Statement by the President Recorded Before Leaving for the Far East.

My friends:

Through recent weeks my mail has been heavy with personal messages from thousands of Americans and friends of America overseas--messages of calm faith that our decent peaceful purposes will not be obscured in the world's eyes by propaganda and invective.

These messages, written in fullness of heart, have been inspiring proof that, far from Washington and the world centers of power, men and women are deeply concerned with the world role of the Republic for peace with justice in freedom. To all those who have written and cabled me heartening words, I am most thankful.

As you know, there have been public warnings, based on a variety of considerations, that I should not visit the far East at this time. With these, I did not agree. However, they moved me to re-think and to reexamine my individual responsibility within the American mission of free world leadership.

In that process, I decided neither to postpone nor to cancel my trip to the far East.

This is the reason for my decision: so that I can continue to learn more about the immediate problems and purposes of our friends, and to continue to promote a better understanding of America abroad--which, particularly in the circumstances of the moment--is a compelling responsibility on me as the President of the United States.

If the trip now ahead of me were concerned principally with the support of a regime or a treaty or a disputed policy; if it were intended merely to bolster a particular program, or to achieve a limited objective, such a journey would have no real justification. But this trip is not so concerned, not so intended. Rather, it represents an important phase of a program whose paramount objective was, and is, to improve the climate of international understanding.

Toward that goal we have worked in many ways: for instance, by the exchange of students and by our economic assistance program. Not the least among these means has been a long series of visits, through 7½ years, by chiefs of state and senior officials of other governments to the United States, and like trips abroad by myself, the Vice President, and our associates at all levels of American Government.

Never, I believe, in the history of international affairs has there been so massive a program of communications between government officials and between peoples. We should not permit unpleasant incidents and sporadic turmoil, inspired by misled or hostile agents, to dim for us the concrete and gratifying results. They have been to the great profit and to the great good of the entire world.

For one thing, America's sincere dedication to the pursuit of a permanent peace, with justice for all, is becoming more clearly understood than ever before, throughout the free world.

For another, the free world economy--including our own--has been steadily strengthened.

For a third, among most of the world's peoples there now is a genuine consensus of conviction that we can, by negotiation, solve even the most difficult of international problems.

We in truth have made immense progress. In the devout hope that I can help further, even a little, this forward movement, I go to the Philippines, Republic of China, Japan, and Korea.

In these countries we have many millions of warm and devoted friends, in every case the vast majority of the population. But because these are countries of freedom, where men and women are free to assemble, to speak out and to criticize, we must not expect a regimented unanimity on any subject--any more than we expect it here at home.

I am going to these countries:

Because with the Republic of the Philippines we have the closest ties of association beginning 6 decades ago, and because it was in the Philippines many years ago that we launched our first major program to help a developing people achieve a prosperous independence.

Because with the Republic of China we have helped demonstrate to the world that a free people can hold high its precious national heritage against all efforts to destroy it and can in adversity build soundly for the future without a fatal sacrifice of human values.

Because with Japan we have just completed our first century of relations and we can now so plan and order our partnership that through the new century ahead we may work together for the prosperity and peace of the entire world.

Because with Korea we have been joined since the establishment of its Republic in maintaining there a bulwark on the frontier of the free world, essential to the security of this Nation and the honor of the United Nations.

Our associations with these four nations are vital to our own security and to the security of the free world. In my personal mission through the next 2 weeks I shall strive to my utmost that our friendships may grow warmer, our partnerships more productive of good for us all.

I am stopping briefly in Okinawa where we have important responsibilities for the welfare of the Ryukyuan people.

I am also happy to visit our newest States, Alaska and Hawaii. They are important bridges of communication to the free nations of Asia.

I know that all Americans will want me to express their warm friendship to the peoples I shall visit. I know also that I shall bring back to you the friendly greetings of our Asian brothers.

And now--goodbye to all of you for a short while.