Remarks at a Breakfast of the National Cartoonists Association.

I CAN'T tell you how much I appreciate this book. I have, I think, as large a collection of cartoons on myself as any other President ever had, and I am very proud of them. There isn't wall space enough in my present cramped quarters in the White House Office to hang them all up, so I hang as many as I can for awhile then take them down and hang some others. And these will go with that collection. I shall probably take them out of the book and have each one of them framed, and when I get my archives building constructed, I will put these in a special room.

About that silver dollar in the Potomac. It was a Spanish piece of eight, and it was thrown across the Rappahannock. If you go down there and take a look at the place where Washington lived, any 10-year-old boy could throw a dime across at that place. But I am doubtful that Washington, with his acquisitive habits, would ever let loose of a Spanish piece of eight. That is where we got that "bit" proposition. They took a Spanish piece of eight and cut it into eight parts. One "bit" was 12 1/2 cents, you see-two bits, four bits. Our present generation of kids doesn't know what "two bits" means, because they never heard of it. My grandmother didn't call it any other figure but "bits."

Rube, you are an artist, and should there be--I say, should there be, now; this is a question--a whistle-stop proposition, I would like to have you for the principal introducer.

Talking about that gentleman whom the storyteller mentioned, there are a great many stories on that subject, none of which I know. But if you will look up the history on that subject, you will find that it is most interesting.

I am here to tell you how very much I appreciate your willingness to take a hand in this anti-inflation move. You know, beginning in December of last year, we had managed to get on top of the price and wage situation, and we needed a few more powers to carry the thing to its logical conclusion. Well, on account of the fact that the situation had leveled off, our friends decided that the emergency was over and we didn't need any more powers. So the spiral has begun again. And this drive that is on now for savings is the best break that we possibly can have to prevent that spiral from going to disaster.

We had the same situation with regard to the economic recovery program. The countries that we had been helping had arrived at a position where they were just on the verge of being self-supporting, and then the key and fundamental proposition in the economic recovery program was taken away from us, and we are going to have much trouble.

That is the reason--all the speculation to the contrary--that is the reason General Eisenhower came to see me. We had matters that affected the welfare of the whole world to discuss.

And the fundamental basis of the world stabilization proposition is the Treasury of the United States of America. It is the only fundamental currency that is sound and solvent.

And what you are doing is to keep that fundamental basis of trade in a position and in a condition where the finances of the world can be eventually stabilized.

I am no economist, and don't pretend to be, but it is my business to find out what remedies are necessary to meet not only our domestic situations, but the world situation.

What you are doing is a contribution, not only to the stabilization of our domestic economy, but it is a stabilization program that affects the world around.

Whether we like it or not, we have been forced into a position of world leadership. We shirked it in 1920. We kept our backs turned on it all through that period from 1920 until 1939. And it became perfectly apparent that difficulties were going to affect the whole world. A meeting was held on the cruiser Augusta, on which the Atlantic Charter was signed. That was the beginning of the present foreign policy of the United States, and there hasn't been any change in it from then until now.

We are trying to assume the responsibility which God Almighty has given us, and you are helping us to assume that responsibility in a way that will be effective by what you are doing for this savings bond and stamp drive.

I can't express to you the appreciation that I feel for what you are doing. It is a patriotic gesture that is practical. Patriotism is a practical thing. It means that you are trying to make your country arrive at a position where it can meet the responsibilities which it now has in the world.

Ham, I appreciate that statement you made about your loyalty to the President. I think most every person--I don't care what his politics is--appreciates that the Office of the President--not the man that is in it--is due a certain respect.

I don't understand, sometimes, the kudos that I get, unless I think back to the time when I was 18 years old, when I saw the President of the United States for the first time. I ran three blocks, and almost couldn't breathe when I got to the point where he was making a speech on a street corner in Kansas City, Mo.

I will never forget the thrill I got at seeing the man who represented the Government of the United States, in person. I always have to think back to that, when somebody like Ham comes in and gives me a lot of kudos, and bows, and things--because I am not used to that sort of thing, and don't like it, personally.

But, there are a lot of things in the Office of the Presidency that I don't like, but that doesn't make a bit of difference, I have to take them anyway.

Keep up the good work that you are doing. You are really helping save the financial structure of the world in the program that you are carrying out.

I hope that the next time you have a breakfast, you will invite me, whether I have the title or not, and that you will have it a little earlier. I was terribly hungry when I got here!