Toasts of the President and Chancellor Adenauer

Gentlemen:

I know that you join me in expressing our great pleasure in having the Chancellor here once again in the United States. We are particularly glad that he has come accompanied by the Foreign Minister and the Minister of Defense, and that in the company of our friend, the Ambassador, and the other members of his party we are extremely glad to have him back on our shores once again.

The Chancellor occupies a very special position in this country, and it is a source, I know, of satisfaction to him that he has enjoyed the confidence of three different Presidents in recent years, and four Secretaries of State--President Truman, President Eisenhower--Secretary Acheson, Secretary Dulles, Secretary Herter, and Secretary Rusk. And I think that in spite of the changes which have taken place in this country from party to party and from administration to administration, they have recognized the Chancellor as being committed, as we are, to the defense of the West and the strengthening of Europe.

He has been generous enough to say that Americans are good Europeans, and he has demonstrated not only that he is a great European, but that also the people of the Federal Republic not only look to the day when Germany can be unified, but also to the West and the development of Europe, in the close association between the Atlantic Community and its members in other parts of the world.

So, Chancellor, there are some in this room who admire you because of your political success, which is extraordinary, and there are others, in fact all, who admire you for the long view that you have taken in the interests of your country. In the confidence which you have had in the United States--which we hope is still maintained-and the recognition which you have had from the beginning, the United States and the Federal Republic must move in harmony together, not only in the forties and fifties, but in the sixties.

I think an alliance is an extremely difficult system to operate. The interests of all must be considered. It is far easier for our adversaries to move with speed, commanding as they do their satellites. We are all sovereign and allied, and we are therefore interdependent as well as independent. And I would therefore consider it most advantageous that you were generous to come and see us again, in order that we might renew our friendship, the friendship which exists between the members of the government and also between the people of our countries.

So I hope that all our guests will join me in drinking to one of the transcendent figures of our time--the Chancellor.