<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from the Kemper
Short-Term U.S. Government Fund Annual Report for the fiscal year ended
08/31/2000 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial
statments.

<CIK> 0000814955
<NAME> KEMPER SHORT TERM U.S. GOVERNMENT FUND

   <NUMBER> 001
   <NAME> KEMPER SHORT TERM U.S. GOVERNMENT FUND

                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          AUG-31-2000
<PERIOD-START>                             SEP-01-1999
<PERIOD-END>                               AUG-31-2000
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                      163,961,366
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                     163,316,084
<RECEIVABLES>                                7,511,068
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                     141
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                               675
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                             170,827,968
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                     6,228,750
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                              0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                    1,202,651
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                          7,431,401
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                      0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                   178,983,173
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                       15,228,804
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                       17,876,000
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>                      214,535
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII>                               0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                              0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                    15,155,859
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC>                     (645,282)
<NET-ASSETS>                               163,396,567
<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                                    0
<INTEREST-INCOME>                           12,297,351
<OTHER-INCOME>                                       0
<EXPENSES-NET>                               2,681,947
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>                      9,615,404
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                   (2,877,074)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>                    2,039,293
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                        8,777,623
<EQUALIZATION>                                       0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                  (7,151,664)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                             0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                                0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>                    148,313,604
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>              (174,869,758)
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                          5,594,343
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>                    (38,017,490)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                        207,000
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                            0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                              0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                  12,248,000
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES>                        1,026,842
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                   0
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                              2,681,947
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>                       135,522,566
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                             7.99
<PER-SHARE-NII>                                   0.43
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>                         (0.03)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                            (0.42)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                            0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                                 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                               7.97
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                   1.25