TEXT OF THE ADDRESS BY GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, AT TESTIMONIAL DINNER FOR SENATOR EVERETT DIRKSEN, IN CHICAGO, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1961.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000200540005-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 24, 1999
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: September 17, 1961
• Content Type: PREL

SEP 1 7 1961
Approved For Release 1999/09/17 : CIA-RDPT5=00'19'R00
FOR RELEASE FOR SUNDAY MORNING PAPERS, SEPTEMBER 17, 1961
TEXT OF THE ADDRESS BY GENERAL
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, AT TESTIMONIAL
DINNER FOR SENATOR EVERETT DIRKSEN, .
IN CHICAGO, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1961.
CHAIRMAN INGERSOLL, SENATOR DIRKSEN, AND FRIENDS --
This morning I left my farm in Gettysburg and journeyed some hundreds of miles
to join you tonight, for one compelling reason. It is identical with the one that
has brought you here. We like, and we respect, Senator Everett Dirksen,.and we
gather here to thank him again for his tireless service to us and to our nation.
Particularly, we honor him for the courage, intelligence and firmness in which
he has calmly played his important part in the threatening world scene.
We know that living today in Chicago is akin to living today in Berlin. Every
free people, on every continent, are in effect the people of Berlin. Like them, we
are face to face with threat of Communist domination. We share the responsibility
for preserving, against that threat, all that we hold dear in this world.
Looming in the background is a grim reality. Nuclear-tipped missiles place
all of us -- even in Chicago -- but 30 minutes from Armageddon -- tonight, every
night, every hour of every day. There is no spot on earth assured of safety from
obliteration. The maximum warning time is measured in minutes.
Friend and foe possess, for the first time in history, the capability of mutual
annihilation. In such a period each one of us -- and this includes our leaders -- is
being tested on the firmness of his faith, the stoutness of his heart, the
steadfastness of his courage.
Americans have, always been confident that, in time of international crisis,
their leadership would hold to principle, would never yield to threat or take a back-
ward step -- a leadership always ready to defend the rights, uphold the ideals, and
meet the responsibilities of this free Republic. In.this confidence we Americans
are determined that where the Commander-in-Chief stands, there we must and shall
stand.
I realize these arQ gloomy words to utter on this, a gala evening, where we are
met to honor a great American.
Yet, we know this is not a time to measure lightly either our own present, or
our children's tomorrow. In such a time silence is not necessarily either.golden
or prudent.
By no means are we failing to support national leaders when we recall recent
events disturbing to us all.
How could we fail to be sorely distressed over Laos, and more especially over
Cuba, and the seeming indecision and uncertainty that characterized governmental
action there.
We have been troubled over quasi-official pronouncements implying basic
policy changes respecting Communist China and Outer Mongolia.
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We have been concerned by unrebuked criticisms of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
and our intelligence,, atiering agency. We have been puzzled and chagrined by
 Approved For Release 1999/09/17 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000200540005-9
expressed doubts as to the allegiance to American ideals of the officer corps of the
armed forces.
Personally I have a profound trh,?i . capacity ,e. Mess D ,Pvr mentl
in uniform to provide for us the mq}~ mu}}~ y pg u a tit.
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