Remarks at a Reception of the International Chamber of Commerce in Orlando, Florida

I think it's accurate to say that I was just introduced by one of the Nation's greatest political leaders and a man who's been an inspiration to me and, I'm sure, to all of you, and I appreciate it very milch.

I was talking to Kurt Waldheim a few minutes ago, the Secretary General of the United Nations, and we only had about 10 minutes to discuss all the problems of the world. And in the midst of it, I got a happy birthday call from President Ford, which I appreciated very much. I called him on his birthdays; he called me on my birthday. We have a very good interrelationship too, because, as you know, we have a very small fraternity of Presidents and ex-Presidents. [Laughter] And we feel the burdens of the office very deeply. And he's been extremely helpful to me.

Earlier, when I was planning on this trip, I called Amy and said that we were going to be down here in Florida to celebrate the birthday of one of the world's greatest and most admired leaders. And she said, "Yes, I know, Daddy." And I was swelling up with pride. She said, "This is Mickey Mouse's 50th birthday." [Laughter]

I had a thrilling afternoon, one of the great days of my life, and a birthday that I will never forget. We went to the space center at Cape Canaveral, Cape Kennedy, the Kennedy Space Center, and I gave medals of honor to five of our heroic astronauts and also posthumously to the widow of Virgil Grissom. And to remember what they have done for our country is one of the great events of my life. And to shake hands with Neil Armstrong and the others there was really a momentous occasion.

I think this is typical of what Florida has helped our Nation to realize. It's not really a coincidence that when great events take place in our country, that your State is often at the heart of the great accomplishment.

This is the first time in 20 years that the International Chamber of Commerce has met in our Nation. And as you know, this is the first time that this tremendous convention has appeared in any nation except in the capital city of that country. And it's because of leadership of men like Reubin Askew, with the help of men and women like you, that this has been made possible.

I'm going to speak briefly this evening to the group in convention, and the thrust of my remarks will be that business, tourism, exchange of people and products can transcend international borders even greater than governments can through political means. And I think had we had the same interrelationships back 30 or more years ago that we have now, the course of the world would have been quite different.

One of the things I'm going to say is that our two most ferocious allies, whom we hated and despised and did all we could to defeat, Japan and Germany, are now among our greatest allies and friends. They were our greatest enemies. Now they're our greatest allies. And had we had the same trade relationships and business interrelationships and cultural interrelationships among people like you who are leaders in your own right, the course of world events might very well have been quite different. But I want to express my thanks to you, as President of the United States, for your generosity and your leadership in honoring our country and your State by bringing this tremendous convention here.

It's typical of you, and I know that you are proud, as am I, that you've been able to accomplish this great feat. It'll help us in many ways, those of us who serve in government, those of you who serve in business and the professions, to have a better life for our own people and, I think, in the process have a better life for all people around the world.

Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.