184. Editorial Note
In both his January 6, 1955, State of the Union Address and his January 17 budget message, President Eisenhower urged Congress to fund his appropriations requests for foreign information and exchange activities. In support of the USIS missions in 79 countries, the President said on January 17, “Soviet efforts to divide the United States from other nations of the free world by twisting our motives, as well as its efforts to sow fear and distrust, are mounting in tempo in many areas of the world. I believe it is of the highest importance that our program for telling the truth to peoples of other nations be stepped up to meet the needs of our foreign policy.” The texts of both messages are in Public Papers of the Presidents of the Unites States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1955 (Washington, 1959), pages 7–30 and 86–185.