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between 69 Smart. Yeah. We present at this time an informal discussion with Senator George Smathers from the nation's capital. Now, here is the first question. Well, senators matters. There have been almost daily briefings now at the White House on this South Vietnam problem. And you, as part of the leadership of the Senate.

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I know I've been in attendance. Is there anything that you could tell us about those meetings? What is the tone of it? Let's start over there, start over, say, one tech to Smathers. We present at this time an informal discussion with Senator George Smathers from the nation's capital.

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Now, here is the first question Senator Smathers, have you attended these briefings that are being held almost daily at the White House? Everyone. Well, I was there anything you can tell us about them? Well, of course, they're highly classified in secret And the predators there And the head of the chiefs of staff there and the secretary of defense secretary of the ST other representatives are their most members of National Security Council and the leadership of the Congress.

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Of course, they're highly classified as I say. It isn't a whole lot I can tell about Well, now, other than what we read in the press, can you? I'd like to get your opinion on the actions of the red Chinese. Do you think they'll be sending troops in to support the south of the North Vietnamese?

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We hope not. We don't believe so. Of course, that's always a possibility. When you're in a situation such as we are now in the reason why I, the president continues to say that these retaliatory measures which we're taking our are measured are limited. And word goes out to the governments of red China and the Soviet Union in advance of these raids that they're not intended to start any war with red China, nor with the Soviet Union.

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But they are merely, ah answers to the fact that aggression has been made against our own troops and that if we're going to maintain our self respect and certainly our position, we're going to not permit this to happen. But we're not, in any event, attempting to enlarge the war or escalate the war.

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Well, now, with the attack on our embassy recently in Russia, do you think there's an indication there that the Russians might join with the North Vietnamese and the Red Chinese and attacking us, or I don't I don't believe so. We hope not. Uh, we think, of course, that the matter in this Moscow was planned, as all those things are when you have a demonstration in a country like the Soviet Union and you know that it's planned, they don't happen spontaneously.

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So that was just a mere expression of the people of the government there that they didn't like, particularly what we were doing. Now Mr Coast Region has been down, of course, into Hanoi and Peiping. Talk with Chou En Lai. He's on his. He's at the time we make this particularly broadcast.

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He's in South Korea now what this all means. We really don't know yet. I personally am inclined to believe from that which I hear and read that Mr Coast region has been somewhat embarrassed, probably by the actions of the North Vietnamese and red China that this was planned to step up these attacks against the United States while he was there in the area so that they would get an additional commitment from him as to what the Soviet Union would do, and if he didn't give it, why then they could say Well, the Soviet Union is not helping the communist countries.

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If we retaliated to strongly why we might force him to say something that he didn't want to say. On the other hand, if we don't answer while he's there, why then they can say, Well, the United States is a paper tiger. I think it's all been very well planned by the Communist, and we're responding and limited and measured tones.

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But nevertheless, with great strength and determination, these assaults against our troops and we shall continue to do so even at the risk of enlarging the war, we naturally hope that doesn't happen. What about the Gauls? Continued pressure for a negotiated peace or for us to get out of the South Vietnam?

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Well, all the time that we're doing this, we're trying to let everyone know that we would like to have a negotiated peace. We would think that would come near and negotiating a satisfactory peace where we're in a better position of strength at the moment. We're not in a very strong position in South Vietnam.

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Thank you very much. Senator George Matters I return you now to your station announcer, Senator, on the domestic scene here in Washington, I understand that you introduced a bill in the Senate which will set certain requirements for future appointments to the Supreme Court. Tell us briefly about that, if you would.

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Well, I've introduced this bill before. It's my very sincere belief that that were to preserve our constitutional system. We need to have on the Supreme Court men who are qualified as jurist men who thoroughly understand our constitutional system. Unfortunately, we have been getting on the Supreme Court for well throughout its history.

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From time to time, men who are really not lawyers in the best sense of the word men who are sociologist men who are legislator, sometimes men who just happened to be pretty good friends of the president, with the result that we get all kinds of opinions and from the Supreme Court, many of which actually move over into the legislative feel they're they're not legal opinions at all their sociological opinions.

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I think that the way we can answer the problem is to limit the president in his selection of members to the Supreme Court to men who have had previous judicial experience, either men who have been judges of federal district courts or circuit courts of appeal or who have served for five years on state supreme courts or appellate courts for a period of time.

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Five years. That way, we're a certain at least, that we're going to get men who understand the processes of the law who understand the Constitution and who are obviously qualified. Jurist Along another line, Senator, you're chairman of the Senate Aging Committee. I'm wondering what several bills are.

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I believe that you were working on that would promote the well being of our nation's elderly. What? What would they do? Very briefly, I've introduced three bills. The first one is called the Senior Citizens Community Planning and Services Act of 1965. What, in essence, this does is to plan and coordinate a number of programs for the elderly.

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It would, for example, established community senators centers for them. Uhh! We provide specialized training for workers in this field, and there would be a study of new ways of creating employment opportunities for older people because I find that in our state and other states, there are many older people who would like to work.

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But because of their age and physical disabilities, in some respects, there are only limited opportunities for them. The second bill is known also as the senior Citizens Public welfare amendments, and this measure would provide better medical protection for old age assistance recipients, as distinguished from the Social Security medical program that we hear so much about.

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It would also improve their housing standards. Are those people on public assistance? And it would also enact a great number of reforms in the old age. Assistance programs are too detailed and technical for me to explain here. Now. The final bill in this field, which I'm introduced thus far, would increase under the social Security system.

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The amount which a person who receive Social Security you could work outside. We'd raise the limit. The limit is now $1200. We would raise it up to $2400 and permit that person to make $2400 a year while at the same time still receiving Social Security benefits.

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This would be a liberalisation of that particular program. Senator, you mentioned the so called Medicare bill. I've been told that you're going to support the administration's Medicare bill. Are there any any amendments or anything that you're interested in, where you support it? Let me put it this way.

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I am supporting a medical care bill. I have not said I am supporting the administration's bill. I'm supporting a medical care bill and one that's financed under Social Security because personally convinced that not only do the people of the country wanted and needed, but frankly, it's the only way we're going to finance medical care program satisfaction.

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That is, by sort of compulsory insurance. Now, with respect to the administration's bill, I don't think frankly, the administration's bill, as it's presently written, does enough. I think that Bill, which we've already had the Curb Mills bill, does much more. I think we should. If we're going to give these elderly people some help, we should really do it now.

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I do think, however, that we should run these this federal funds through the state administrator so that it would relieve the apprehension of the doctors and the managers of hospitals that in time the federal government would take over the management of the doctors business and the medical practice and finally begin to run the hospital program throughout these United States because they were dispensing the money.

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With those conditions, I expect to support a medical care program. Thank you very much. Senator George Smathers. Scene one, take 1 13 79 Smathers spot. Mm. Well, there's one who opposed the adoption of the civil rights bill. I nevertheless feel that now that it is the law of the land, they were going to have a very peaceful year 1965 with respect to its enforcement.

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I think this country of ours is a nation of laws rather than men. And I think most of our citizens recognize that we have to obey the law. Whether we agree with it or not. This is the law of the land. And I think that that being the case, we will try to abide by it.

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And we will. I think therefore we'll see a minimum of demonstrations. I think we'll see a maximum of Negro voter registration, which will be, of course, permissible under the law. I think we will see greater opportunities for employment of Negro citizens. I think all of this will be accomplished in good order.

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and with good spirit and within the space spirit of the law. So I think that we'll see a peaceful year in so far as civil rights demonstrations are concerned.