Message for the SEATO Day Ceremonies at Bangkok.

TODAY, the eighth of September, 1960, marks the Sixth Anniversary of the signing, at Manila, of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty which brought into being the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, more commonly known as SEATO. Joining together in accordance with the purposes set forth in the charter of the United Nations, the member nations of SEATO--Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States--have demonstrated a firm adherence to the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, have subscribed to the attainment of self-government through peaceful means and are supporting the development of economic and social well-being of all peoples in the Treaty Area.

SEATO has, in its six years of existence, performed admirably the task of coordinating the efforts of its members in collective defense for the preservation of peace and security against the threat of Communist imperialism. At the same time, SEATO's accomplishments in fostering social and economic progress have been noteworthy. It is working towards the eradication of the scourge of cholera in Southeast Asia and is conducting other medical research in the area. It is training and developing a needed reservoir of skilled Asian technicians. It is advancing education through grants of scholarships and fellowships, cultural exchanges and lecture tours by persons eminent in their fields of achievement. It has established a Graduate School of Engineering, now in its second successful year in Bangkok, for the advanced training of Asian engineers and scientists. It is currently planning for an area-wide radio meteorological network and for an institute of tropical agriculture. All these constitute examples of the way SEATO is carrying out its objectives.

The United States is proud to share in these accomplishments and it was honored by having the opportunity last May to act as host for the Sixth Annual Meeting of the SEATO Council of Ministers in Washington. On that occasion I had the great honor and pleasure of greeting personally the Council members, their senior civil and military advisers, the Secretary-General and the Chief of the Military Planning Office of SEATO. At the Sixth Annual Meeting, the member nations renewed their pledges to insure mutual security, reaffirmed their determination to resist Communist aggression and subversion and further developed their plans to foster and support the economic and social advancement of the Treaty Area. On this occasion, I am happy to reaffirm United States support for these solemn pledges.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER