Many listened to President Truman that day here in this Chamber, but few understood what was required and did anything about it.  The executive branch and the Congress waited 15 long years before ever taking any action on that challenge, as it did on many other challenges that great President presented.  And when, 3 years ago, you here in the Congress joined with me in a declaration of war on poverty, then I warned, “It will not be a short or easy struggle—­no single weapon... will suffice—­but we shall not rest until that war is won.”

And I have come here to renew that pledge tonight.

I recommend that we intensify our efforts to give the poor a chance to enjoy and to join in this Nation’s progress.

I shall propose certain administrative changes suggested by the Congress—­as well as some that we have learned from our own trial and error.

I shall urge special methods and special funds to reach the hundreds of thousands of Americans that are now trapped in the ghettos of our big cities and, through Head Start, to try to reach out to our very young, little children.  The chance to learn is their brightest hope and must command our full determination.  For learning brings skills; and skills bring jobs; and jobs bring responsibility and dignity, as well as taxes.

This war—­like the war in Vietnam—­is not a simple one.  There is no single battle-line which you can plot each day on a chart.  The enemy is not easy to perceive, or to isolate, or to destroy.  There are mistakes and there are setbacks.  But we are moving, and our direction is forward.

This is true with other programs that are making and breaking new ground.  Some do not yet have the capacity to absorb well or wisely all the money that could be put into them.  Administrative skills and trained manpower are just as vital to their success as dollars.  And I believe those skills will come.  But it will take time and patience and hard work.  Success cannot be forced at a single stroke.  So we must continue to strengthen the administration of every program if that success is to come—­as we know it must.

We have done much in the space of 2 short years, working together.

I have recommended, and you, the Congress, have approved, 10 different reorganization plans, combining and consolidating many bureaus of this Government, and creating two entirely new Cabinet departments.

I have come tonight to propose that we establish a new department—­a Department of Business and Labor.

By combining the Department of Commerce with the Department of Labor and other related agencies, I think we can create a more economical, efficient, and streamlined instrument that will better serve a growing nation.

This is our goal throughout the entire Federal Government.  Every program will be thoroughly evaluated.  Grant-in-aid programs will be improved and simplified as desired by many of our local administrators and our Governors.