The President's Visit to the Federal Republic of Germany Remarks on Departure From the White House.

THE VICE PRESIDENT. Mr. President, Mrs. Carter, Amy:

Since this administration assumed office, it has established no higher foreign policy priority than the closest possible working relationship between the industrial democracies of Western Europe and Japan. The International Economic Summit Conference in Bonn is a part of that effort.

Since assuming office we have made substantial progress in assuming our share of the international economic burdens. In the past year and a half, we have added more jobs to the work force in America, 6.1 million jobs, than in any other period in the history of the United States.

In the energy field we are well along the way in establishing a basic and profound change in America's energy approach. We have established a Department of Energy. We have made substantial progress in the adoption of the most comprehensive and profound energy package ever proposed to the Congress. And this year we will use a million barrels less of foreign oil than last year.

The President will also be visiting Berlin to renew personally on behalf .of the American people our friendship and our commitment to the free people of Berlin.

Mr. President, on your mission you take with you our hopes for success and our love, and we hope a speedy return. Thank you very much.

THE PRESIDENT. We leave this morning for two trips combined into one. The first will be an .official visit by me representing the United States to the people of the Federal Republic of Germany—this visit will last 2 days—to be followed by the fourth economic summit conducted by the leaders of the seven industrialized democracies.

On this journey I recognize the economic interdependence of the people of the world. And I also understand that in the free democracies, that we must demonstrate and we can demonstrate the strength, the vitality, and the cooperation that has existed among us and has been the foundation for our progress.

It's almost a cliche to say that the Federal Republic of Germany has performed an economic miracle in rising from the devastation of war to one of the leading industrial economic nations of the world. This is, of course, attributable to the tenacity and courage and the industrious nature of the German people. But it's also a tribute to the fact that they are free and that they function under the terms of a democratic society.

We demonstrated this in our own country when, because of the freedom of the human spirit, we were able to change a wilderness into a nation which is now a world leader. The Federal Republic shows that same freedom of the human spirit, a dedication to liberty, to individual human rights, and they have rebuilt their country when their industrial base and many of their cities had been thoroughly destroyed by the devastation of war.

The fact that Europe and Japan are now industrial and economic giants is, of course, a tribute to themselves, to their determination and their resourcefulness, but also a tribute to the wisdom of the United States in giving them help after the Second World War. Again, in Europe as in Japan this is a tribute to the democratic system.

In the summit conference, following my state visit to Germany, we will continue the process of cooperation, consultation, the sharing of problems and opportunities, the establishment of goals among the seven industrialized nations. We will discuss a broad range of economic issues, and I will be able to renew my own friendships with the leaders of the other countries, to explain the position, the attitude, the special problems of the United States of America, to outline our accomplishments, and to learn the same information from each of them.

We recognize that we have a responsibility to strengthen our own systems, to give a better life for our own people, to cooperate more closely. But at the same time we are not selfish in our attitudes, because history has taught us the dangers of economic chaos throughout the world and the dangers of unlimited human suffering caused by economic deprivation.

We don't expect to solve all the problems of the world, but we do expect to leave the economic summit with a more thorough understanding of the mutual nature of our responsibilities, a renewed commitment, a renewed confidence, a renewed common commitment and effort to having a better future for our people.

We'll establish goals that will be educational among ourselves, that will increase cooperation, that will let the parliaments and the congresses work in closer harmony with the executive leaders of our countries. And I believe it will also be an educational process for the general public who observe our actions and our statements from around the world.

I leave here, finally, with a great pride in my own country, the United States of America, confidence in our system, confidence in our economic and political and military strength, recognizing the position of leadership that has been carved out by the achievements of a free society.

I will express first my friendship for the German people and then express my friendship through their leaders of those who live in Italy, France, Great Britain, Japan, Canada.

This is a sober time. It's one of reassessment, not one of discouragement; one of determination to improve the circumstances which we face. And as I leave on this trip, representing the greatest nation on Earth, I hope and I pray that I can represent the people of the United States well. Thank you very much.