munity health programs and those dealing with the health hazards of the environment.

OTHER HEALTH GOALS

The struggle for improved health is never ending. While we are pressing new attacks in sectors of past neglect and present urgency, we must continue to advance along the entire front.

Health facilities construction: I have asked the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to review the program of federally aided medical facility construction, to evaluate its accomplishments and future course. Through the Federal support provided by this very successful program, general medical care facilities have been constructed in most of the areas of greatest need. There are, however, large and urgent unmet requirements for facilities to provide long-term care, especially for the elderly, and short-term mental care at the community level. In addition, a growing number of existing urban hospitals require modernization so that they may continue to serve the needs of the people dependent upon them.

Health of merchant seamen: Over the past several years funds for the operation of the Public Health Service hospitals have been substantially increased to improve the quality of medical care for merchant seamen and other beneficiaries. A start has also been made on enabling these hospitals to conduct medical research. I have directed the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to develop a plan for providing more readily accessible hospital care for seamen and for improving the physical facilities of those Public Health Service hospitals which are needed to provide such care.

Physical fitness: The foundation of good health is laid in early life. Yet large numbers do not receive necessary health care as infants and schoolchildren. The alarming rate of correctable health defects among selective service registrants highlights the problem. In all 50 States there has been a gratifying response to my call of last year for vigorous programs for the physical development of our youth. Pilot projects stimulated by the President's Council on Youth Fitness proved that basic programs, within the reach of every school, can produce dramatic results. children must have an opportunity for physical development as well as for intellectual growth. Our increased national emphasis on physical fitness, based on daily vigorous activity and sound nutritional and health practices, should and will be continued.

Our

International health: Finally, it is imperative that we help fulfill the health needs and expectations of less developed nations, who look to us as a source of hope and strength in fighting their staggering problems of disease and hunger. Mutual efforts toward attaining better health will help create mutual understanding. Our foreign assistance program must make maximum use of the medical and other health resources, skills, and experience of our Nation in

helping these nations advance their own knowledge and skill. We should, in addition, explore every possibility for scientific exchange and collaboration between our medical scientists and those of other nations-programs which are of benefit to all who participate and to all mankind.

CONCLUSION

Good health is a prerequisite to the enjoyment of "pursuit of happiness." Whenever the miracles of modern medicine are beyond the reach of any group of Americans, for whatever reason-economic, geographic, occupational, other-we must find a way to meet their needs and fulfill their hopes. For one true measure of a nation is its success in fulfilling the promise of a better life for each of its members. Let this be the measure of our Nation.

JOHN F. KENNEDY.

THE WHITE HOUSE, February 27, 1962. CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES PROGRAM

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate the following message from the President of the United States; which was referred to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs:

To the Congress of the United States:

As our population expands, as our industrial output increases, and as rising productivity makes possible increased enjoyment of leisure time, the obligation to make the most efficient and beneficial use of our natural resources becomes correspondingly greater. The standard of living we enjoy, greater than any other nation in history, is attributable in large measure to the wide variety and rich abundance of this country's physical resources. But these resources are not inexhaustible-nor do they automatically replenish themselves.

We depend on our natural resources to sustain us-but in turn their continued availability must depend on our using them prudently, improving them wisely, and, where possible, restoring them promptly. We must reaffirm our dedication to the sound practices of conservation which can be defined as the wise use of our natural environment; it is, in the final analysis, the highest form of national thrift-the prevention of waste and despoilment while preserving, improving, and renewing the quality and usefulness of all our resources. Our deep spiritual confidence that this Nation will survive the perils of todaywhich may well be with us for decades to come-compels us to invest in our Nation's future, to consider and meet our obligations to our children and the numberless generations that will follow.

Our national conservation effort must include the complete spectrum of resources: air, water, and land; fuels. energy, and minerals; soils, forests, and forage; fish and wildlife. Together they make up the world of nature which surrounds us a vital part of the American heritage. And we must not neglect our human resources-the Youth Conservation Corps, proposed as a part of the administration's youth employment op

portunities bill, should be estabilshed to achieve the dual objectives of conserving and developing the talents of our youth and of conserving and developing our outdoor resources.

In the second month of this administration I sent to the Congress a message summarizing our plans for the development of our natural resources. In the year which followed, heartening progress was made, including the following:

A full-scale attack on one of the most destructive forms of waste-water pollution-has been mounted under the 1961 amendments to the Water Pollution Control Act.

The saline water program to find cheaper means of converting salt water to fresh water was given new impetus by legislation enacted last year; three demonstration plants have begun operation and two more will shortly be under construction.

Floodplain studies were initiated under a new nationwide program to provide the States and local governments with information needed to regulate the use of floodplains, thereby minimizing frightful flood losses.

Work was started on 74 major water resources projects and 79 small watershed projects, and planning for water resources development has been intensified.

Under recently issued regulations, sufficient land can now be acquired in the construction of federally financed reservoirs to preserve the recreational potential of those areas.

Our urban areas can now guide their growth and development through the acquisition of open space for recreation and other purposes under the Housing Act of 1961-a landmark in conservation effort.

The great outer beach of Cape Cod is now a national seashore area, protected for the present and future enjoyment of all Americans, the first major addition to the national park system in 14 years.

A long-range duck-stamp program has been launched to acquire additional lands for waterfowl so that they may grow and thrive.

A 10-year projection of needs and plans for the development of our national forests was sent to the Congress last September-a major step forward in the management of publicly owned forests.

The Delaware River Basin compact was approved, providing a new basis for cooperative and coordinate development.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is giving new emphasis to tributary watershed development.

This progress is gratifying. But much remains to be done our renewed interest and momentum must not wane. To provide an opportunity for the exchange of further ideas-and to permit those who have dedicated their efforts to the principles of conservation to participate in evaluating the progress that has been made and to seek the best possible advice in prescribing what must be done in the future-I propose to convene a

White House Conference on Conservation this year.

1. OUTDOOR RECREATION RESOURCES

Adequate outdoor recreational facilities are among the basic requirements of a sound national conservation program. The increased leisure time enjoyed by our growing population and the greater mobility made possible by improved highway networks have dramatically increased the Nation's need for additional recreational areas. 341 million visits to Federal land and water areas recorded in 1960 are expected to double by 1970 and to increase fivefold by the end of the century. The need for an aggressive program of recreational development is both real and immediate.

The

aged and aided in their efforts to understand and realize the full potential that lies within their boundaries rests on sound ground. Accordingly, I urge the Congress to enact legislation which will shortly be transmitted to establish a program of matching grants for the development of State plans for outdoor recreational programs. This program will supplement that enacted last year which authorized assistance to State and local governments in planning and acquiring open space lands in urban areas for recreation, conservation, and other purposes.

4. In most cases the magnificent national parks, monuments, forests, and wildlife refuges presently maintained and operated by the Federal Government have either been donated by States or The Outdoor Recreation Resources Re-private citizens or carved out of lands view Commission, after a 3-year study of our Nation's recreational demands and opportunities, has submitted a series of recommendations deserving the attention of governments at all levels and of the citizenry at large. Many of the Commission's suggestions have already been explored and developed to the point where we are prepared to recommend legislation implementing them. Others will be carefully considered and, where appropriate, put into effect by Executive action; where additional legislation is required, recommendations will be made to the Congress.

1. More than 20 different Federal departments and agencies have responsibilities of one sort or another in the field of recreation. It is essential that there be close coordination among these different groups and that all plans be fitted into a basic national policy. Accordingly, as recommended by the ORRRC report, I shall appoint an Outdoor Recreation Advisory Council made up of the heads of departments and agencies principally concerned with recreation to provide a proper forum for considering national recreation policy and to facilitate coordinated efforts among the various agencies.

2. Another organizational recommendation of the ORRRC report to be adopted is the creation within the Department of the Interior of a Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. This Bureau will carry out planning functions already assigned to the Department of the Interior and will administer the program of Federal assistance for State agencies I am proposing below. This new Bureau will serve as a focal point within the Federal Government for the many activities related to outdoor recreation, and will work and consult with the Departments of Agriculture, Army, and Health, Education, and Welfare, the Housing and Home Finance Agency, and with other governmental agencies in implementing Federal outdoor recreation policies.

3. The interest and investment in recreational development by the various States have been irregular and uneven. Some have demonstrated outstanding organizational skills with corresponding benefits. The ORRRC recommendation that the States should be encour

in the public domain. No longer can these sources be relied upon-we must move forward with an affirmative program of land acquisition for recreational purposes. For, with each passing year, prime areas for outdoor recreation and fish and wildlife are preempted for suburban growth, industrial development, or other uses. That expenditures for land resources is also a sound financial investment is clear from the multiplied value of those lands now devoted to parks, forests, and wildlife refuges which were acquired decades ago by the great conservationists-moreover, steadily rising land prices can in some cases serve to foreclose public acquisition. Expansion of our permanent recreational land base can best be achieved by investments in our future in the form of modest user payments from those who now enjoy our superb outdoor areas and from recreation and land related receipts.

To meet our national needs for adequate outdoor recreational lands, I propose creation of a land conservation fund to be financed by (1) proceeds from entrance, admission, or user fees and charges at Federal recreation areas; (2) annual user charges on recreation boats; (3) diversion from the highway trust fund of refundable, but unclaimed, taxes paid on gasoline used in motorboats; and (4) receipts from the sale of surplus Federal nonmilitary lands.

To prevent costly delay in beginning an acquisition program. I recommend authorization be granted to include advances from the Treasury not to exceed $500 million over an 8-year period in the proposed land conservation fund which will be repaid from the regular revenue sources of the fund. Money would be made available from the fund for land acquisition by annual appropriations by the Congress.

5. Last year's congressional approval of the Cape Cod National Seashore Area should be regarded as the pathbreaker for many other worthy park land proposals pending before the Congress. I urge favorable action on legislation to create Point Reyes National Seashore in California; Great Basin National Park in Nevada: Ozark Rivers National Monument in Missouri: Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in New York; Can

yonlands National Park in Utah; Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan; Prairie National Park in Kansas; Padre Island National Seashore in Texas; a national lakeshore area in northern Indiana; and Ice Age National Scientific Reserve in Wisconsin. Acquisition of these park lands would be financed through the land acquisition fund.

6. In some sections of the United States-notably the East-available public lands do not meet the large recreational demands. These pent-up demands can be met in some instances through the disposal of lands surplus to Federal needs. I recommend that the Federal Surplus Property Disposal Act be amended to permit States and local governments to acquire surplus Federal lands for park, recreation, or wildlife uses on more liberal terms. Furthermore as the ORRRC report pointed cut. fishing, hiking, picnicking, riding, and camping activities on private lands canand should be intensified and encouraged. One important step in this direction is the recommendation made in my message on agriculture which would permit the orderly movement of millions of acres of land not needed to produce food and fibers to recreational and other uses.

7. The special urgent recreation needs of our urban dwellers, first recognized by Congress in the Housing Act of 1961. are evident from the dramatic response to this administration's open-space land programs on the part of States and cities throughout the Nation. In view of the known backlog of need for recreational lands, and the remarkable rate at which urban and suburban lands are being put to other uses, I have recommended that the present open-space grant authorization be increased by $50 million.

8. The fast-vanishing public shorelines of this country constitute a joint problem for the Federal Government and the States requiring a carefully conceived program of preservation. I recommend approval of legislation along the lines of S. 543, as approved by the Senate, to authorize a study of the ocean, lake, and river shorelines of the Nation to develop a Federal-State shoreline preservation program.

9. Finally, we must protect and preserve our Nation's remaining wilderness area. This key element of our conservation program should have priority attention.

I therefore again strongly urge the Congress to enact legislation establishing a national wilderness preservation system along the lines of 8. 174, introduced by Senator Anderson.

II. WATER RESOURCES

Our Nation's progress is reflected in the history of our great river systems. The water that courses through our rivers and streams holds the key to full national development. Uncontrolled, it wipes out homes, lives, and dreams, bringing disaster in the form of floods; controlled, it is an effective artery of transportation, a boon to industrial de

velopment, a source of beauty and recreation, and the means for turning arid areas into rich and versatile cropland. In no resource field are conservation principles more applicable. By 1980, it is estimated, our national water needs will nearly double-by the end of the century they will triple. But the quantity of water which nature suplies will remain almost constant.

Our goal, therefore, is to have sufficient water sufficiently clean in the right place at the right time to serve the range of human and industrial needs. And we must harmonize conflicting objectives-for example, irrigation versus navigation, multiple-purpose reservoirs versus scenic park sites. Comprehensive and integrated planning is the only solution of this problem, requiring cooperative efforts at all levels of government.

I, therefore, again urge the Congress to enact the Water Resources Planning Act which I transmitted to the Congress last July which would

authorize Federal grants-in-aid to assist the States in water resource planning;

authorize the establishment of river basin commissions representing State and National views to prepare and keep up to date coordinated and integrated basin plans; and

establish a Water Resources Council of key Cabinet officers to coordinate Federal river basin planning and development activities.

This administration adheres to the policy enunciated in my natural resources message of last year that our available water supply will be used to provide maximum benefits for all purposes-hydroelectric power, irrigation and reclamation, navigation, recreation and wildlife, and municipal and industrial water supply. These diverse uses and our future needs require thoughtful preservation and full development of our national water resources.

The leadtime is long in the development of water resources. Years are required to plan and build sound projects. Time should not be lost on those projects which have already been transmitted to the Congress for authorization: San Juan-Chama, Fryingpan-Arkansas, Burns Creek, Garrison diversion and Auburn-Folsom South. Federal planning efforts have been intensified and studies and recommendations for authorization of additional water developments accelerated. These plans and recommendations will be submitted to the Congress as they are completed.

III. PUBLIC LANDS

One hundred and fifty years ago the vacant lands of the West were opened to private use. One hundred years ago the Congress passed the Homestead Act, probably the single greatest stimulus to national development ever enacted. Under the impetus of that act and other laws, more than 1.1 billion acres of the original public domain have been transferred to private and non-Federal public ownership. The 768 million acres re

maining in Federal ownership are a valuable national asset.

Although the acres set aside for national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges are contributing increasingly to the national welfare, we must take action to assure that the full potential is realized from the vacant unused areas in the public domain (180 million acres, exclusive of Alaska). More intensive management is now being applied to the public domain lands, but still more needs to be done. For example, we plan to establish a realistic schedule of fees and charges for use of Federal rangelands, to replace the peculiar patchwork schedule now in effect.

As a basis for making the public domain lands more productive, a comprehensive inventory has been initiated. Although most public domain lands must be retained in Federal ownership for defense and conservation purposes, there are numerous tracts which can be utilized best through private ownership. We are currently updating procedures for land exchanges to provide more orderly patterns of land tenure on both public and private lands. But unfortunately, the laws governing the transfer of public lands to other ownerships are antiquated and new procedures are sorely needed. I urge enactment of a new general landsale law along the lines of H.R. 7788, as introduced by Congressman ASPINALL.

IV. SOIL, WATERSHED, AND RANGE RESORCES

For a quarter of a century, we have recognized that a major responsibility for resources conservation rests with the farmers, ranchers, and others who own three-fourths of the Nation's land area. Today, 29,000 soil conservation districts provide leadership in the conservation effort with Federal technical and financial assistance.

Much progress has been made-by land terracing, stripcropping, and other erosion prevention and water conservation measures-but nearly three-fourths of private crop and range lands still need improved conservation practices. Joint action to conserve this basic resourcethe land-must be continued and intensified for the benefit of future generations.

During 1961 more watershed projects were approved for construction than in any previous year. This accelerated pace must be continued, on both public and private lands. These projects, while comparatively small, are of vital importance to rural areas and should be as broadly beneficial to the watershed area as possible. I urge, therefore, that the Congress enact legislation which will shortly be transmitted to clarify certain provisions of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act and to allow deferred repayment of municipal and industrial water supply costs.

A special problem of land conservation calling for immediate attention is the serious erosion and river pollution created by surface-mining practices. Techniques must promptly be devised to prevent or minimize this despoilment if we are not to abandon great areas of

scenic beauty and create difficult silting problems in many sections of the country. I have directed the Secretary of the Interior, working with appropriate Federal agencies and with the States, to recommend a program of research and action.

V. TIMBER RESOURCES

Timber growth, particularly in softwoods, must be increased significantly if we are to meet the Nation's projected future requirements for wood products. The growing of timber is a long-term project, requiring concerted public and private efforts, and considerable advance planning.

A major advance in Federal forestry efforts was the 10-year development program established for the national forests and announced last September. The Secretary of the Interior is currently preparing a comparable program for the forests under the jurisdiction of his Department.

To implement these, I recommend approval of legislation to be sent to the Congress shortly to accelerate the development of national multiple-purpose forest roads and trails.

Although management of public forests and the large private forests rests on a sound basis, there is opportunity for further improvement. For example, one step that can and will be taken is the establishment of a policy, permitting the Federal Government to condition its granting of rights-of-way to private timberland owners within national forests upon the receipt of corresponding rights to cross their private lands in order to harvest timber from national forests. For an effective national timber resources conservation effort, however, we must depend upon the quarterbillion acres of private timberlands, consisting primarily of small tracts in more than 4 million ownerships.

Improved timber management practice on these small tracts is difficult because of such problems as nonresident ownership, short tenure, owner's lack of knowledge or interest in forestry, limited economic incentives, and the inefficient size of forest units. Existing technical and financial assistance programs have proven inadequate, and I have therefore directed the Secretary of Agriculture to intensify the efforts of his Department to develop a program for improving the management of those small forests.

VI. MINERALS

During the last 30 years, this Nation has consumed more minerals than all the peoples of the world had previously used. Twice in those 30 years we have doubled the rate of mineral production. Current demands are being met without difficulty primarily because of the immense technical and exploratory efforts of the 1940's and early 1950's. But present availability of raw materials must not blind us to tomorrow's requirements.

Conservation of mineral resources benefits from the fact that, for practical purposes, they are not fixed in quantity-the usable volume and variety of minerals increase as technology ad

vances. We have learned to use a host of materials which had no previous value or had value only in limited uses.

Technical research is obviously the critical element in a program of conserving and strengthening both our mineral resources and our minerals industries. To assure us of adequate quantities of minerals in the future, and to enable our minerals industries to compete in world markets, we must find more effective means of discovering and extracting mineral deposits, learn to refine materials of lower quality, and find both new uses for minerals which are relatively abundant, and substitutes for those which are scarce or difficult to procure.

A possible breakthrough for one of the hardest hit minerals industries is the recent development of a coal slurrya mixture of coal and water-which can be fed directly into great boilers for producing steam to generate electricity. This slurry, capable of being transported through pipelines similar to those used for oil, holds great promise and merits governmental and industrial consideration. I will shortly send to the Congress proposals to facilitate the construction of pipelines to transport coal slurry in interstate commerce.

VII. POWER

One of the major challenges in resource conservation lies in the orderly development and efficient utilization of energy resources to meet the Nation's electric power needs-needs which double every decade. The goal of this administration is to insure an abundance of low-cost power for all consumers-urban and rural, industrial and domestic. To achieve this, we must use more effectively all sources of fuel, find cheaper ways to harness nuclear energy. develop our hydroelectric potential, utilize presently unused heat produced by nature or as a byproduct of industrial processes, and even capture the energy of the tides where feasible.

The ability to make long-range plans for the expansion of our Nation's electric power supply required by constantly growing power needs will be enhanced by a comprehensive nationwide survey to be undertaken by the Federal Power Commission. Under existing authority contained in the Federal Power Act, the Commission will project our national power needs for the 1960's and 1970's and suggest the broad outline of a fully interconnected system of power supply for the entire country. This information will encourage the electric power industry—both private and public-to develop individual expansion programs and intertie systems permitting all elements of the industry—and more importantly the consumers-to benefit from efficient, orderly planned growth. I urge favorable action on the request for adequate funds to initiate this study of the Nation's power needs for the next 20 years.

Advantageous arrangements and technological improvements for power generation and transmission are being de

veloped by the Department of the Interior. Experimentation in extra high voltage, direct-current transmission over long distances promises to enable us to send major blocks of low-cost offpeak electricity-that which is generated when the demand is low-as far as a thousand miles to areas where such energy can be put to higher and more valuable use because of their different patterns of electricity demands. Similarly, investigation is continuing on possibilities for using cheap offpeak power to pump water to storage reservoirs permitting the water to be used to generate power when demands are great and power sells at a premium.

VIII. RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

Implicit in the conservation thesis of wise use, improvement, preservation and restoration of our resources is the basic requirement of greater scientific knowledge and improved resources management. The catalog of resource problems set forth in this message demonstrates the importance of intensive research in the resources field. In response to the demonstrated need for concentrated and coordinated research, this administration has

requested the National Academy of Sciences to undertake a thorough evaluation of the potentials and needs for research underlying the development and use of natural resources.

directed the Federal Council for Science and Technology to coordinate the wide-ranging research programs of participating agencies to strengthen and unify our total governmental research effort in the natural resources field.

directed the Council of Economic Advisers to stimulate research in the economics of resource use.

Coordinated research programs ready underway and worthy of special note are the following:

Oceanography: Our intensified effort to expand our knowledge and understanding of the vast resources held by the oceans through basic research and surveys of geologic and living resources will surely result in extending our known resource base, with encouraging prospects for improving our standard of living and adding protein-rich marine products to the diets of the hungry people of the world.

Sports fisheries and wildlife: Studies of diseases and pesticides are continuing and efforts to solve the problems of passing migratory fish over high dams are being accelerated. A new laboratory has been opened on the Atlantic coast to study the management of salt-water sport fish-the basis of a growing industry.

Agriculture and forestry: The Secretary of Agriculture will soon appoint an advisory panel of outstanding scientists to appraise and propose changes in the Department's research programs. The emphasis will be shifted from increasing production to problems of soil and water. forest resources. resources, forage production,

watershed protection, and protection of plants and animals against pests and diseases. Economic studies to provide the bases for sound land and water resources policies and optimum land use adjustments will be further intensified.

Water: An Institute of Water Research participated in by all water resource agencies, to be established in the Department of the Interior, will conduct basic research on surface and ground waters to develop fundamental principles and facilitate improved translation of scientific information into water management practices. Concentrated and coordinated research programs in a number of agencies are being directed to such specific problems as desalinization of water, improving water quality and flood forecasting and preventing water evaporation.

Just as our investment of scientific talent, money, and time is better utilized in well-coordinated and complementary programs within the Federal Government and by the closest working relationships with State and local governments. the academic community and industry. so our efforts should be meshed with those of the other countries of the world Resource conservation problems are worldwide; efforts to solve them should be equally universal. This Nation will continue to cooperate in international scientific and research undertakings: and the useful information and specific technological applications we developeconomically feasible desalinization of sea water, for example-will be made available immediately, as has always been our practice, to advance the welfare of all peoples of the world.

CONCLUSION

In the work of conservation, time should be made our friend, not our adversary. Actions deferred are frequently opportunities lost, and, in terms of financial outlay, dollars invested today will yield great benefits in the years to come. The progress made in the resources field in the first year of this administration is encouraging; implementation of the new recommendations made today will maintain our momentum, enabling us to repay our debt to the past and meet our obligations to the future.

JOHN F. KENNEDY.

The WHITE HOUSE, March 1, 1962.

REPORT OF OFFICE OF MINERALS
EXPLORATION

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate the following message from the President of the United States; which, with the accompany report, was referred to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. To the Congress of the United States:

I transmit herewith the seventh Semiannual Report of the Office of Minerals Exploration from the Secretary of the Interior as prescribed by section 5 of the act of August 21, 1958, entitled “To provide a program for the discovery of the

mineral reserves of the United States, its territories and possessions by encouraging exploration for minerals, and for other purposes."

JOHN F. KENNEDY. The WHITE HOUSE, March 1, 1962.

EXPANSION OF PEACE CORPS

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate the following communication from the President of the United States; which, with the accompanying papers, was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

THE WHITE HOUSE, February 26, 1962. DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: The Peace Corps is now 1 year old. Twelve months ago I asserted that only through the most careful planning and negotiation could its success be assured. Today I am pleased to report to the Congress that its early successes have fulfilled expectations.

Careful preparation and sound training have assured the selection of qualified men and women and minimized health and other hazards. Economy of operation has held actual expenditures for each volunteer recruited, selected, trained, and supported overseas to an admirably low level. Careful selection of administrative personnel, both at home and abroad, has resulted in maximum efficiency with minimum staff.

I am transmitting herewith, for the consideration of the Congress, legislation to enable continuation of the current Peace Corps program, and to make possible a further expansion of its work. This legislation will permit the Peace Corps to have 6,700 volunteers in the field by June 30, 1963, compared to the maximum of 2,400 permitted under the present appropriation. While this number will still not permit us to meet all requests from foreign countries, it will enable us to make the most of a historic opportunity to achieve better understanding among nations.

By June 30 of this year there will be 2,400 Peace Corps volunteers in service or in training. Another 2,700 are scheduled to enter training in July or August of this year. But the overwhelming response to this program in actual operation abroad makes further expansion both necessary and desirable. Volunteers have been welcomed with friendliness and affection in every one of the villages, towns, schools, factories, and hospitals to which they have gone to share their skills with the peoples of less developed nations.

In many instances Peace Corps volunteers are working where no American has ever lived or even traveled. The enthusiasm with which they are received is perhaps best reflected in this statement on the Peace Corps by President Alberto Lieras Comargo, of Columbia: "*

the finest way in which the United States could prove to the humble people of this and other lands that the primary purpose of its international aid program is to built a better life in all of the free world's villages and neighborhoods."

The reception accorded the Peace Corps is underscored by the fact that

every one of the 12 countries in which volunteers are now at work has requested additional volunteers. In most cases the Peace Corps has been asked to triple and quadruple the number of men and women already supplied. Nigeria, for example, has requested 400 additional teachers.

Equally heartening has been the enthusiasm for the Peace Corps in our own country. More than 20,000 Americans have volunteered to serve a convincing demonstration that we have in this country an immense reservoir of dedicated men and women willing to express by their actions and convictions the highest values of our society. Although the average age is 241⁄2 for men and 25 for women, many of the volunteers are in their thirties and forties, and three are in their sixties. Approximately one-third are women-nurses, home economists, social workers, and teachers. These volunteers are from every part of the Nation and represent every segment of American life. As an extra bonus to our own country, Peace Corps graduates will constitute an invaluable addition to the very limited pool of trained manpower in our own country with this kind of constructive oversea experience; and I have no doubt that many of them will go on to make still further contributions to their country in the Foreign Service and other posts.

The Peace Corps has successfully weathered its experimental period, and has enjoyed widespread bipartisan support. I urge prompt consideration of the legislation authorizing an increase in the authorization to $63.75 million for Peace Corps programs in fiscal year 1963.

This legislation will also effect a small number of other changes designed to make it more effective. I urge the Congress to give prompt consideration and approval to this clearly justified measure. Sincerely,

JOHN F. KENNEDY.
Hon. LYNDON B. JOHNSON,
President of the Senate,
Washington, D.C.

REPORT OF EXCHANGE STABILIZATION FUND

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report of the audit of the exchange stabilization fund for the fiscal year 1961; which, with the accompanying report, was referred to the Committee on Banking and Currency.

DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE BUILDINGS IN THE REPORT ON THE HIGHWAY FUND

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a communication from the President of the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia, transmitting a draft of proposed legislation to amend the act authorizing the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to remove dangerous and unsafe buildings and part thereof; which, with the accompanying papers, was referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia.

REPORT ON THE HIGHWAY FUND The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the sixth annual report on the financial condition and fiscal operations of the highway trust fund; which, with the accompanying report, was referred to the Committee on Finance.

REPORT OF EXCESS FOREIGN PROPERTY

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a communication from the Director, Office of Administrative Operations, U.S. Department of Commerce, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report of foreign excess property disposed of by the U.S. Department of Commerce during calendar year 1961; which was referred to the Committee on Government Operations. WAGE SURVEYS OF RESTAURANTS AND OTHER FOOD SERVICE ENTERPRISES

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a communication from the Secretary of Labor, transmitting, pursuant to law, the final report on the exemptions available for employment in restaurants and other food service enterprises, prepared by the Wage and Hour Division, February 1962; which, with the accompanying report, was referred to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare.

REPORT ON EXEMPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND MOTELS The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a communication from the Secretary of Labor, transmitting, pursuant to law, the final report on the exemptions available for employment in hotels and motels, prepared by the Wage and Hour Division, February 1962; which, with the accompanying report, was referred to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare.

VACCINATION ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1962 The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a communication from the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, transmitting a draft of proposed legislation to assist States and communities to carry out intensive vaccination programs designed to protect their populations, especially all preschool children, against poliomyelitis, diphtheria, whooping cough, and tetanus, and against other diseases which may in the future become susceptible of practical elimination as a public health problem through such programs; which, with the accompanying paper, was referred to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare.

USELESS PAPERS IN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a communication from the Administrator of General Services Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report of the Acting Archivist of the United States on lists of papers in various departments and agencies of the Government, recommended for disposition, which appear to