 It's time for the Lawn Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important issues of the hour brought to you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, a presentation of the Lawn Jean Wittner Watch Company, maker of Lawn Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Wittner, distinguished companion to the world-honored Lawn Jean. Good evening. This is Frank Knight. May I introduce our co-editors for this edition of the Lawn Jean Chronoscope? Larry Lusser from the CBS television news staff and Kenneth Crawford, senior editor of National Affairs for News Make Magazine. Our distinguished guest for this evening is the Honorable John Stennis, senator from Mississippi. Senator Stennis, as a member of the Armed Services Committee, you've just returned from a wide-ranging tour of our overseas military bases. Can you tell us, sir, do you think the country is now in a secure position? Yes, I do. Along with Senator Case and Senator Duff, we traveled to these military installations on the ground, views off them, all the way from Scotland through England, all over France, Germany, and went through Spain and on down into Morocco, across the Tripoli and on into Turkey. And the thing that impressed me and really amazed me was the amount of actual striking power that we have there on those bases ready for action now. When I mean striking power, I mean a military installation, the safe instance in our base. It has the runways, it has the fuel, it has the planes, it has the men, pilots, navigators, all supporting crews, it has ammunition. Senator, what what do you think can and should be done about home defense, that is continental defense, as distinct from your... I think the best possible home defense is to have strong striking power out on these firing lines, these very places that I've been telling you about. We have those line of bases there three deep, rimming the possible enemy, and I think the radar defenses of this country, continental defense as you call it, those have their places to an extent, but it comes to a choice between the two. My idea is to put our money and our time, our effort on the fine power because there's your retaliation. Well, Senator, if we really have bases overseas in pretty good shape now, you think it's possible to make some economies over there on our defense? Well, I think that that will come now. We've got to continue their construction. Those bases are not all completed. They range anywhere from 95% of completion down to some of them have just started. I think the physical properties must be put there. We must continue our construction program. Then we can think in terms of reducing the cost of operations, the maintenance, and without weakening our strength, I mean, without decreasing our strength, without weakening our military striking power there, I think we can reduce the number of men that we have engaged in military action. Well, Senator, did you see actually any waste over there? Well, there was waste in the beginning of those construction programs. Yes. There was some bad management. Some of our militaries to blame some, our contractors to blame some. But that was then in the crash landing stage of the job. I think as a whole, they've done a mighty good job. Senator. Most part of the waste has been eliminated in that construction. Senator, what impression did you get of the progress or lack of progress of the European defense community? And will that take some of this load off our shoulders eventually? Well, now, this European defense community, as I understand it, is the NATO powers and the European defense community as one unit composed of Germany and France and Italy and the Netherlands and one or two others going to supply military forces and in England going to supply it and we're going to supply it. These, the plan for Germany was to have 12 divisions, not an army of their own, but 12 divisions within the European defense command. Now, Germany has just held an election. I think it's the big news in Europe in the last several years. They overwhelmingly carried that issue to go into this European defense command and have the German divisions under the unified command. Now it's up to France and Italy. They have never agreed to this plan, although it's substantially what France proposed. I think the time has come for action. I think that the good effects of the German elections will be dissipated within three or four months and this action is obtained. And unless France comes on in, puts up their part, agrees to Germany being armed within these limits that I've said, I think we must have an alternative plan that will go on and put in effect this plan without Italy or without France if they decide not to come in. Well, some of the time for actions here, the elections in Germany will be dissipated on this point and much of the good effects, all of it lost unless action is had within three or four months. Well, Senator Stennis, I know you're a Mississippi Democrat, of course, but do you agree with Defense Secretary Wilson that it may be possible for us to withdraw some of our troops from overseas? Well, I agree with him to this extent, withdraw them because other forces have been substituted and better ways of doing the same job have been learned doing the same job with fewer troops. I would not want to withdraw our striking power now because I think that is the deterrent. I think it's been successful in operation as a deterrent. And I think it's going a long ways towards preventing World War Three. Well, may I ask you, sir, do you think the Russians may possibly think that this ring of air bases is really an aggressive in intent? Well, it looks aggressive to them, perhaps they know our record that we've never gone on a program of aggression. We emphasize that now. Of course, the Russians claim that that's our purpose. I think they're very greatly impressed with that striking power that rims them three rims deep all the way from these areas that I've mentioned. But I think they can argue with some logic that it is aggressive. I think they know in their mind that it's not primarily aggression that we will not move unless they move. But I do think they know we'll move with the greatest striking power that's ever been assembled in the history of the world if they make the first move. Senator, that aside from our military strength overseas, did you gain any impression of the situation in Europe and Europe economically speaking? Oh, yes, I was very much impressed with the fine economists developed there, especially compared with four years ago when I was there. The shops were all full of goods. There were business going on in various ways. And then I went down in the farms, went down in the field, visited in these farm homes and down in the barn, saw the cows that they hogs, saw the chickens and saw the produce got into the market in phase. Their problems they have there with reference to marketing their crops, their grains and their hay, their meats. Senator, we're having a little trouble at home, apparently, about farm prices. How do you feel about that? Are you satisfied with the present farm price support program or do you think it has to be something? I'm pretty well satisfied with the one that's on the books now. I want this substantial, this program continued, a rigid price support for basic commodities that can be stored. I said in a speech in Mississippi last July that I believe that that program would come either through this administration or another administration. I believe now that the next session of the Congress will enact a law that will be a substantially continuation, extending for at least two more years that present rigid price supports for basic, storable commodities. At 90 percent of power. At 90 percent of power. Well, Senator, I think that should be done. I believe it'll come to that. Senator, the Wisconsin election, which occurred while you were away, probably indicated that the farmers, at least in Wisconsin, are not too satisfied that Secretary Benson feels it as they do about this matter. Rather, they seem to feel more as you do. And there has been some call for Benson's resignation. What do you think about that? Well, I think that a farm program will be enacted by the next session of the Congress that's somewhat contrary to the announcements made by Secretary Benson when he first took office. I it'll be this 90 percent of priority for the basic, storable commodities. Now, I hope that he doesn't quit or resign. I have too much respect for his ability and his fine character and his great sincerity to wanting to resign. If he can find a basis to serve on, if this new policy is enacted, I think he could. Why, he will doubtless continue. That's my opinion. You do feel, however, that his idea of more flexible supports will not prevail. That is correct. Yes, I think we'll have the more rigid support. Well, Senator Benson, if farm prices are so low these days, how do you account for the fact that food prices here in the cities are so high? Well, I think that the sell in the end of the game has been very, very effective. Now, those prices have not come down, even though the raw product that the farmer has to sell has been greatly reduced, particularly with reference to meat. You know, we have high-powered sales organization now and they're very effective. And the cost of processing and retailing, of course, is very high. But those prices are not reflected in the retail trade. And that's one reason why the farmer's caught. The retail prices are not down. He's caught between that squeeze. High production and low produce. Well, thank you very much, Senator Stennis. It's been a great pleasure to have you here with us tonight. The opinions that you've heard and our speakers expressed tonight have been entirely their own. The editorial board for this edition of the Laun Jean Chronoscope was Larry Lecer of the CBS television news staff and Kenneth Crawford, Senior Editor of National Affairs for Newsweek Magazine. Our distinguished guest was the honorable John Stennis, Senator from Mississippi. 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