Remarks to the Delegates to the Second Conference of Young Political Leaders From North Atlantic Treaty Countries.

THIS IS INDEED a pleasure--to see so many young leaders in the political field from so many countries.

I think that today more than ever we have to take thought among ourselves as to just what we believe is the value of freedom--we all have rights within our own countries, of expressing ourselves whether it is agreement with government or bitter criticism of government from top to bottom. But always we have the right to guide our own lives as we please, as long as we don't trespass on the similar rights of others.

We have got, in these critical days to see that we are talking about the differences in the values that tyranny establishes for its people and those that we as free peoples establish for ourselves.

There was a very wise Frenchman who gave a good definition of free government, or democracy. He said it this way: "Freedom is merely the opportunity for stir-discipline."

The point he was making was that if we as a free people in each of our countries do not have the self-discipline to perform those functions that will keep us free, then finally we will be regimented, or we will be disciplined by central power--no matter how it is exercised.

Let us remember that part of free government is the rules and regulations and methods by which we run our economy--how we obtain from our economy the products that we need, the productivity that will raise our standards of living and give us the opportunity to protect ourselves and to help others in need. That economy is part of free government. So even in the business and labor worlds we have this necessity for self-discipline.

To keep these things working properly, there has to be statesmanship, not merely as a few heads of government meet together--or try to meet together. It has got to be in every walk of life--the labor leader has got to talk with his employer, working men have to talk together, we ourselves have to make sure that we comprehend what we are talking about when we say "democracy" or "freedom" because it's just as much responsibility as it is opportunity.

This is a great thing I think we must all live with, think about, and practice.

Now I have got one other obsession: there is in our Constitution a little phrase "the pursuit of happiness." No one can ever guarantee he is going always to be a happy individual, but he can pursue happiness in his own way.

My own belief is this: this is a very noble, a very fine, objective.

You may find your happiness in some kind of religious devotion, some service to others as in the political field or in any other kind, charitable or business. If you are helping society of which you are a part, to my mind that is one of the great satisfactions we have. But in any event, no matter how you pursue happiness, try to get a little of it every day. I just don't believe long faces solve tough problems.

I hope there will never be another war, but to go back to war just a minute: staffs have the job of coming in and telling you how tough everything is--"The enemy's over there, and he's on this side, and he's behind you, too." They make everything tough. Well, finally, it used to be a habit of mine, after the gloom got a little bit thick in a group, let's say, a third of this size, I would say, "Well, you know one thing, it's a hard problem, but that's the reason your government sent such able people here."

Just try to look at it that way once in a while. Of course these are tough problems, but you have got the self-confidence that you can do something about it. If you can do something about it, you have gotten the satisfaction that is part of that happiness that all of us should seek and all of us should gain.

So, those words "pursuit of happiness," "responsibility," as well as "right and opportunity," these are the things that all of us, I believe, have to get imbedded in our brains, in our hearts, and in our souls, so that we have sort of an atmosphere ourselves--where we atmosphere ourselves into that kind of a situation that we can solve these problems decently.

What all of this is leading up to--I just talk along, I am not very orderly, let's say, in my discussions--but by doing this, we are showing such a common dedication to the great values that we deem priceless that we can all get close together.

I believe that today, and probably for some years--decades--to come, there will be a need for strong organizations, associations, and cooperation among ourselves. By this I mean among different nations, whether for example the Canadians and ourselves in North America--you people of Western Europe--we have got to be very, very close together.

We come close when we work on the solution of a problem, whether it's a tariff about zinc, a new air route across such and such a place, or any other kind of tough one that makes everybody mad. If we all see that we are working for the promotion of the basic values we are talking about, then all the other problems begin to get straightened out. And one diplomat says to another, "Well, we are all working for this same thing, now let's see how the devil"--excuse me--"how the dickens" (they'll never put that on the tape, I shouldn't have said it; I'm sorry)-in any event, how we can solve this specific problem when all of us are going after the same things.

So since I strongly believe that mutual understanding is really the key to peace, as we among ourselves achieve that understanding, we spread it a little bit, and somebody else comes into it. Finally, we don't have to be an exclusive club, we don't have to have just NATO type organizations--everybody can get in finally--even the Iron Curtains. When that has happened, then there will be real peace. Then we will really have achieved a lot of happiness. But there will be still problems, after you people have done all this, there will be problems for those that come after you, but they won't be the kind that keep all humanity in strain and tension.

I meant, when I came out here, merely to say welcome to Washington. I am delighted to see you at such a conference with such a fine objective. I understand you are going through the White House. There will be a few interesting things I think you will see there, but in any event, I want to thank each of you for coming out and giving me a chance to greet you, to say "Hello." I think that in every single one of your countries I have some friend--maybe a number. If you are so fortunate as to meet those people I call friends, give them my greetings, my very best wishes, and the hope that out of your meeting here comes closer understanding, some little step in progress toward peace, and certainly progress toward our strength in spirit and in brain and in heart to meet and solve the problems of our day.

Thank you a lot. It has been a lot of fun to see you.