Highlights of Johnson Speech

President Johnson announced yesterday that 50,000 more American troops will be sent to Vietnam to help combat the Viet Cong's summer offensive.

Johnson said that draft calls will be doubled, from 17,000 a month to 35,000. But he said he had decided not to call up the armed forces reserves. He said that it might be necessary to mobilize the reserves in the future, but promised that he would give "due and adequate notice" if a callup should become necessary.

The First Cavalry Division at Fort Benning, Ga., and "certain other forces" are being sent to Vietnam immediately. The President said the reinforcements would bring the number of American troops in Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000. Recent newspaper reports have speculated that 75,000 is a conservative estimate of the number of troops currently in Vietnam.

Johnson said he would ask Congress for a limited increase in the Defense Department appropriation now being considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee, possibly for a supplemental appropriation next year.

He called again for negotiations to end the war, and said he had instructed Arthur Goldberg, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, to attemp to enlist U.N. support in ending the war...

The President also announced the nomination of one of his unofficial Washington advisers, Abe Fortas, to the Supreme Court.