A Test of wills

President Johnson's State of the Union Message dwelt heavily on what has become a consistent theme for the administration: the need for a national exercise of will to fight a distant and discouraging war and simultaneously to solve complex, thorny domestic problems.

But it is Johnson's own will, as much as the country's, that must prove itself strong enough to survive the "time of testing" to which he alluded, Republican gains in the Congressional acquiescence to the Johnson administration's proposals. If the President expects to act constructively at home and abroad in 1967, his own leadership will have to overcome formidable obstacles.

In many areas, the Johnson initiative sounded as powerful as ever. The President rattled off proposals to reorganize existing programs, extend Social Security, reduce pollution control firearms, halt invasions of privacy, modernize the draft and fight crime. But Johnson left the two great domestic issues before the Congress--civil rights and the War on Poverty--disturbingly grey, despite brave talk of continuing progress. Negro leaders in particular must have bristled at hearing fair housing plugged into the address directly following "regional airsheds."

Indeed, it is difficult to tell just how hard Johnson plans to fight for civil rights and antipoverty action, "Let us resolve now to do all we can with what we have," he said, noting that there were "heavy demands" on national resources. If his remarks indicate a willingness to see some things cut, there is no question about what the strengthened Republicans will attack. They will leave the war effort intact and rip into domestic programs, and it will take a determined President to defend expensive, controversial social legislation.

Jonson's proposal of a tax surcharge, however, is an encouraging sign, if he means to use the additional $45 billion in yearly revenue to ensure that domestic programs will not be cannibalized to feed the war. But more revenue will not be enough to pacify economy-minded Republicans; as Everett Dirksen said after the Johnson speech, the GOP congressmen will still be looking for ways to reduce the budget.

The President could have allayed liberals' fears by spelling out unambiguously plans for more civil rights and antipoverty legislation, and by giving Congress notice of his intention to achieve progress at home despite the expenses of war. But the question or Presidential will remained unanswered: can Johnson provide the leadership necessary to pr4eserve and expand the Great Society in the politically lean years as well as the fat ones?