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House Speech Response to Assistant Secretary of Defense, March 16, 1961
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4525766
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House Speech Response to Assistant Secretary of Defense, March 16, 1961
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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Department of Defense. Joint Chiefs of Staff. 9/17/1947-
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1961
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The original documents are located in Box D15, folder "House Speech Response to
Assistant Secretary of Defense, March 16, 1961" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press
Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D15 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
SPEECH BY REPRESENTATIVE GERALD R. FORD, JR.
on floor of House of Representatives March 16, 1961
Mr. Speaker,
On March 12, 1961 the office of Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
issued the following statement:
'The report that General Lemnitzer has protested to Secretary McNamara
that the Chiefs are being by-passed or edged out of crucial military
decisions by the Kennedy Administration is simply without foundation.'
This statement was carried on Monday, March 13th, in many of the newspapers and other
news media of the United States and probably in many of the newspapers throughout the
world. This statement was issued by the Office of Asst. Secretary of Defense (Public
Affairs) because the public charge had been made previously that Gen. L. L. Lemnitzer,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had protested the transfer of control of space
development to the Air Force.
The aforementioned statement issued by the Office of Asst. Secretary of Defense
(Public Affairs) is, to say the least, a "half truth". The Asst. Secretary of Defense for
Public Affairs knew or should have known the facts and he should not now try to cover
them up. Gen. Lemnitzer as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs did submit a statement dated
March 2, 1961 in opposition to the Draft Directive on Assignment of Space Systems Develop-
ment. In Gen. Lemnitzer's reply to the D.O.D. Draft Directive he stated that the Joint
Chiefs did not have a full opportunity to study this matter which according to him has far-
reaching military implications.
Gen. Lemnitzer's reply or memorandum also strongly protested the D.O.D. Draft
Directive on the basis that such a move would result in an overall loss of effectiveness
through the failure to utilize the full potential of our total defense resources.
The Office of Asst. Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) by semantics is seeking
to deny to the public the facts: facts the public is entitled to know. The release of
Sunday, March 12th, by the Office of Asst. Secretary of Defense Sylvester is a clear-cut
distortion.
This deliberate attempt to gloss over the true facts is difficult to understand
when on Tuesday, March 14th, Mr. EdwardR. Murrow, the new director of the U. S. Information
Agency, categorically stated the U. S. must tell the "truth" both to Americans and to the
world. On this date Mr. Murrow lectured members of the Senate on complete frankness both
at home and abroad. I suggest that this honorable approach be conveyed or transmitted to
the Asst. Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs). He should follow the same guide lines
in the future even though his office didnot do so in this specific case.
SPEECH BY REPRESENTATIVE GERALD R. FORD, JR.
on floor of House of Representatives March 16, 1961
Mr. Speaker,
On March 12, 1961 the office of Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
issued the following statement:
'The report that General Lemnitzer has protested to Secretary McNamara
that the Chiefs are being by-passed or edged out of crucial military
decisions by the Kennedy Administration is simply without foundation.'
This statement was carried on Monday, March 13th, in many of the newspapers and other
news media of the United States and probably in many of the newspapers throughout the
world. This statement was issued by the Office of Asst. Secretary of Defense (Public
Affairs) because the public charge had been made previously that Gen. L. L. Lemnitzer,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had protested the transfer of control of space
development to the Air Force.
The aforementioned statement issued by the Office of Asst. Secretary of Defense
(Public Affairs) is, to say the least, a "half truth". The Asst. Secretary of Defense for
Public Affairs knew or should have known the facts and he should not now try to cover
them up. Gen. Lemnitzer as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs did submit a statement dated
March 2, 1961 in opposition to the Draft Directive on Assignment of Space Systems Develop-
ment. In Gen. Lemnitzer's reply to the D.O.D. Draft Directive he stated that the Joint
Chiefs did not have a full opportunity to study this matter which according to him has far-
reaching military implications.
Gen. Lemnitzer's reply or memorandum also strongly protested the D.O.D. Draft
Directive on the basis that such a move would result in an overall loss of effectiveness
through the failure to utilize the full potential of our total defense resources.
The Office of Asst. Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) by semantics is seeking
to deny to the public the facts: facts the public is entitled to know. The release of
Sunday, March 12th, by the Office of Asst. Secretary of Defense Sylvester is a clear-cut
distortion.
This deliberate attempt to gloss over the true facts is difficult to understand
when on Tuesday, March 14th, Mr. EdwardR. Murrow, the new director of the U. S. Information
Agency, categorically stated the U. S. must tell the "truth" both to Americans and to the
world. On this date Mr. Murrow lectured members of the Senate on complete frankness both
at home and abroad. I suggest that this honorable approach be conveyed or transmitted to
the Asst. Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs). He should follow the same guide lines
in the future even though his office didnot do so in this specific case.