Remarks to a Group of Alaskan Indian and Eskimo Electronics Trainees.

Senator Gruening, Mr. Udall, and Commissioner Nash:

I want to express a very warm welcome to all of you here today.

I think that the program is as effective and can be as useful to our country and to the citizens of Alaska as Senator Gruening has suggested. He is second to no man in suggesting flexibility in the Budget Bureau when it comes to the interests of Alaska.

I want to tell you how impressed I've been to read about your effort in coming and studying for 18 months. It's an extremely complicated and sophisticated subject to which you've devoted your attention. I understand that all of the students who came from Alaska finished the course. And I'm sure that you found life in New York as difficult and as dangerous as people from the other States have found their life when going to the remotest regions of Alaska.

But I think it is very appropriate that those of you who are accustomed to life in these far-off parts of our country should go back there with this valuable training. The salaries which you will get will make it very possible for you to support yourselves and your families. The amount of money which the United States Government advances for this course will be repaid many times over.

We will have continuity of service which we would not have under ordinary conditions. You'll be able to spend a good many years working on this very valuable part of our national defense. I think that the program should be expanded. I think it can pay us dividends, it can pay Alaska dividends and, most of all, the people who are directly involved.

So we're glad to have you here. We hope that you are the forerunners of an army of increasingly talented and useful citizens. I hope that Alaska will emphasize not only for those who may be Eskimo or Indian but also for all the citizens the advantages of highly technical training. A good deal of the future for Alaska lies in that kind of advanced educational opportunity for its citizens.

So we're glad to have you here today. We welcome Senator Gruening who has been a pioneer in this field, and I also commend the Interior Department for its work, and Commissioner Nash. We're very glad to have you at the White House.