Remarks to Delegates Attending the National Explorer Presidents' Congress.

I WANT to express my appreciation to you, Bill Stephany,¹ and to all of the Explorers that are here, for this plaque that you have presented to me, and to tell you that I really envy you being in Washington at this time, being Explorers, and also envy you for all the years that you have ahead.

¹William Stephany, chairman of the Youth Steering Committee for the Congress.

Now having said that, I realize that isn't the usual thing you may sometimes hear these days. I know that for people in the younger generation, you naturally think, as you should think, of all the problems we confront in the world today, the problems America has abroad, the problems America has at home, and you wonder whether this is really a good time to be young, whether this is a good time to be an explorer, an explorer with a capital "E" or a small "e"; whether this is a good time to be an American, to live in this country.

Well, I just want to tell you that I have a great deal of faith in not only this country but in you. And one of the reasons I have faith in this country is because of my faith in you and in your generation.

Let me put it in this context: At the present time, I think that your generation, the generation from 14 to 21, has the best chance of any generation in this century to enjoy what we have not had in this century in Americana full generation of peace.

That may seem far away, but we are ending the American involvement in the war in Vietnam in a way that will contribute to a lasting peace, and you are going to be the beneficiaries of that.

More than that, we find very significant new developments in the field of foreign policy. You have been hearing about them; you have been reading about them. The kind of a world that you will grow up in, that you will take positions in, in your professions and your lives, can be a very different world.

Oh, it isn't going to be a world without challenges; it isn't going to be a world without dangers. But it could be a world of peace, and it could be--and I trust that this may be the case--a world where explorers, capital "E" or small "e," can go any place in the world.

What we are trying to do through our new initiatives in foreign policy is not only to bring peace to America and to the world but to open up the world, to open up the world so that your generation can not only know America and Europe and South America and Africa, but you can know Asia and the great legion of people who now live in Mainland China.

I believe this is going to come. And I believe for that reason, the world here is going to be a more exciting one, a more interesting one, a more peaceful one for all of you.

Now, having painted that prospect for the future, let me just say one word with regard to what we need and what we know and what I am sure we will get from you:

You are going to be required, as a younger generation, to help America maintain this strong national defense that is needed so that we can play a peaceful role. Some of you are going to be required, in addition to that, to make a contribution to America's economic strength. As a matter of fact, all of you, in one way or another, are going to contribute to that, and all of you--and this I consider more important than either of the first two, either our military or economic strength--all of you are going to be needed to contribute to the character of this country.

In a few minutes you are going to take a tour of this house. For 180 years, Presidents of the United States have lived in this house. It isn't really called officially the White House; it is the President's House. John Adams first lived there, and all the Presidents since have lived in the White House.

As you look at that house, and as you go through it, you will think of the history, of the great trials this country has gone through, of the men who lived there, the challenges this Nation faced, and how we got where we are.

What you will be reminded of is that when America was very young, as you were very young, America was weak economically, it was also weak militarily; but it was the hope of the world because we had a moral and a spiritual strength and an idealism that caught the imagination of the world.

America stood for something, stood for something among peoples far away that were never to know this land. That was true 180 years ago. I can tell you that it is still true today; that there are millions of people in the 70 countries I have visited all over this world who look at America as the hope of the world, despite all of our problems, despite the ones that we hear and see night after night on television, read about in the newspapers.

It is your challenge not only to help keep America strong, and not only to help keep it prosperous, but to keep the character of this Nation, its idealism: to make it a nation where there is true opportunity for every American; to make it a nation where character really does count.; to make it a nation, too, where, in spite of all of the temptations to turn to those particular activities that would weaken our national strength, you maintain those great traditions that you have learned in scouting and that you are continuing in your role in this great organization, the Explorers.

I would simply conclude with this final thought: Sometimes, I know, you may get the impression from what you may hear or see on television or read in the newspapers, or perhaps what you hear in the classrooms, that this is rather a bad time to be alive. You tend to be a bit pessimistic about it.

Here we are: We have a war. We have problems of strife within the country, and wouldn't it have been better to live at another time or maybe in another nation?

Don't you believe it. If I had my life to live over again, and if I had at this time to pick a nation, of all the nations in the world, in which I wanted to live, and a time in which to live, I would pick the United States of America.

This is a great country, and you can be proud of the fact that your country will play and is playing a role for real peace in the world. We don't threaten any other country's peace or freedom. You can be proud of the fact that the challenge you face is that what America does--not just our military and economic strength, but more, the strength of our character--will determine whether the billions of people on this earth are going to enjoy peace, and more of them are going to have an opportunity for freedom in the years ahead.

I simply want to say to you: Don't lose faith in your country. I know that you leave it; otherwise, you would not be in this great organization. Keep your faith in America. There are things wrong with it, but in changing what is wrong, let's not destroy what is right. What we want to do is to build America, to build it up rather than tear it down; to stand up for America, to stand up for it when it is under attack; to correct those things that are wrong; and to make it the good and great country that we know it is.

So with that, let me say I hope you enjoy every minute of your stay in Washington. I am glad that the rain that was predicted this afternoon did not come, and I hope that all of you enjoy your tour through the White House.

Incidentally, you will find a lot of things lying around. Usually I say to guests, "You can pick up anything that isn't nailed down." As far as you are concerned, I know that you will enjoy this visit, and as you go through those rooms, think of the history of the country, think of the heritage which is yours, and I hope all of you will come out with just a little more pride in being an American and having the opportunity to lead America.