elertaent is true, fac-
tual, provable knowledge based on sound,
scientific research. Especially necessarq be-
fore we can hope to make a sizable dent in
our annual traic toll, in my opinion, is re-
search on the human aspects of traffic safety.
Just what physical, physiological, and psy-
chological elements are necessary fora per-
son to be a safe driver? Which of these ele-
ments tend to make a person unsafe at the
wheel of a vehicle? Alter 60 years and al-
most 11/2 million deaths we still do not know.
In the United States today, 87 million
persons are .licensed to operate motor ve-
hicles whenever they please on any public
road in the Nation. The criteria for licens-
ing vary considerably from Sta1:e to State.
but in one respect at least they are all alike:
They are of necessity based largely on as-
sumptions, guesses, and conjectures. Not
one State bases the driving privilege on firm
knowledge-because none exists.
In hearings before my Committee on Ap-
propriations for the Departmeni~ of Health,
Educatron, and Welfare this year it was
pointed up that the Surgeon General's report
on environmental health had described the
:activities Of official health agencies in the
accident prevention field as falling far :short
of meeting the need for effective measures to
reduce the toll taken by accidents particu-
larly among children. Because of this the
appropriation. bill included an increase of $i
million to permit the Public Health Service
to initiate an effective, well-ba anted pro-
gram to mobilize public health resources in
the attacks on death and disability due tc
accidents.
I am glad to be able to report to you that,
at long last, at least a start has been made
toward providing the many ,answers we
need. Early this year, there was established
in the Public Health Service a Division of Ac-
cident Prevention which has undertaken to
find the answers to traffic safety in the same
way that the health and medical sciences
have found solutions to many of the great
scourges of the past. In the 21 years that I
have been privileged to serve as your Repre-
sentative in Congress, nothing has given me
more pride and pleasure than lire support I
have been able to give to every [pound meas-
ure for improving the health axxd safety of
the American people. With accidents rank-
ing first among the killers of chiildren, teen-
agers, and young men and women up to the
age of 35, I am convinced that we must give
the Public Health Service the kind of sup-
port which enabled it to eliminate or reduce
many of the losses from communicable and
chronic diseases.
idany of our citizens living tcKiay will re-
member that, not so long ago, smallpox,
typhoid fever, diphtheria, and of:her diseases
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