Remarks on Arrival in Birmingham, Alabama.

Mr. Mayor, ladies and gentlemen:

I wish to express my very great appreciation for this wonderfully warm welcome here in the heart of Dixie.

We have some very distinguished guests who flew up on Air Force One from Mobile, and I think you would like to see them all here.

I will not try to introduce them in order of protocol. But I think you will be interested in meeting first a member of my Cabinet who has served in a very distinguished way, your own, Alabama's own, Postmaster General "Red" Blount.

And your own Governor, Governor George Wallace.

Then from the neighboring State of Kentucky, Governor Louie Nunn of Kentucky.

And from the State of Mississippi, a man who came to the Congress with me 24 years ago, John Bell Williams of Mississippi.

And from the State that I just came from this morning, the State of Florida, Governor Askew of Florida.

Now there are a number of other distinguished people here, Members of Congress and others, but I simply want to say that when the mayor came in to invite me to come to Birmingham, I did not think it would be possible, particularly to come at the period of time that he issued the invitation. As you know, you celebrate your tooth anniversary, your centennial, this fall. Now I would like to come then for two reasons: One, because the 100th birthday is very unusual and a special occasion; and, two, because I know this is the football capital of the South as well as the Nation.

I was unable to come, however, in the fall, and so I will have to see that occasion on television. But I do want you to know that coming here in the spring, to have an opportunity to be here with you, has a very special meaning to me.

I have checked history for those younger people who are here, and some of you older ones will remember--but not very many--the last time that a President of the United States came to Birmingham was 50 years ago, in 1921. And while candidates for President have been here--as a matter of fact, I was here one year as a candidate for President--since that time 50 years ago, no President of the United States, while he was in office, has visited Birmingham.

May I say I am proud to be here, and I trust that more Presidents will come more often in the future to Birmingham.

Now when I talked to the mayor and to Congressman Buchanan and the others about this visit, I know that they felt very deeply about this ceremony, and in this large crowd, where so many of you have been standing so long in the hot sun, I am trying to think of what will really capsule this very special year for this city in the right way.

A hundred years seems like a long time, but as I am sure you know, Birmingham, which is one of the great cities of the world, is one of the youngest big cities of the world, because most great cities go back many years more than too years. So this is a young city. It is a big city. It has a great spirit. It has won the prize as the All-American City, and that is another reason I am very proud to be here.

There is a tendency always on such a day as this--a day when you are looking forward to the celebration of your 100th anniversary, and when you, therefore, are thinking of the past--to think mostly of the past, of the great days in the history of this city, of this State, and this Nation. And it is well that you think of the past.

I know that the people of this city and the people of this State are proud of their State; they are proud of their city and they are proud of their country.

But at this particular time, this is the time particularly when we see all of the young people that are here, and all those wonderful bands that we saw all the way along reminded me of the fact that many schools were out, from the high schools and the other schools in the area. This reminds us all of our obligation to the future.

Let me say that coming here to Birmingham after being in Mobile, seeing the vitality of this area, seeing the great love of country that you have, whether they are Democrats or Republicans among those that I visited, whether they are officials or people in any walks of life, there is a respect for the office of the Presidency. There is a respect for this country and a love of this country.

Let me say, I am convinced that what is now termed the New South, with new economic development, with new strength, is going to contribute enormously to America in the future. But even more than that is the spirit that you have. I don't believe that I have ever seen in any American city, either here or any place else, more American flags than I saw today.

And I know what that flag means to you. It means that you love your country, that you want your country to be strong, that you want your country to work for the great cause of peace in the world, as well as peace for America--that cause we are dedicated to and that we are going to bring.

We are going to find the way to give our young people a chance, a chance to have what none of us have had in this century in America: a full generation of peace.

And the way we can do that is not only to end the war in which we are engaged in a way that will discourage aggression, but also to keep America strong so that a strong America will be able to negotiate for the kind of peace that all the world wants.

The military strength is one thing. There is another kind of strength that is more important. When America was very young 190 years ago, when it was very weak, this Nation had a spirit--you all remember what it was--a spirit that caught the imagination of the world. It was called the "Spirit of the American Revolution." And there are some who say we don't have it today. Well, they are wrong.

I sense it here. I sense it every place I go over this country. The American spirit is strong. It is deep. We have had problems, problems of division, differences between States, between regions, between religions, between races, between the generations.

But let me say, Americans are united in their devotion to peace; they are united in wanting to build a stronger country, a country in which all Americans can have an equal opportunity for good education, for good jobs, for good housing, all of these things we are for.

And even more important is the spirit of America which I have sensed in so many of the people that I have shaken hands with today. As I have walked along the line many of them say, "Good luck, Mr. President," showing a respect for the office that we always find, as we travel around the country, regardless of what the partisanship may be, but many say--and this to me is very, very moving--over and over again, I hear the words, "God bless you. We're praying for you."

Let me say that not only the deep patriotism of the people that I sense every place I go here, but your religious faith, your moral strength, the idealism that is here, America needs it.

We thank you for the progress and the strength and the vitality that I see in this new--even though it is 100 years old-great city of the world. And we thank you particularly for that very strong inner moral spiritual faith that will continue to make America the great nation, a nation that will lead the world to peace and freedom.

Thank you.