Lyndon B. Johnson photo

The President's Remarks to Reporters Following His Meeting With Prime Minister Sato

November 15, 1967

[At the conclusion of their discussions, the President and Prime Minister Sato walked through the West Lobby of the White House and said their goodbys at the door. After the Prime Minister's departure, the President stopped to talk with newsmen in the Lobby. The conversation was in progress before a stenotypist arrived.]

THE PRESIDENT. We talked about education all over the world. I don't like to use this word, but some say I am kind of hipped on it. I am going to make a speech on it in a minute and make a few observations.

We talked about how we could jointly engage in some ventures and adventures in the educational television field and how we could take one teacher and reach thousands of children, how we could set up a joint enterprise in that respect.

We talked about balance of payments. We talked about the dissenters we had in each country--Japan and here. Some of you fellows got a lot of recognition this afternoon in there privately.

Q. How about protectionism and quota legislation, protectionism on the Hill? Did you discuss that?

THE PRESIDENT. No. I told him of our problems and the problems that we have there. But he also knows our position. I think we demonstrated in the Kennedy Round and other places how we feel about it. I think that our Cabinet has been meeting with their Cabinet every year and is pretty well understood.

I think you realize that we do have some problems in this field. But he knows the position of the Government.

Q. Mr. President, we have not seen the communiqué. 1 Was there any discussion you could tell us about on Communist China?

THE PRESIDENT. It will last until you get the communiqué. The answer is "yes".

Q. Mr. President, did Mr. Sato give you any indication as to how Japan feels about the nonproliferation treaty?

THE PRESIDENT. It was not a specific subject of the discussion. We did not go into that. Whatever discussions they were engaging in I am sure were with other people-and as you know, with Secretary Rusk and the Secretary of Defense.

I outlined pretty well the details of paragraph 7 of the communiqué. It was very carefully drawn language. It has required a good deal of study; that is with the Bonin Islands involved, and others involved.

The Development Bank and the Vietnam situation, the balance of payments, and things were what occupied us this afternoon.

Q. Did you explain Hanoi's adamancy in any way?

THE PRESIDENT. I am not going to get into that. So far as Vietnam is concerned, you just let his speech be your guide.

Q. You touched on everything, Mr. President, except the Middle East?

THE PRESIDENT. He has had full discussions and exchanges with the Secretary of State on various parts. We talked about all continents, but I don't think it is fair to imply that we had a meeting today on Latin America or the Middle East, Africa, or anything.

What we did is have principal discussions this afternoon. We had a lengthy discussion last night, and yesterday.

We were running over. We came in early today. We were due at 5:30; we came in about 5:10 or 5:15.

I have a 6:30 meeting. If you have one or two extra quick shorties, I will do it.

Reporter: Thank you very much.

1 See Item 491.

Note: The transcript of the remarks began at 7:10 p.m. As printed above, this item follows the text released by the White House Press Office.

Lyndon B. Johnson, The President's Remarks to Reporters Following His Meeting With Prime Minister Sato Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/238290

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