"U.S. Leaders Losing Control Of Events’

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30287, 13 November 1963, Page 17

"U.S. Leaders Losing Control Of Events’

(N Z.P.A -Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, November 12. The United States Administration appeared to be becoming increasingly powerless to influence developments at home and abroad, “The Times” said today. An editorial said that judged against expectations, the performance of the Kennedy Administration, “has certainly been disappointing.”

But judged against a more realistic assessment of what was possible “it has not been so bad.” "Even so the impression is inescapable that for some reason the American Administration is becoming increasingly powerless to influence events either at

home or abroad. “Europe, the Middle East. Asia and South America have all recently witnessed the limitations of American power, while at home Congress mangles foreign aid and sits firmly on two other vital bills—civil rights and tax cuts,” it said. "The passing of the foreign client states should bring no tears, but the declining power of the dollar is not being replaced by moral influence. Domestic Problems "At the same time domestic problems are emerging for which neither the Constitution nor the American mind is well equipped,” the editorial said. “The separation of powers, the checks and balances, the habit of regarding the Federal Government as a hostile power, all help to obscure the need for greater Executive involvement in the economy and in the protection of the under-privileged. "All this is seen by the Administration. Why, then, the impression of paralysis? The blame must be divided. “Congress is partly a victim of its own traditions, the accidents of American history, and the fragmentation of competing interests,” it said. Southern Cabal “The one-party structure of the South saddles a Democratic administration with a quite unrepresentative cabal of conservative chairmen who can prevent bills reaching the floor. "Clearly the most urgent reform is a measure to ensure that the whole legislative body, whatever its faults, should at least get the chance of debating and voting a bill in reasonable time,” it said. After submitting that some blame must also fall on the country, the editorial commented: “Had popular opinion been aroused, Congress would have reacted. One trouble is that of all the poor, the unemployed and the underprivileged, only the negroes have acted. “The rest have allowed themselves to remain invisible. This may be another relic of the frontier days, when anyone who did not like his job, or could not find one, had only to move on or stake out a new claim.

“For whatever reason, the ordinary Americans seem singularly unaware of the blemishes in their own society and remain hypnotised by communism. “However the Administration lias not made the best of this difficult job. Somehow it has tailed to communicate with the country and with Congress." it said. "One reason is simply that it is too intelligent. It speaks

a different language. Another has been public suspicion of its publicity techniques. “Other factors have been its cautious negotiation of the middle of the road, its undue reverence for the petty monarchs of the Senate. "A good deal of the trouble can be ascribed to the awkward constellation of forces with which it has to cope at home and abroad,” “The Times” said.