Statement by the President: Labor Day.

THIS IS the fifth year in which it has been my privilege to call upon the American people to observe Labor Day--a day dedicated to the workers who have helped so much in the advance of our country to the position of responsibility and opportunity it occupies in the world today.

The American worker enjoys an economic, political, and social status solidly established on democratic principles and unequaled elsewhere in the world. From time to time labor has suffered setbacks, but on each such occasion its essential strength has asserted itself and progress has been resumed. And as labor has progressed, so has the Nation.

Labor Day, however, is more than a holiday for celebrating the achievements of the worker and extolling his contribution to the forward march of our economy. This year, more than ever, it is a time for a sober evaluation of the problems that labor, together with all other groups in our country, faces in our complex world, and of our mutual responsibility in meeting them.

Labor has become a full partner in our economy. The machinery for weighing labor's needs and for adjusting the problems of labor-management relations is being developed and improved through the cooperation of employers and employees. But today labor must also be a full partner in all our undertakings, not only within our borders but beyond the seas; for in the long run our actions in the field of foreign policy will affect the welfare of every man, woman, and child. It is a source of pride that statesmen in the ranks of labor are alert to their responsibility in this field and are making a vital contribution to our international programs.

I am confident that labor will give the same devotion to the attainment of our common objectives at home and abroad that it has long demonstrated in seeking better working conditions, adequate wages, and a higher standard of security for workers and their families.