"Ever-Rising Levels"

In its Cold War battle to head off the kind of world the Communists want, the U.S. has never been too specific about the kind of world the U.S. wants. Last week, speaking in his old home town of Abilene, Kans. (see below), President Eisenhower sought to sketch in bold lines the free world's hopes for the future: a sound "world economy" binding together a "world community of free nations, characterized by peace and by justice." Within mankind's reach, said he, is "a free, rich, peaceful future, in which all peoples' can achieve ever-rising levels of human well-being."

Starting point is the need for other free nations to join the U.S. in foreign aid programs. "No one nation, even with the legendary strength of an Atlas, could long support the world on its shoulders," said he. "The free nations of the world, motivated by both humanitarianism and self-interest, should cooperate voluntarily in a long-range program aimed at helping the presently less-privileged peoples work step by step toward a better life. Every nation should contribute to the common enterprise in whatever way it can."

Among the ways and means: "technical services, private and public loans, dependable, mutually helpful trade relationships, grants in emergency situations, security help in transition years ... If the growing power of free men is wisely and skillfully applied toward the common aspirations of humanity, then a world of peace and plenty becomes a high probability. The free nations of the world have the capacity and can develop the will to overcome together the powerful, perplexing forces which for thousands of years have yielded hate, distrust, poverty.

"As free men shape historic trends toward noble goals," he said, many of today's nettlesome problems will abolish themselves. "As the less developed nations succeed in establishing viable economies and raising their living standards, our own economy will soar to new heights and our technology will be challenged as never before. Burdensome surpluses--even those of wheat--will disappear. Enlarged demand throughout the world will have to be met by new methods, and more effective use of resources everywhere.

"The task ahead is not for the fainthearted," said the President. "The world must learn to work together--or finally it will not work at all."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.