Remarks to Members of the National 4-H Conference.

FIRST OF ALL, my thanks to both of you for acting as representatives of this group in giving me this little emblem. I don't know whether I can wear it all the time these next 9 months, but starting next January I see no reason why I shouldn't keep it about me all the time. As a matter of fact, I am very proud to be so designated because while my years will not allow me membership except on an honorary basis, still I would like to be one of your members.

I don't know how many times in the last 7 or 8 years I have had the opportunity of welcoming representatives of the 4-H groups. I remember that I helped to dedicate your headquarters out on Connecticut Avenue. At other times we have also met together. This shall be my final meeting, and I want to leave with you a little message. Possibly I have repeated it time and again, but I think it will not be tiring if I give to you something of what is in my heart and mind when I talk about the opportunities of 4-H people to do something for the world.

Humanity has common problems that cry out for solution. These are problems of starvation, misery, suffering, and disease throughout the world. Unless the battles against these evils are waged intensively and with increasing success, the kind of world that we want, for ourselves and for those who come after, is not going to be achieved.

Back of the solution of these problems we must have real understanding. This word is bandied about a great deal by people when they don't want to be specific. But I mean the understanding of the problem as a human--not because you are an American or because you are a Frenchman or a Brazilian or any other nationality. We all must take heed of a human problem and a human need and see why we cannot solve it by a cooperative effort, because we all should understand it on the same basis.

It is not necessarily true, I think, that we can always think as an individual from another nation. Each nation has its own traditions, its background, its history, its own heroes. That makes some difference of approach to most problems. But these problems I am talking about so clearly belong to all peoples, to all humans, that we can forget various kinds of nationality and achieve a very great deal of understanding among ourselves.

As we do that--as we reach greater understanding--there will be every day greater and newer fields open to us in which these same attributes of cooperative attitude can be exercised and brought to bear. We will all be happier and better people. By that I mean not just ourselves, because of the satisfaction of doing the decent thing, but actually in the development of greater spiritual, intellectual, cultural, and material strength in the world.

This is what we want to do.

This puts a great deal of responsibility on people who like yourselves already understand a great deal of these problems. It also opens a greater field of opportunity. Part of the responsibility is to make yourselves physically and mentally, intellectually and spiritually fit for the job. This is one of the great functions of the 4-H movement. It is one reason that I am so proud of it.

Because you all are classed now as young leaders, the opportunity you have is that you can influence others all over the world to show the same self-interest in their problems. Young people can all have the same dictates of conscience, of gratification of doing something decent for other humans.

Only as the whole world becomes better unified through the kind of understanding that you people are already doing so much to promote-- only as the world peoples understand each other's weaknesses and strengths and have greater sympathy for common problems--is there going to be greater assurance of a durable peace with justice.

This is what we all want.

Now my young friends, as I leave you and say goodbye, at least in my present capacity to 4-H, I tell you: no one could have more confidence in what young America can do, and will do, than I have. Since the earliest days of dealing with the youth of America in the military forces, I have developed the most tremendous respect for the capacity, the imagination, the dedication, and devotion of our youngsters. I don't want at this moment to be buttering you up. I don't mean that.

I mean you have got a tremendous responsibility, a great opportunity, and a great capacity to discharge your responsibilities and to take advantage of the opportunities to the benefit of America, yourselves, your families, and the whole world.

And so in my new capacity, you will probably see me again. But, as President, goodbye.