European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 6 he stars and stripes thursday january 16, 1969 Johnson asks $1 billion in foreign Aid Washington a presi Dent Johnson asked Congress for $1 billion More in foreign Aithan was appropriated last year declaring the unite states cannot in Good con science enjoy Freedom in world of poverty violence and his final budget message he ought a total of $2.34 billion to finance u. S. Aid operations in 58 countries in the fiscal Yea beginning next july 1. Congress provided $1.382 billion for the current year ending june 30. President Johnson has firmly rejected the counsel of re treat to developing countries implied by last year s deep congressional cuts commented William s. Gaud outgoing administrator of the Agency for International development Aid. We can not live alone. Our Well being depends upon the Well being of the , who is stepping out of office next monday said appointees of the new Nixon administration had not been con suited in Advance on the 1070 Aid program. Much will depend on their attitude. Another unknown Factor waste congressional reaction to the Aid boost. First indication were that congressional foes would fight to keep the amount appropriated at the same level As this year if hot lower other congressmen considered of neck by to Aid wanted 16 explore Art organization plan recently pro prised by an advisory told Congress that 84 per cent of the economic Ai would be concentrated in 11 nations. The geographical Priori ties included Brasil Chile and Colombia which would get 70per cent of $808 million requested for latin America India Pakistan Turkey Korea and in Donesia 92 per cent of $920 Mil lion requested for development Loans Vietnam. Laos and thai land $515 million in supporting assistance to help maintain their military forces. Defense budget would Speed new weapons continued from Page i Philippines and support bases farther afield held no hint of beginning a phased manpower Cut from Vietnam As has been rumoured in Saigon. The new budget subject to changes by the Nixon administration and the Congress pro Vides for 3,455,000 men and women in uniform on Active duty 32,000 below Peak strength in the current army will absorb most of the Cut 26,000, mostly through the release of reserves. The air Force will drop 8,000, More than offsetting a 2,000 increase forthe Marine corps and a near 1,000 net Rise in Navy manpower. The army will have the Sam number of divisions18and its air unit roster is unchanged at218. The Marine corps will Field the same four divisions an three air wings Sis it does in the current year. A the budget will enable the Navy to sail its present 15 at tack aircraft carriers. It Vytill have one less Antisubmarine Carrier and air group and 16 fewer amphibious assault ships. But the operating Fleet of nuclear powered attack submarines will expand from 41 to 47next year. The outlay program covers air Force costs to operate the first two squadrons of the newc5a jumbo size air transports buy moire fb111 of Ter bomb ers arid for that aircraft and 24 squadrons of b52sl thirty squadrons of the big bombers Are now i service. The Cost of running the Selec live service system next year is pegged just under the current $70-million annual level despite an anticipated increase in draft " -. Johnson reminded Congress of his earlier intention to develop a fair and impartial random system of selection for draft ing men a plan thwarted by Congress in 1967. He used his fail we budget message for a Law providing for a variation of a lottery system for selecting men to Bear arms. In other areas covered by the defense budget the president called for a slight increase to$551 million in military Aid and lbs bids formal Farewell to Congress nation continued from Page 1 invasion More than four year ago. It was the first time in 169years that an outgoing presiden delivered the state of the Union message in person. For Johnson who once was doorkeeper in the House of representatives chamber where heave tuesday night s message it was an occasion of deep nostalgia. He got a standing three minute ovation on his arrival in the packed chamber and As he stood waiting to speak. During the course of the 44minute speech Johnson was applauded 53 no. 1 economic Challenge before the nation he said is inflation. It is imperative he said that we do All we responsibly can to resist inflation while maintaining our to Cope with it and to balance the budget Johnson proposed a one year continuance of the 10per cent income surtax. I have communicated wit president elect Nixon on the surtax Johnson said. Both ofus want to see it removed As soon As circumstances will per Mit. In my opinion Circum stances which include today record interest rates do nol now permit president elect has concluded that until his adminis ration and the Congress can As certain that the facts Justin permitting the surtax to expire or to be reduced he will sup port my recommendation that it be key Biscayne fla., Nixon issued a statement supporting the president and saying he feels the Tux should be ended As soon Ashe Vietnam War the budget and economic conditions improved Johnson said that the increased prospects for peace in Vietnam Are bused on the fac that the u. S. Military situation there has improved and a Struc Ture for negotiations has been Laid Down in free nations of Asia know now what they were not sure of at that time the North vietnamese invasion tha America cares about i heir free Dom and its own vital interest sin Asiu and the pud fic John son stud. The North vietnamese know that they cannot achieve their aggressive purposes by May be hard fighting be fore settlement is reached butt will yield no Victory to the said the quest for a stable peace in the Middle Eastis going on in Many capitals. He said there must be a Settle ment of the armed hostility that exists in the Region today. It is threat not Only to Israel and the Arab states but to the the president said he was sub mitting to Congress a $195.3-Bil lion budget which will provide a$3.4-billion surplus for the fiscal year beginning next july if the surtax is continued. He said there will be a surplus in the current year of $2.4 Bil lion. New proposals striking a note of continue commitment to the nation s major problems Johnson outlined series of proposals on which the budget director s office Wallsend to Congress drafts of legis president said that Urban unrest poverty pressures on welfare education and Law enforcement must be dealt with bythe incoming Republican administration. He noted that the country is close to full employ ment but conceded that Man of the programs he has pro posed during his tenure need additional Money to become a Tan Gible this connection Johnson proposed an Overall 13 per cent increase in social Security Bene fits. He recommended the mini mum payment of $55 be raise to $80 a month. This would re quire an increase in the present9.6 per cent tax to 10.4 per cent on employer and said he will suggest in pro posed legislation that the present limitation of $1,680 on annual earnings that a social Security recipient now can have without losing benefits be in creased to $1,800 per year. He suggested a minimum pay ment of $100 a month for per sons who have been on social Security Rolls for 20 years. To broaden the tax base he pro posed that increased taxes be placed on the first $9,000 of an Nual income instead of the present level of $7,800.Johnson took occasion in what for him was a relatively Brief state of the Union Mes Sage to Call for continuance of the Antipoverty program which has been under fire in Congress and which Nixon has indicated he May readjust i believe the Congress will census Tab a plus each Washington up twill Cost the people of the United states $242 million to find out How Many of them there Are. That s the sum earmarked i president Johnson s new Federal budget for the expenses of the197i census. Want to improve the administration by reorganizing the anti poverty program and continue it until we have broken the Back of poverty in our land Johnson said. Johnson said he is recommending $2.18 billion in appropriations for the program. Housing funds the president said he had included funds in the new budget for construction of a half million Homes for needy families in the next year. He proposed an Urban development Bank be Chart ered by Congress to provide Loans to communities at reduced interest rates for schools Hospi tals Parks and other Public facilities. Pointing to the enactment of three civil rights Laws within the last five years Johnson said methinks Congress should extend both vital provisions of the voting rights act for another five years. Aides said that included a provision barring liter Acy tests of voters where fewer than 50 per cent of those eligible have gone to the polls in the past election. This provision would expire in 1970 unless renewed. The president said he was proposing a $300-Milhon expend iture to carry out the Safe streets act passed last year. Saying that this was an Essen tial contribution to Justice and moral order Johnson said twas Only a Small part of the to Tal Effort that must be made chiefly by local governments to reduce the toll of crime. leaves a bundle of requests Washington up five Days before leaving office president Johnson left a bulging bundle of legislative requests on the doorsteps of Congress an the new Republican administration of Richard m. Nixon. Johnson s outgoing budget message carried More than a score of specific proposals fraction ranging from Extension of Ilus 10 per cent surtax to authorization for u. S. Partick Justion in an israeli water desalting Plant. Congress and the president elect can ignore the entire list i they wish. But a number of the proposals probably will get Friendly attention in the demo cratic controlled House an Senate. Nixon agreed to the surtax proposal which would include presidential authority to Cut or eliminate the 10 per cent extra charge when conditions warranted. To Gether with Johnson s request for continuation of expiring Automo bile and Telephone excise taxes it would bring he government a estimated $9j5 billion. Congress might buy some of Johnson s other proposals Suchias a new and bigger Federal Hospital Aid program a big social Security Benefit increase and broader coverage of exist ing workmen s compensation and unemployment insurance programs. But it did not seem Likely that Johnson s renewed request for a Federal gun registration an licensing Law or a Basic change in the selective service system to assure random drafting of Young men would find receptive audiences on Capitol Hill or in he White House. A $120-million Rise in atomic Energy commission outlays to $2.6 billion for improved nuclear weapons and atomic Power plants for warships in fiscal1970. Partly offsetting increase military spending costs Are proposed cuts Itsou clays for Mitt if y con tract Lon dependents housing and civil spending Johnson said As he did Las year that the United states continues to Hope for productive discussions with the soviet Union leading toward agreement on a limitation of strategic while voicing this Hope he called for even greater spending in the coming Yea Rand authority for additional out lays thereafter to provide More Power to the already massive strength of the nation s Strate Gic forces. The number of intercontinental and submarine launched ballistic missiles is unchanged in the new budget but their destructive potential would beastly increased by replacing the air Force s minuteman with minuteman Iii and the Navy s Polaris with the Poseidon both with multiple Hydro Gen warheads Able to strike Sev eral targets at once and with penetration aids to confuse an foil enemy defences. Not Content with these Multi plications of strategic striking Power the budget also seek congressional authority to Start spending Over several years to improve Poseidon and the senti Nel system already under construction to provide lines of de sense against oncoming enemy ballistic missiles. The largest single authority to obligate funds in fiscal 1970 for general purpose forces is for a$2.4-billion new ship construe Tion program for the class this authority if granted would give the Navy five More nuclear powered would be of a new class of very fast submarines. Also envisioned is the first of a new design guided missile ship to escort nuclear attack forces and a second Nimitz class nuclear powered Carrier. Also planned Are five of a new class of conventionally powered destroyers and the first three Ofa projected Fleet of 15 fast deployment logistic ships. For the Navy the longer Range program on which president Johnson wants to Start before june of 1970 also provides initial procurement of a new Fleet de sense fighter aircraft equipped with the advanced Phoenix air to air budget proposal Calls for continued Long Range buying bythe air Force of the fill a at tack version of the fish an once known As the tfx. The defense proposal also seeks authority to Start Down payments in the coming year to design an advanced manned strategic aircraft exploration Ofa new under sea Long Range missile system and major development of u new High perform Ance fighter for the air Force
