U.S. To Unfold Plan To Meet Space Challenge

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28481, 10 January 1958, Page 11

U.S. To Unfold Plan To Meet Space Challenge

(N.Z. Press Assoctatton—Copyrtgnt) (Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, January 9. President Eisenhower will unfold to Congress and the American people today his plan for dealing with the challenges of the space age.

The President, who only six and a half weeks ago suffered a slight cerebral attack, will appear before a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate to deliver the traditional State of the Union message.

It will be devoted to a review of the nation’s security in the light of Soviet missile and satellite achievements and the effect the era of outer space will have on the country’s foreign policy.

Observers termed the President’s task one of the toughest he has faced since he first became President in 1953. He will be listened to by a stern and anxious Congress and by millions more on television and radio.

The President himself underlined the importance attached to his speech by 'working on it all day yesterday with the assistance of many of the top Whitt House staff.

Informed sources said he probably revised some passages in the speech to make it more positive in view of calls made by many Congressmen for a dynamic approach. Mr James Hagerty, the Presidential Press Secretary, said the address would be about 5500 words long and would last about 35 minutes. Quite apart from what the President said, the manner in which he said it would be carefully watched, according to a Reuter’s Washington correspondent, because the President’s recent cerebral attack left him with a temporary impairment of speech. In his appearances in Paris last month during the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation “Summit” Conference there was no evidence of any speech difficulty. But every word was likely to be listened to with extra care by Congress. The President’s performance would also be watched to determine whether his physical condition would allow him to assert the leadership which most politicians agree was necessary in the present critical world situation, the Reuter correspondent said.

16 DEAD IN SHIP FIRE (Rec. 8 p.m.) BODOE (North Norway), Jan. 8. Sixteen persons were killed to-, day when fire broke out. in the 2098-ton Norwegian coastal ship, Erling Jarl, in Bodoe Harbour. The fire raced through the vessel at lightning speed. The ship with 200 passengers on board, was north-bound from Trondheim.

The police are having difficulty identifying the victims, whose bodies were badly burned. The blaze was brought under control after firemen had fought it for half an hour.

U.S. Jet Down In

Albania

(Rec. 8 p.m.) VIENNA, Jan. 8. Tirana Radio said tonight that an American jet plane forced down over Albania had violated Albanian air. space by flying over Berat and Tirana twice.

The Radio said the T-33 plane, piloted by Captain Howard Curran, was forced to land on an Albanian airfield, and the Albanian authorities were investigating the case.