137. Editorial Note
In his address before the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, 1961, President Kennedy warned about the serious threats posed in Laos, South Vietnam, and elsewhere by Communist aggression. He asked the nations of the world to unite to preserve the peace and “save the planet, or together we shall perish in its flames.” (Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1961, pages 618-626)