Dwight D. Eisenhower photo

Remarks at the Washington National Airport Upon Returning From Europe.

September 07, 1959

Mr. Vice President, Mrs. Nixon, My Friends and Ladies and Gentlemen:

Just as always, when one goes outside the country, for no matter what purpose, for whatever length of time, it is always good to be back, and it certainly is good to be back today to see my wife and all these good people.

There was a serious purpose to this visit. All of us--the heads of Government in West Germany, Britain, and France--we knew that we were united in basic principle and purpose and in our pursuit of peace.

But always there comes up among friends, who are necessarily separated at such distances, small details of procedures and methods and tactics in the pursuit of great programs. These have to be talked out. Every serious--indeed, I don't want to use the word serious--every troublesome little problem of this type has been talked out, and I am quite certain that for the moment at least everything is going splendidly.

Everywhere there was voiced governmental unity, but far more heartening than this was the evidence that can be seen in all of these countries of the deep friendship of these people for the American people.

There is nothing else, there is no other single fact of the modern world that is now so important, I think, as this: that the peoples of the Western World have for each other a very deep, abiding affection, mutual trust-and in this there is a tremendous personal, moral, and indeed a material and economic strength.

So I am glad to bring you that kind of news.

And now, just let me say again I am so glad to be back, and to every one of you who has come out here today to greet me: thank you.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, Remarks at the Washington National Airport Upon Returning From Europe. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/234180

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