Remarks at Providence, Rhode Island

Ladies and gentlemen:

Thank you very much, first, to those marvelous bands, let's give them a hand for entertaining while we were here.

Second, I want you to know that when I come to Rhode Island, I feel somewhat like coming home, because it was 30 years ago that I spent 2 months in Quonset Point, and from here went into the service and then overseas into the Pacific. I always remember when I, at Quonset Point, used to come in to Providence, how very warm and generous and hospitable were the people of Rhode Island and of Providence to those of us in the Navy at that time. Thank you very much for what you did 30 years ago.

Now, on this visit, I would like to mention all of the fine candidates who are running on our ticket. Time will not permit it, but there are two here that I want to mention in particular. I mention them because they have been such splendid members of our Administration during these past 4 years. I am going to start with a man who was the Assistant Secretary of Transportation. I know that in that position that he was a dedicated public servant, but what was more, he was dynamic, he was strong, he was intelligent. He was a good organizer. We didn't want to give him up, but I think the State of Rhode Island needs him as Governor of this State, Herb DeSimone.

Herb, with you standing here by me, just let me say that in these next 4 years I look forward to working with you as Governor of Rhode Island, and that door will always be open for Governor DeSimone of the State of Rhode Island.

[At this point, Herbert F. DeSimone spoke briefly. The President then resumed speaking.]

Now, turning to the national scene, I speak about a man that I know, and that you have known for many years. I remember when he was the Governor of this State and rated by all of the objective journalists as one of the top Governors in the Nation. I remember him, too, as the Secretary of the Navy in our Administration for 3 years. John Chafee, without question, is a man who was born to be in public service. He is a man that the Nation needs in public service. Let me just put it quite directly to you: Rhode Island needs him in the Senate, America needs him in the Senate, I need him in the Senate, and you are going to put him in the Senate. John Chafee.

[At this point, John H. Chafee spoke briefly. The President then resumed speaking.]

Now, I would like to say a word for another candidate, for myself. I would like to say in that respect that I have had the great honor of being a candidate for the highest office in this land on three occasions, in 1960, in 1968, and again this year, in 1972. I lost the first time in a narrow election. I won the second time, and now comes the third.

As I stand here in Rhode Island, it just occurred to me that while in those elections to which I referred, in '60 and '68, I have at one time or the other carried most of the States, Rhode Island is a State that I have never carried. Let me say, the third time will be the charm. This is the year when we take Rhode Island.

I want to tell you why I believe this is a year when the people of Rhode Island are going to vote for the national ticket, for John Chafee, for your next Governor, Governor DeSimone. I want to tell you why.

This is not going to be a contest in which the people of Rhode Island are going to divide on partisan terms, Republican versus Democrat. It is going to be a contest in which the people of Rhode Island, like the people of this Nation, realize that this is one of those elections when what is best for America must come first, and the new American majority, Democrats and independents and Republicans together, are going to give America the leadership that we need in these next 4 years.

John Chafee has mentioned the subject which is closest to my heart and closest to the heart of all the people here. From the time that I was at Quonset and came out of Quonset as a naval officer, from the time that I finished my service in World War II, I have felt, as everyone in this audience feels, a deep dedication to the cause of peace.

I have realized that in this century this great Nation has been involved in war in every generation, and every time the war ends, we think, now we can have peace. But it has not been that way. The generation that fought in World War I saw their sons fighting in World War II. The generations that fought in World War II saw their younger brothers and some of their sons fighting in Korea. The ones who fought in Korea found their younger brothers and some of their sons fighting in Vietnam.

Let me say that is why we seek peace in the world, but we seek peace with honor, the kind of a peace that will lead to a lasting peace and not peace with surrender.

We have made a breakthrough in the negotiations which will lead to peace. I have referred to that breakthrough. I want to summarize briefly where it stands and to tell you why I am confident we are going to reach the agreement which will end this war and end it with honor and without surrender.

First, we have reached agreement on the three major principles that I laid down in my speech of May 8. First, that we are going to have a cease-fire throughout Indochina, not just in Vietnam but in Cambodia and Laos. We have agreed on that.

Second, we have an agreement that all of the American POW's will be returned and our MIA's will be accounted for wherever they are in Indochina.

Third, we have reached agreement on the principle that the people of South Vietnam shall determine their future without having a Communist government or a coalition government imposed upon them against their will.

What is left to be done is to work out some details on which there are still differences. Details, however, are important. They must be worked out in the fight way, because we are not going to have a repetition of what we had in 1968, when, with the best of intentions, the United States agreed to a bombing halt and when there was misunderstanding because the details were not worked out.

We are working out those details; we will work them out. We will succeed. But the most important thing is we are going to end this war and end it in a way that will lay the foundation for real peace in the years to come. That is what all Americans want.

Now, may I say a word about the role that you can play and the role that John Chafee can especially play in the United States Senate.

I met this morning, before I took off on a trip that took me to Chicago and then Oklahoma and finally here in Rhode Island, with a very distinguished scientist, the Russian minister of science. We discussed some of the negotiations we had had in Moscow in May when we made, as you recall, an historic and very important agreement limiting nuclear arms between these great powers.

We discussed also the fact that other negotiations are going to take place, very important ones, late in November, in which we will continue to try to limit nuclear arms between our two nations and thereby reduce the burden of arms and also increase the chances for peace.

As I talked to him I thought of this visit. As I talked to him I realized, and I want you to realize, that if we are going to be successful in negotiating with the Soviet Union and if we are going to have the kind of success that will have that limitation of arms that we all want, and progress toward peace, it is vitally important that the President of the United States not be sent to the conference table as the head of the second strongest nation in this world.

Let me tell you why that is important. Not for any jingoistic reason--because when the United States has the second strongest navy, as our opponents advocate, when the United States has the second strongest air force, as they advocate, and the second strongest army, it means that any incentive that the Soviets or any other nation would have to negotiate with us would not be there.

What we must do is to reduce our arms only when it is mutual. That is the way to build a real peace and not a temporary peace. John Chafee knows how to keep America strong. He knows that the most important element of America's peacetime strength is to have the strongest navy in the world. He built that kind of navy when he was Secretary of the Navy,. We need his votes in the United States Senate and his leadership to continue to have that strong navy that John Chafee has contributed so much to as Secretary of the Navy and will, also, in the years ahead.

I want to tell you, my friends, too, that as I look at this crowd, and particularly as I had the opportunity to meet so many of the young people as we walked along the fence here, I realized that all of your hopes lie in what happens in these next 4 years and thereafter. As far as those years are concerned, let me simply summarize by saying my hopes, I think, are yours. They are these:

I want a world of peace. I want a peace that will last; not one just for an election but one that will last for a generation or more. I want something, too, that we have not had since President Eisenhower was President--that is real prosperity, full employment without inflation and without war. We can have it and we will have it, with your help.

I want progress for America, for all Americans; opportunity for Americans; opportunity in which any American, regardless of his background, can go to the very top, where there will be ceiling unlimited.

And I want respect for America. I want the people of this country, and particularly our young people, to realize that we are very fortunate at this period in our history that we, the United States of America, have it within our power, that we have it within our leadership capability, to lead the way, the whole world, to a peaceful world. That is why the trip to Peking took place. That is why one-fourth of the world's people now, who had had no communication with the United States for 20 years, now have communication.

That is why we have negotiated with the Soviet Union. That is why we are working for peace in the Mideast. That is why in all of these areas I say, keep America strong, be sure that we see that the United States remains respected in the world. And we can do that by electing to the Congress, to the Senate of the United States, men like John Chafee, who understand peace through strength, and that is the message I leave with you today.

One final thought: On this last appearance that I will be able to make in this New England area, as somebody was saying as I went along the fence there, I asked a 13-year-old what he was going to do. He said, "I am going to go into politics." I said, "What are you going to run for?" He said, "President." I said, "Fine. You should shoot high." But then I gave him another bit of advice. "The main thing," I said, "to remember is, you don't win them all. I know. You win some; you lose some. But the important thing to remember is that particularly where the Presidency is concerned, America is bigger than any man and it is bigger than any party."

I want to tell you, if I receive your votes and the votes of this Nation, I will serve as well as I can. If on the other hand, my friends, if on the other hand, the verdict of the people of this Nation should go to our opponents, then I will support what is best for America and not take the position that only if I win are we going to support whoever is President of the United States of America. The President comes first in the policies that he will be advocating.

This does not mean we will not have differences, but it does mean that in our system we debate those differences intelligently. We listen when others speak. We try to do everything that we possibly can to do the best job that we can in campaigning, and then in serving in office.

But once the campaign is over, let us have the statesmanship, let us have the ability to pull this country together and to work together for a cause that is bigger than any party and bigger than any man, and that is to make the next 4 years the best 4 years in America's history.

Thank you.