Remarks Upon Presenting "E" Awards for Exports Promotion

Mr. Secretary, Members of the Congress, and gentlemen:

I want to express our great thanks to all of you for the effort you are making to stimulate our trade abroad. And we are hopeful that this ceremony--these E's--will interest other businessmen in what I think are the great opportunities which are open to them all over the world.

I believe the United States is competitive and I believe that our efficiency and productivity and managerial skills all can mean a good deal to American business and the workingman and to our country.

All of us are very familiar with the necessity for the United States to maintain an ever-increasing export trade. It is tied directly to our security. If we can continue to build our exports then we can continue to finance our security obligations overseas.

If we don't, then quite obviously we are going to have to lessen those commitments. So that this contribution is not only to your own company and to the country but also very vitally affects our national and international security. So I want to express our thanks to you.

I hope every businessman in the country will become interested--will examine what is available to him. The Department of Commerce, the Department of State, are all anxious to be of assistance in our embassies overseas. I know the Chamber of Commerce and other groups in this country are anxious to make information available. So that if we can become export-minded, with these tremendous markets which are developing all over the world, it will mean a good deal.

So this is just the beginning. We want to congratulate you for the effort you have made. It is a great help to the country. I want to thank the Members of Congress for coming down here today, because I think we are all interested in this.