During the second half of 1982-as these pages document so well-America moved ahead on the road to prosperity at home and peace abroad. The American consumer-the principal victim of past mistakes-began to see the Nation's economic health improve. The world abroad posed new and often dangerous challenges to the world. Peace through strength served as the cornerstone of our foreign policy. We worked toward restoring America's defensive capabilities, so adversary and ally alike would know that we would be able and ready to meet any challenge. A domestic enemy-crime-was the subject of intensive study and effort as we worked to make it safe for people to walk their neighborhood streets again. And a special effort was made to work against those who sell drugs in this country, so that our young people can grow up free from the paralyzing effects of drug addiction. In November the American people went to the ballot boxes to elect Senators, Representatives, and a host of local officials. And once again, our free and orderly election system was the envy of the world. 1982 ended on an optimistic note for America as we looked to 1983 on the way to economic recovery, strong abroad and at peace at home. The strength of our country was obvious, and the spirit of our people was high. As these documents show, the second half of 1982 was the beginning of what promises to be a time of great progress for America. Ronald Reagan This book contains the papers and speeches of the 40th President of the United States that were issued by the Office of the Press Secretary during the period July 3December 31, 1982. The material has been compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration. The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In instances when the release date differs from the date of the document itself, that fact is shown in the textnote. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. Tape recordings of Presidential remarks are used to protect against errors in transcription, and signed documents are checked against the original to verify the correct printing. Textnotes, footnotes, and cross references have been provided by the editors for purposes of identification or clarity. Speeches were delivered in Washington, D.C., unless indicated. The times noted are local times. All materials that are printed full-text in the book have been indexed in the subject and name indexes. The Public Papers series was begun in 1957 in response to a recommendation of the National Historical Publications Commission. An extensive compilation of messages and papers of the Presidents covering the period 1789 to 1897 was assembled by James D. Richardson and published under congressional authority between 1896 and 1899. Since then, various private compilations have been issued, but there was no uniform publication comparable to the Congressional Record or the United States Supreme Court Reports. Many Presidential papers could be found only in the form of mimeographed White House releases or as reported in the press. The Commission therefore recommended the establishment of an official series in which Presidential writings, addresses, and remarks of a public nature could be made available. The Commission's recommendation was incorporated in regulations of the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register, issued under section 6 of the Federal Register Act (44 U.S.C. 1506), which may be found in Title 1, Part 10, of the Code of Federal Regulations. A companion publication to the Public Papers series, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, was begun in 1965 to provide a broader range of Presidential materials on a more timely basis to meet the needs of the contemporary reader. Beginning with the administration of Jimmy Carter, the Public Papers series expanded its coverage to include all material as printed in the Weekly Compilation. That coverage provides a listing of the President's daily schedule and meetings, when announced, and other items of general interest issued by the Office of the Press Secretary. Also included are lists of the President's nominations submitted to the Senate, materials released by the Office of the Press Secretary that are not printed full-text in the book, and acts approved by the President. This information appears in the appendixes at the end of the book. Volumes covering the administrations of Presidents Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter are also available. This series is under the direction of John E. Byrne, Director, and Robert E. Lewis, Director of the Presidential Documents and Legislative Division, Office of the Feder vii al Register, and is produced by the Presidential Documents Unit, Brenda A. Robeson, Chief. Editors of this book were Wilma P. Greene, Katherine A. Mellody, and Kenneth R. Payne, assisted by Judith B. Craine, Maxine L. Hill, Thomas D. Kevan, and William K. Banks. White House liaison was provided by Larry M. Speakes, Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary. The frontispiece and photographs used in the portfolio were supplied by the White House Photo Office. The typography and design of the book were developed by the United States Government Printing Office under the direction of Danford L. Sawyer, Jr., Public Printer. Robert M. Warner Archivist of the United States Gerald P. Carmen Administrator of General Services viii |