Remarks in Paris Before the North Atlantic Council.

Gentlemen:

I am grateful for your invitation to be here today. I consider it an honor, and it does give me an opportunity to once again restate the basic conviction of the people of the United States that our security is inevitably tied up with the security of Europe. The United States cannot look forward to a free existence if Western Europe is not free. And we believe in my country, as I am happy to see the people of your country also believe, that this independence must continue and grow.

The circumstances which brought about the birth of the NATO Council and the NATO Alliance in some degree have changed. In some ways the hazards have increased. In some ways we give attention to other areas which were not under direct attack in 1949. But the basic fact still remains, that the power and productivity of this section of the world is a source of vital strength to the security of freedom all around the globe. The United States and Canada in combination with the people of Western Europe form together the most powerful group of people in the world, with long experience, great productive capacity, a high degree of commitment, a high degree of education, and a comprehension of the issues which now divide the world. In many ways, the experience of Europe in the last 10 years has confounded all of those who believed that the tide of history was running against us. I think our problem is to give new life to the NATO Council and to the organization, to transfer its attention and interests not only to the immediate security of this area, to which we are all committed, and will be in the future, but also to consider jointly how we can play a more significant role in those other areas of the world which are subjected to increasing pressure. We have an historic responsibility, and it is a matter of vital strategic significance to the future of your countries and mine that we concern ourselves with the whole southern half of the globe where we are now in danger, and where freedom is now in danger, and where those who place themselves on the opposite side of the table from us seek to make their great advances.

The strength of Western Europe, the strength of my country, the strength of Canada, the association of Japan, the countries in Asia and Africa, the countries in my hemisphere, where we share a great common tradition--all these people desire to be free and independent. I am not an historical determinist, but I do believe that history is not moving against us, but in the long run is moving with us.

There is no doubt that in our time we will see different groups assume positions of responsibility within each state, different groups assume power. But the whole experience of the last years has shown the desire of people to be free and independent, to maintain their national sovereignty and independence. And I believe that when our times come to be recorded this will be noted as the outstanding fact. This serves us because that is our ambition. Even the experience of those countries behind the Iron Curtain in their own relations show a strong desire to be free and independent. This is going to be true increasingly in Africa. It is true in Latin America. It is true in Asia. So while new groups may come to power in many of these countries in the next decade, these groups inevitably, themselves, will want to maintain their independence.

So I do not look to the future with any degree of discouragement. What has happened here in the last 10 years shows what free men can do. And I want to restate again the strong commitment of my country to the defense of Western Europe. We believe it vital to the security of the United States and we intend to honor our commitments. We want to see this association become more intimate. We want to see it play an expanded and greater part throughout the world.

So I welcome your invitation today. And I sit here, speaking for a country which is separated from yours by many hundreds of miles, but which is totally involved with your destiny.

Thank you.