Week Ending Friday, July 18, 1986
Philippine Internal Situation

Letter to President Corazon Aquino.
July 8, 1986

Dear Madame President:

The sober and peaceful approach you have taken to deal with the political incident that took place in Manila this weekend is greatly admired. Once again, your leadership has shown the world the mettle of your government and the degree of support it enjoys among your people.

I look forward to meeting with you in Washington in September. Sincerely,

/s/ Ronald Reagan

threat of nuclear annihilation. Back in 1983 we enlisted some of America's top scientists and set in motion a research program to see if we could find a way to defend mankind against ballistic missiles, an antimissile shield, if you will. Our SDI research is searching out a more effective, safe, and moral way to prevent war-a deterrence based on defenses which threaten no one, a deterrence that will be viewed as a success not by the threat of deadly retaliation but, instead, by its ability to protect.

And never was a purely defensive system so sorely needed. Since the early 1970's the Soviet Union has been racing forward in a vast and continuing military buildup, including the expansion of their offensive nuclear arsenal and an intense effort to develop their own strategic defense. And as de

Strategic Defense Initiative

Radio Address to the Nation. July 12, 1986

My fellow Americans:

One week ago we showed the world what it means to love liberty. The spectacular celebration of our independence and Miss Liberty's centennial will likely be described by historians as a reflection of the good will, joy, and confidence so apparent in our country.

Instead of focusing on problems, America's looking for solutions. Instead of fretting about this or that shortcoming, we're out creating, building, and making things better. Instead of lamenting dangers, we're putting our best minds to work trying to find ways of making this a safer, more secure world.

And that's what I want to talk with you about today: our major research effort called the Strategic Defense Initiative, SDI, which is aimed at ridding this planet of the

by our State and Defense Departments, the Soviets also have deployed the world's only antiballistic missile system. These Soviet strategic defense programs have been termed "Red Shield" in an article in this month's Reader's Digest. They were confirmed in an open letter issued last month by a group of 30 former Soviet scientists now living in the United States.

In stark contrast, we are defenseless against the most dangerous weapons in the history of mankind. Isn't it time to put our survival back under our own control?

Our search for an effective defense is a key part of a three-pronged response to the Soviet threat. We also have been moving ahead to modernize our strategic forces and, simultaneously, to reach fair and verifiable arms reduction agreements with the Soviet Union. The Soviets have yet to agree to arms reduction despite the strenuous efforts of several U.S. administrations. However, our SDI research to make nuclear missiles less effective also makes these missiles more negotiable. And when we talk about negotiations, let's be clear: Our SDI research is not a bargaining chip. It's the number of offensive nuclear missiles that

need to be reduced, not the effort to find a way to defend mankind against these deadly missiles. And reliable defenses could also serve as insurance against cheating or breaking out of an arms reduction agree

ment.

All this makes it evermore important to keep our strategic defense research moving forward. We have set up a well-managed program which, in just over 3 years, has already accomplished much. Even faster progress than expected has been made in developing the system's "eyes”—scientists call them sensors-and its "brains", which guide an interceptor toward its target, and methods of stopping incoming missiles, especially with nonnuclear means. Technological advances now permit us to detect and track an aggressor's missiles in early flight. It is in this boost phase that missiles must be intercepted and knocked out to achieve the protection we're looking for.

There have been some major achievements in the diplomatic field as well. Great Britain, West Germany, and Israel have signed agreements to participate in the research, and talks with other major allies are expected.

Nothing of great value, of course, comes cheap. But a defensive system which can protect us and allies against all ballistic missiles, nuclear or conventional, is a prudent investment. I'm sorry to say, however, that some Members of Congress would take a shortsighted course, deeply cutting the funds needed to carry out this vital program.

So, it's imperative your voice is heard. In the weeks ahead, it would be a tragedy to permit the budget pressures of today to destroy this vital research program and undercut our chances for a safer and more secure tomorrow. President Eisenhower once said, "The future will belong, not to the fainthearted, but to those who believe in it and prepare for it."

I agree with that, and I know you do, too. Until next week, thanks for listening, and God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 12:06 p.m. from Camp David, MD.

National Medal of Arts

Remarks at a Luncheon for the Recipients. July 14, 1986

The President. Well, thank you all, and I want to welcome you to the White House and let you know how lucky I feel. It's not often these days that I get to have lunch with my roommate. [Laughter]

But thank you for joining Nancy and me in this, the second annual conferring of the National Medal of Arts. And permit me to thank our Committee on the Arts and Humanities and its Chairman, Andrew Heiskell, for proposing that we create the National Medal of Arts; the Congress for enacting the authorizing legislation; the National Council on the Arts for providing us once again with such a fine list of nominees; and Dan Terra, our Ambassador for Cultural Affairs, for continuing his tradition of holding a State Department reception on this occasion.

As we award these 12 medals today, we celebrate 12 rich contributions to American arts; and in a wider sense, we celebrate American culture itself, the culture of liberty, the culture in which artists are free to be true to themselves.

Nearly two centuries ago, when this grand old house was built, our nation comprised, for the most part, a narrow band of towns and villages hugging the eastern seaboard, a rugged and often unlettered people clinging to the edge of a vast continent. For art, drama, music, and learning Americans looked not to themselves, but to Europeans; not to the New World, but to the Old.

And yet as those rugged people pushed west and gave birth to a great country, they likewise gave birth to a great, distinctive culture. First, American arts took on the twang of the frontier fiddle and the sharp, clean lines of our primitive paintings. And then came the joy of jazz, the sparkle and spectacle of film, the stirring sense of space and light in the work of artists from George Inness to Winslow Homer. In our own time we've seen the rise of superb regional orchestras, ballets, and opera companies, the coming of age of fine museums throughout the country, and the emergence of cities

like New York and Los Angeles as art capitals of world importance.

So it is that in matters of culture today, Americans look not so much to the Old World as to the New-to America itself— and they do so with pride.

Our administration has sought to emphasize these distinctively American aspects of our own culture, and Frank Hodsoll at the National Endowment for the Arts has devoted to this charge all his acumen and skill. Under Frank's leadership, the Endowment has helped to widen State and local support for the arts across the country. And with the support of the Congress, the Endowment is expanding arts programming to television and radio to reach all our people.

And today we have this wonderful event, this moment to pause and appreciate 12 magnificent contributions to the artistic life of our nation. We honor patrons-those who enable the distinctively American tradition of private support for the arts to flourish. And we honor artists themselves their pains, their triumphs, their devotions, all of themselves that they've given to their work and hence to our nation.

And now Nancy is going to help me award the medals.

Mrs. Reagan. Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia, and at the age of 8 she started singing in choirs. She began her career as a contralto in Europe, and it was Sol Hurok who launched her career in the United States. In 1955 she made her debut with the New York Metropolitan Opera, thereby paving the way for the acceptance of black performers on the concert stage. Arturo Toscanini said that a voice like hers comes only once in a century.

Marian Anderson is one of the greatest ladies of opera, and accepting for her today is her cousin, Miss Sandra Grimes.

Frank Capra was born in Palermo, Italy, and came to our country at the age of 6. He served four times as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and three times as president of the Screen Directors Guild. A pioneer of the art of film, he's one of the greatest directors and producers in motion picture history. We'll never forget the classic films "It Happened One Night," "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," and "You Can't Take It With You." He's earned five

Academy Awards and has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Film Institute.

Frank Capra is one of the truly great artists of a uniquely American style of filmmaking, and we're pleased to have his son, Tom Capra, accepting on his father's behalf.

Aaron Copland was born of Lithuanian parents in New York. He studied privately with many of the world's greatest musicians, including Nadia Boulanger. He composed his first symphony in 1923 and continued creating masterpieces using truly American folk themes and tunes. We're most familiar with the "Lincoln Portrait," for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in music, and "Billy the Kid." He collaborated with Agnes de Mille on "Rodeo" and with Martha Graham on "Appalachian Spring."

Aaron Copland is a paramount American composer, and accepting for him is Mrs. Vivian Perlis, his close friend and official biographer.

Willem de Kooning was born in Rotterdam, Holland. He worked his way to our country as a wiper in the engine room of a steamship. Before establishing himself as the great painter that he is, he made signs and window displays; he was a carpenter, furniture designer, muralist, and began his work in abstraction in 1934. As a leader of abstract expressionism, he's influenced all modern painting and is acclaimed by all the world as America's great contribution to modern art.

Accepting for him today is his wife, Elaine, who is also a fine painter.

Agnes de Mille was born in New York. Her name is certainly synonymous with the art of dance. As performer and choreographer, she is unforgettable. There's memory of America that could be complete without the dance of "Oklahoma," "Carousel," "Brigadoon," or the ballet of "Rodeo," "Fall River Legend," or "The Four Marys." Agnes de Mille has written over a dozen books on dance and is also distinguished as a teacher. She's a great artist and a great American.

Eva Le Gallienne was born in London and became a citizen in 1927. In 1921 she starred in her first film, “Liliom,” and went on to triumph in "Camille," "The Master Builder," and "Mary Stuart." She also

earned a special Tony Award and an Emmy for her outstanding performance in the PBS special "The Royal Family." Eva Le Gallienne founded and directed both the Civic Repertory Theatre in New York and the American Repertory Theatre. In addition to her many talents, she's also a recognized translator of the Scandinavian classics of Ibsen and Hans Christian Andersen. She's a great actress, director, producer, teacher, and author.

Accepting for her is Mrs. Anne Kaufman Schneider, a close family friend and colleague.

Alan Lomax was born in Austin, Texas, and is without a doubt the world's most renowned folklorist. He's devoted his life and talent to collecting, compiling, and preserving the folk music of the United States and the world. As director-producer of an original folk music series on CBS Radio in the thirties and forties, he presented all Americans for the first time such then unknowns as Burl Ives, Pete Seeger, Leadbelly, and Woody Guthrie. For the past 24 years he's been a President's Scholar at Columbia University, where he has pioneered the study of expressive styles of culture. Recently we've seen his work in the television series "American Patchwork." Mr. Lomax, you've truly enriched our understanding of the cultures of America and the world.

Lewis Mumford was born in Flushing, New York. He's one of our most distinguished historians, literary critics, and commentators on cities and urban design. He's the author of some 31 books and was the recipient of a National Book Award in 1961 for "The City in History." Mr. Mumford has said of the city: "If it ceases to be a milieu in which people can exist in reasonable contentment, it will be unprofitable to discuss architectural achievements." His concern for the whole of the city, as opposed to the single architectural triumph, has taught us how to strive for architecture as "The Home of Man," the title of his highly original book on the philosophy of architecture. Accepting for Mr. Mumford today is his daughter, Mrs. Alison Morss.

Eudora Welty was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and lives there today. Miss Welty is a preeminent American writer, who is most well-known for her books about the South and the Southern family. She's influenced

generations of young American writers. In 1941 she published her first book, "A Curtain of Green," and in 1973 she won a Pulitzer Prize for "The Optimist's Daughter." Her work is read widely throughout the country and the world. Miss Welty considers her 1984 autobiographical work, "One Writer's Beginnings," a very significant and recent expression of her thoughts.

And we're very honored to present her the National Medal of Arts.

Dominique de Menil began her career as a bold patron of the arts in the 1930's by giving Max Ernst his first one-man show. In 1941 she came to this country from Paris. She's organized exhibitions in New York and Houston as well as in France and Germany and is currently chairman of the Pompidou Art and Cultural Foundation in Paris. She's played a primary role in the renaissance of art institutions in Houston, where a new museum will soon house the world-acclaimed collection of Dominique de Menil and her late husband, John.

We're honored to have her here today. Exxon Corporation began its support of the arts in the forties, and today it's known by millions for its promotion of the arts of television through "Great Performances" and "Live From Lincoln Center." A pioneer of the program "Dance in America," Exxon not only brought dance into American living rooms but stimulated live dance performance across America. Exxon has also supported the technology of live broadcasts and simulcasts for audio fidelity. Over 300 new orchestral and chamber works by American composers have been brought to broad audiences by this corporation.

Exxon is an outstanding example of enlightened corporate support for the arts, and with us today is Jack Clark, Exxon's senior vice president and director.

Seymour H. Knox was born in Buffalo, New York, where he still lives. As a collector and patron, his contribution to his birthplace is everlasting. Few know that he was a champion polo and squash player in his youth who represented our country in international competitions. However, he will be most remembered for his perceptive eye for the new and daring and as a collector of contemporary art. The Albright-Knox Gallery, under the leadership of Mr. Knox,

set major precedents in opening its doors to modern art.

And we're pleased to award him the National Medal of Arts.

The President. Well, thank you, Nancy. And thank you all. On behalf of the American people, I commend you, each of you, for crowning our nation's greatness with grace. You have forever set an example for artists and patrons in the years ahead to live up to.

I know the Endowment will draw on these examples as it launches its new initiatives in arts education. Certainly the existence of strong music and fine arts curricula is important to keeping the humanities truly humanizing and the liberal arts truly liberating.

So, for all that you've already achieved and for all that your work will continue to mean to our nation in the decades ahead, once again, thank you. God bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 1:06 p.m. in the East Room at the White House.

Council of Economic Advisers

Nomination of Michael Mussa To Be a Member. July 14, 1986

The President today announced his intention to nominate Michael Mussa to be a member of the Council of Economic Advisers. He would succeed William Poole VII.

Since 1980 Dr. Mussa has been a professor of international business, University of Chicago. Previously, he was a visiting professor, Asian Department, International Monetary Fund, May to July 1980; an associate professor of economics, University of Chicago, 1976-1980; a research fellow, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, October to December 1976 and May to September 1981; a research fellow, London School of Economics, July 1975 to October 1976; and associate professor of economics, July 1975 to June 1976 and an assistant professor of economics, September 1971 to June 1975, University of Rochester. Dr. Mussa graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles (A.B., 1966) and

the University of Chicago (M.A., 1970 and Ph.D., 1974). He resides in Chicago, IL, and was born April 15, 1944, in Los Angeles.

Department of Labor

Nomination of Shirley Dennis To Be Director of the Women's Bureau. July 14, 1986

The President today announced his intention to nominate Shirley Dennis to be Director of the Women's Bureau, Department of Labor. She would succeed Lenora ColeAlexander.

Since 1980 Mrs. Dennis has been secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs in Harrisburg. She was acting secretary of that department from October 1979 to April 1980 as well as executive deputy secretary from July 1979 to October 1979. Previously, she was managing director, Housing Association of Delaware Valley, 1971-1979; housing director, Urban League of Philadelphia, 1969-1971; and equal opportunity specialist, Redevelopment Authority of Philadelphia, 19671968.

Mrs. Dennis is married, has three children, and resides in Willow Grove, PA. She graduated from Temple University (A.S., 1985), and she was born February 26, 1938, in Omaha, NE.

Administrative Conference of the United States

Appointment of T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr., as a Member of the Council. July 14, 1986

The President today announced his intention to appoint T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr., to be a member of the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States for a term of 3 years. This is a reappointment.

Since 1985, Mr. Cribb has been Counselor to the Attorney General. Previously, he was a member of the White House staff as Assistant Counselor to the President, 1982