Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister John Howard of Australia in Canberra

President's Cup Golf Tournament

[The exchange is joined in progress.]

Prime Minister Howard. ——I signed off a letter the other day trying to—and we're very keen for it to come here.

The President. I've told the PGA that I thought it was a good idea not to keep it always in the United States, that I thought it would be a good idea to bring it here.

Prime Minister Howard. And we're rather hoping it will actually come to the ACT right here in Canberra because they have—well, they have one really outstanding course in Canberra, as you'll find——

The President. I saw it today.

We're talking about the President's Cup; you know, the golf tournament. The PGA is trying to arrange to have it in Australia 2 years from now.

Prime Minister Howard. In '98. And naturally, in the lead-up to the Olympic games, if we can pull it off we'll be delighted—and very delighted to have the President's endorsement of the idea, too.

The President. I'm for it.

Q. Will that change the rules to allow it?

Prime Minister Howard. No.

The President. No. The Ryder Cup is an American-European contest, and it alternates.

So we just had the President's Cup in the alternating years—in the alternating 2 years we don't have Ryder Cups. It's the American team against teams essentially from Australia, Japan, and the southern part of Africa and anyplace else in the Asia-Pacific region. So we're going to alternate it.

Q. Who's the golf pro in your entourage, Mr. President?

The President. What do you mean?

Q. There were reports——

Q. [Inaudible]—golf and you brought a golf pro with you on Air Force One.

The President. To my knowledge, that is not so. [Laughter]

Q. Would you have liked to?

The President. I would have, yes. I'm going to need all the help I can get tomorrow.

Zaire

Q. Will you all talk about Zaire? Is that something that——

The President. Yes. And we will have a press conference later and answer all your questions. We want to.

Prime Minister Howard. Yes, you'll have a good run. [Laughter]

President's Visit

The President. And I want you to have fun tonight.

Q. We did the boat tour last night.

The President. You did?

Q. You get to do it tonight. The press was taken out on the same boat last night.

The President. Good.

Q. The view was spectacular.

The President. Did they tell you there were sharks in the water?

Q. They told us they had sharks on deck. [Laughter]

Prime Minister Howard. A lot in the water, too.

The President. In Sydney Harbor?

Prime Minister Howard. Yes, seriously.

The President. So you don't want to fall in.