organization and the other regional development groups I have
described, represent a cooperative state-local effort — the Maryland
National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the Baltimore
Regional Planning Council. I know that to many of you Central
Maryland's struggles with the problems of growth may seem totally
unrelated to the problem that is confronting Southern Maryland. But
I mention them for a specific and very important reason.

The point I want to make is that while you are now mainly con-
cerned — and quite rightly so — with trying to find ways to increase
income, job opportunities, and the general social well-being of South-
ern Maryland, the time is inevitably coming — perhaps sooner than
any of us think — when you will have to concern yourself with in-
telligently dealing with the growth you have helped to create. You
may think I am being irrelevant — perhaps even tactless — to empha-
size this point at this time, but what I am saying is that in Southern
Maryland we are not faced with a present problem and a future prob-
lem, because the nature of the solution we arrive at for today's prob-
lems will largely determine what kind of answers are open to us for
the problems of tomorrow. As Lincoln said "You can't escape the
responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. "

It is precisely on this point — on whether we think of tomorrow
and 20 years from now as part of the same problem — that we
will be judged as leaders. And how well we measure up to this judg-
ment will depend largely on whether we have the courage to resist
the quick and easy answers; on whether we have the wisdom to bring
together and use all the knowledge and intelligence that is available
to us; on whether we have the patience to build solidly the economic,
social and cultural foundations true progress demands; and, above
all, on whether we believe strongly enough in Southern Maryland's
future to dedicate ourselves to these tasks.

1 am confident, of course, that I know what your answer to this
challenge will be. 1 know that the people of Southern Maryland can
count on your courage, your wisdom, and your dedication. And I want
to assure you that you can count on us. Every state agency represented
here tonight — including myself and my staff — stands ready and
willing to cooperate actively with you in your efforts to solve your
immediate problems and to build the solid foundations necessary for
the kind of Southern Maryland you desire and deserve.

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