Mr. Chancellor, ladies and gentlemen:
I want to take this opportunity to extend, on behalf of 200 million Americans, a very warm welcome to the Chancellor of the Federal Republic to our country, and particularly a warm welcome of the millions of Americans who are proud of their German background, including, incidentally, my wife, whose mother was born in Germany, and our two daughters, who, therefore, are one-fourth German.
Mr. Chancellor, as you come here today, this visit is tremendously significant because the discussions that now are taking place on East-West relations revolve around the problem of Europe and the heart of the problem of Europe is the Federal Republic.
I know from our previous discussions, and from my analysis of events in Europe, that your country has almost inevitably been the focus of not only discussion, but sometimes of violent attack. Sometimes, I am sure, that you and your colleagues and those who live in the Federal Republic and those who live in Berlin must think that you are somewhat lonely with all of the attacks that are made on you, at least verbally.
We just want you to know that here in the United States we proudly stand with you as friends and allies. Here in the United States we are proud to welcome you as the leader of your country to our Nation.
I know that the talks that we will have will continue--as did our talks in February, when I visited your country--to advance the cause of our mutual defense; but beyond that, to expand the great alliance, of which we are a part, into one which will deal not only with those problems that result from fear, but with the more exciting problems in which we can make progress toward the peace and the understanding in all areas which people throughout this world so deeply seek.
Finally, I would add that having come so recently from a visit to Eastern Europe, knowing, therefore, that what seems to divide Eastern Europe from Western Europe may be a barrier which seems insurmountable at times, that deep down the peoples of all of Europe---of all of the world, for that matter--are determined to be together, together in their search for peace and together in their determination to have progress.
Having seen all this, I know that the spirit of our talks and the result of our talks will be most helpful, most helpful because you, coming from the Federal Republic are so keenly aware of what it means to live in a divided country-
Mr. Chancellor, finally, I simply want to say to you that I will always remember the warm welcome that we received on our visit to your country, in Bonn and Berlin. I can assure you that every place you go in the United States you will receive an equally warm welcome from all of your friends in America.
Note: The President spoke at 10:38 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White House where Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger was given a formal welcome with full military honors. See also Items 318, 320, and 321.
The Chancellor responded in German. A translation of his remarks follows:
Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen:
First of all, thank you very much, Mr. President, for these very kind words of welcome that you have extended to us on your own behalf and on behalf of the American people.
I, for my part, would like to extend to you the cordial and respectful greetings of the German people living in the Federal Republic of Germany, and I know that I could extend this to mean and include the entire German people.
You have mentioned, Mr. President, the ties that exist between our two nations, through the fact that many Germans have come over here to America, and in that way, Mr. President, they are participating. My two grandchildren today are citizens of the United States, and in fact, citizens of Washington, and I should like to say that they rejoice in this relationship, this direct tie that exists. We have had, several times, the opportunity of talking to each other and exchanging our views.
I am gladly remembering your stay in Bonn, when you came at the time as a private citizen, and you came to me and spoke to me about your ideas concerning the situation in the world and the situation of the United States. I must say that you spoke very clearly.
Now in these 2 past years since I have been here at this place last time, and at that time greeted by President Lyndon B. Johnson, in these 2 years a lot of things have happened in the world. You, Mr. President, have been elected President of the United States and very soon after having taken that very high office, you have come to Germany.
I will never forget the very overwhelming impression during the long drive from Tempelhof Air Field in Berlin to Charlottenburg Castle, the drive of many miles where hundreds of thousands of Berliners cheered you and expressed to you their confidence and trust in your personality and in your policy.
I was here again, for a sad occasion, participating in the funeral of that great son of the United States, President Eisenhower, and at that occasion also, we had the opportunity of exchanging views. I say a lot has happened during these 2 years. A lot has happened in the world, a lot that causes us concern in Europe, too.
I just recall the events in Czechoslovakia, and the military intervention of the Soviet Union.
We know, Mr. President, that you are undertaking every effort in order to secure peace and consolidate peace in this world. In that undertaking of yours, you enjoy the wholehearted support and sympathy of the German people and the wholehearted support of my government, any support that we are capable to give.
It is not an easy task and it is not one that one will resolve overnight. What is required is patience and that power of endurance which many people in our hectic times unfortunately no longer have. But I know that you, Mr. President, have that patience and that power.
We wish you luck, and wherever you are directing these efforts, be it in Vietnam, be it in your efforts to finding a solution to the Middle East conflict, be it in your attempt to improve the situation with Europe, you can be sure that wherever we can we will cooperate with you in these efforts.
We are looking forward to the attempts. We are closely following and sympathetically following all the attempts you are undertaking in this respect, and especially in these days when you try to get into contact with the Soviet Union in trying to improve the situation in and around Berlin and between the two parts of Germany.
Let me tell you that we are grateful to you, to the United Kingdom, and to France for taking that initiative and that we hope that that initiative will be successful. Without illusion, but with a firm determination never to slacken in our efforts toward peace in this world, we shall continue to support and join our efforts with those of your administration.
May you, the representative of the great leaders of the Western World, succeed, and as I said, we shall do our share in contributing to that. May you succeed in securing to the nations and to the world the achievement of their long aspiration to enjoy the happiness of freedom and the blessings of peace.
What human beings are capable of doing, I think, has been most strikingly demonstrated to us by Americans in these very weeks. That great event, the landing of the first human beings on the moon, has proved what humans are capable of doing. This feat should encourage us to try and join our forces, the forces of all mankind. I think if all mankind join forces we would be living the days where we would really be able to experience what the combined efforts of men of good will are capable of achieving.
Thank you again, Mr. President, for this very kind and honoring reception, and I am now looking forward to exchanging views with you.
Richard Nixon, Remarks of Welcome to Chancellor Kiesinger of the Federal Republic of Germany Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/239944
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