THANK YOU, Mr. Ambassador. It is a pleasure, indeed, to welcome you here this morning. From what I can understand, this delegation represents the country press of France, as we would say. The Ambassador says the provinces. We are most happy to have the papers that circulate among the citizens outside of Paris, let me say, to come over here and find out just exactly how friendly we feel to that great republic of yours.
I also want to thank you most sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, for the most cordial reception which you gave to my daughter on her tourist trip to France. She has been at home now for about 3 days, and I haven't had a chance to get a word in edgeways because she spends her time telling me about her various adventures in France and other places.
Especially was she highly pleased with the cordiality of the reception which the great President of France gave her. She was highly pleased at her opportunity to see those wonderfully historic buildings which are not only in Paris but she got to Chartres and several other places which she had been invited to see on her trip.
I hope you have a most pleasant visit here, and if you have any daughters who need entertaining in the United States, just let me know.
It certainly is a pleasure to welcome you here today. I hope you have a most pleasant visit to this country, and that you will enjoy yourselves here as much as my daughter did in France.
Note: The President spoke at 12:50 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White House. In his opening words he referred to Henri Bonnet, French Ambassador to the United States.
The press release of the President's remarks refers to the group as the "French Provincial Press Study Group" and states that their visit was sponsored by the Economic Cooperation Administration.
Harry S Truman, Remarks to a Group Representing the French Provincial Press. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/230412
