Proclamation 3380—Thanksgiving Day, 1960

Whereas it has long been our custom as a people to pause from our labors for one day at the close of the harvest season and give special thanks to Almighty God for the bounty which He has bestowed upon our land; and

Whereas again this year we have been blessed with an abundant harvest; and

Whereas it is fitting and appropriate at this time of national thanksgiving that we should remember and respond to the needs of those of other lands; and

Whereas the Congress of the United States, by a joint resolution approved December 26, 1941 (55 Stat. 862; 5 U.S.C. 87b), has designated the fourth Thursday of November in each year as Thanksgiving Day:

Now, Therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, in consonance with the aforesaid resolution of Congress, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 24, 1960, as a day of national thanksgiving; and I urge the people of the United States to give grateful thought to the observance of this day.

Furthermore, I call upon our people, while giving thanks for our blessings, to direct their thoughts to the peoples of other lands less fortunate than we. In particular, I urge my fellow Americans to support and assist the efforts which we as a Nation, working individually and in cooperation with other nations, are directing toward the solution of the world-food problem.

Under our Food-for-Peace Program, a distinguished company of voluntary citizens' groups and religious societies is making heart-warming contributions to this effort. I ask our people to give them continued support.

At the same time, I urge my fellow Americans to assist in the Freedomfrom-Hunger Campaign of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Our Government fully supports the objectives of this organization. But success of its campaign requires the active cooperation of generous citizens, and of public and private groups, in our country and around the world.

Let us hope that some day, under a benevolent Providence and through the best use of the world's God-given resources, each nation will have reason to celebrate its own thanksgiving day.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

DONE at the City of Washington this eleventh day of November in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and sixty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and eighty-fifth.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

By the President:

CHRISTIAN A. HERTER,

Acting Secretary of State