Remarks on Introducing President Nkrumah to the Press.

I KNOW that all of you gentlemen are anxious to speak to the President, and I will release him immediately.

I do want to say that the communique is going to go out very shortly, as soon as we can get some copies of it, which will be available to you all and which covers the main points which we wanted to mention.

I just want to say, speaking personally, that we have had a most fruitful talk. I think it's most helpful. We have a very high regard for the President. As I said at the airport, it is a great source of pride to us as Americans that he studied here in the United States, that he knows our country well, that he spent over 10 years of his life here. I think he knows the traditions of our country, and I am sure he knows its aspirations--and I am sure that he knows that we wish for him and for his country the best of good fortune and speedy and swift progress towards a constantly improving standard of living, that we mean to do our part in cooperation with his efforts.

In addition, I emphasized to him that we are anxious for peace in Africa so that the people of Africa can develop their resources. We are anxious also to see the people of Africa living in freedom. This has been a long tradition of this country, stretching back to our earliest beginnings. We ourselves are a revolutionary people, and we want to see for other people what we have been able to gain for ourselves.

So we have been honored to have the President here, and we regard him as a strong figure in his own country, and as a strong figure in Africa; and therefore this exchange of views has been most helpful to this administration. And I am sure he realizes how welcome he is, and it was a great pleasure for me to have an opportunity to introduce him to Mrs. Kennedy and to my daughter. He has young children who are younger than mine, so that shows how vital Africa is.