Remarks on Arrival at Bakersfield, California.

LET ME express again my very deep appreciation to all of you, coming out on this beautiful day and welcoming me and the others here in Bakersfield.

I am particularly grateful that your Congressman, Bill Ketchum, your mayor, your State assemblyman, your head of the county commissioners--and I brought with me Congressman Al Bell--and the attorney general, Evelle Younger, are here. Let me say that the warmth of the reception and the wonderful bands that are here--I understand there are some seven bands here altogether--I appreciate it very, very much.

I had planned to come to Bakersfield on at least two other occasions in the past. For one reason or another, it was not possible to get here, so I am particularly pleased to come and visit your community, your area, and see so many wonderful people, particularly the young people.

You have a great area of our great country. You have the finest in agriculture. You have the great potential of giving to this country added capability in the field of energy. You are hard-working, dedicated, loyal Americans who give me faith every time that I see faces like this and people such .as yourselves.

We have some problems in America, problems both at home and abroad, but these are the kind of problems that can be solved, will be solved with the true American spirit that has taken our country in some 200 years from 13 poor, struggling colonies on the east coast to a country of 213 million loyal, dedicated, visionary, imaginative Americans. And I say to you that America is just beginning to be the country that our forefathers wanted it to be, and we are going to make it.

So, our third century, which begins in a few months, is a century that will make America both at home and abroad an America that can continue to give leadership and can continue to give to our people all of the blessings of our great country.

Thank you very, very much.