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LEON H. KEYSERLING
Kennedy Administration which they served, and this does a disservice
to the late President Kennedy, whose place in history can stand the test
of objective analysis. Correspondingly, some of the same people are in–
dulging in the most disingenuous kinds of attacks upon the Johnson
Administration, inconsistent on their face. I have been very disappointed
to observe this performance on the part of some of the academic intel–
lectuals, whose passing experience in the public service seems to have
robbed them at least temporarily of the capacity for the dispassionate
observation which should be their main contribution on the American
scene.
By this I do not mean to imply that there is not some conflict between
the Administration and the intellectual community.
If
conducted fairly
and objectively, this conflict, taking the form of reasoned criticism of
specific Administration policies, is a great asset in a democracy. Kept
within appropriate bounds, it should not be discouraged.
4. In theory white America is committed to granting equality to the
American Negro, and heartening progress has been made on this front
in recent years, on the front of civil rights and liberties proper, but rela–
tively little progress thus far on the equally important front of eco–
nomic opportunity and social justice.
The difficulty, especially with respect to the second front, is that the
programs needed to move forward on this front touch immediately and
closely upon the economic interests and ideologies of those who are rela–
tively well positioned; and when they are thus put to the test, they do
not respond as generously as when they are asked to commit themselves
only in theoretical terms.
Perhaps the most important point to be made is that adequate prog–
ress on the economic and social front requires struggle, peaceful to be
sure, and cannot be accomplished merely by an easy consensus. This is
the whole history of this kind of progress in this country.
5. Broadly speaking, there are too many imponderables in foreign
policy for some people who are quite remote from responsibility to be as
sure as they profess to be that their views are correct. Our foreign
policies, like our domestic policies, should always be subject to critical
evaluation by those who take the trouble to inform themselves adequately
before they speak. In the main, I feel that our policies in the international
sphere reflect the genuine desire of the American people for enduring
peace, and that we are painfully and slowly making some progress
in
this
direction. We may all wish that the progress were more certain and more
rapid, but it is easier to say this than to accomplish it.
6. I remain entirely optimistic about the future of America. No na-
