The President's Message Greeting the Members of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

I SEND my warmest greetings to the distinguished members of the DAC.

I congratulate you on a successful meeting and on the memorable decision you have made.

Twenty years ago many of your nations had just emerged from the disaster of war. Your peoples were faced with hunger and the threat of social upheaval. At that time, my country had the historic opportunity to provide food and to join with you in the great task of reviving your agriculture and your industry.

The success of our joint effort was one of the great humanitarian and material achievements of history.

Now in other countries--in two-thirds of the world--people are threatened with a future of unrelieved hunger. Unless we and they act together now, they will suffer mass famine in the years just ahead.

This morning Secretary Freeman told you that we are losing the war on hunger but that it can be won.

In the resolution we have adopted today we are joining with the developing nations to win that war.

Together we overcame the threat of disaster that appeared 20 years ago. Now, together with the developing nations, we must prevent the disaster which threatens them.

I pledge the support of the United States to this cause in which all of us now are joined.