263. Editorial Note
At noon August 8, President Eisenhower recorded a message for broadcast on national radio and television in which he commented on the reconvening of Congress and outlined tasks requiring legislative action before the end of the year. Among these were the Mutual Security appropriations:
“Our national security needs encompass more than excellence and strength in our own military establishment. They include measures to build free world strength everywhere. These require, and I therefore request, appropriations of the full amount authorized by the Congress for the Mutual Security Program. At this point in the legislative process, these appropriations have been cut by well over a half billion dollars. The Nation’s security and our inescapable interest in a stable world require that these amounts be restored.”
The President also announced that he was requesting an increase in the Mutual Security contingency fund in order to meet unexpected crises, such as unrest in the Congo. For text of his statement, see Public Papers of the Presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960–61, pages 612–619.
Under Secretary of State Dillon testified in support of the President’s request before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on August 15 and the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 17. For texts of his statements, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1960, pages 854–857, and Department of State Bulletin, September 5, 1960, pages 372–373, respectively.