United States Senate Youth Program Remarks of the President and Vice President to Participants in the Program.

THE PRESIDENT. It looks like the camera manufacturers have done a good job.

I just came from a meeting with a new commission¹ that I have set up. For the first time in the history of our Nation we have 20 distinguished Americans who will meet to give me and the Secretary of State advice before a person is appointed to a major diplomatic post.

¹ Presidential Advisory Board on Ambassadorial Appointments.

As you know from having read the news in the recent years, quite often our own Nation has been embarrassed because ambassadors and other very important persons have been appointed not on the basis of merit, but on the basis of a political payoff. This will never again be done in the next 4 years.

We have people on this commission: Governor Reubin Askew from Florida is the Chairman; we have former Secretary of State Dean Rusk; former Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Scranton; former Ambassador Averell Harriman; Leonard Woodcock, who is the head of UAW; and many others of this character.

They will assess in every instance all the people in the United States who come to their attention, and give me a recommendation of the five best qualified persons available for every appointment without regard to whether they supported me or someone else in the campaign, without regard to whether they are Democrats or Republicans, without regard to whether they are from Los Angeles or Des Moines, Iowa, or Boston, Massachusetts, but without any regard except to merit.

And that is where I have been., and that is why I am a little late. I have been giving this new group their instructions, their charge. They will now move over to the State Department and start assessing people for appointments for those positions. The reason I mention it to you is this: You were chosen in the same way; in a strictly competitive selection process to serve in a very important post for just a short period of time.

But as you work on Capitol Hill as a young, eager, aggressive, competent person, chosen on the basis of intelligence and merit and interested in public affairs, it puts a special responsibility on your shoulders.

One is to have an actual input into the governmental process. It doesn't do any good for you to come in, just observe what is there and leave without having made a mark. But if you will come in, and in a quiet way, learn what is there, talk to one another, think about how it can be better, make your recommendations as you leave, and then take with you a knowledge of how our Government works and how it can be better, I hope this will be a springboard to bring you back later on as a Member of Congress; as an Ambassador to a foreign country; as a U.S. Senator; perhaps as Governor; perhaps as President; perhaps as Secretary of State because you have been given a remarkable opportunity, one that I didn't have when I was a child, when I was a young man.

But you will be able to see now, at first hand, the inner workings of our Government. You will see some things you don't like. I hope you will help me try to change them and help the congressional leaders who have been responsible for this program to help change them. And you will see some things you like. I hope you can help me and the others to strengthen them.

You have got a great country. And you are part of it. And I hope you won't let this be just a transient episode in your life but an opportunity for you to tie yourself to the Government of the best Nation on Earth.

I have got to go. I can't stay with you. But I would like to introduce to you the finest Vice President that I have ever had work in my administration. [Laughter] Fritz Mondale.

THE VICE PRESIDENT. I am sorry the President left before I could return the compliment, because I wanted him to know in many ways he is the best President I have ever worked for as Vice President. [Laughter]

I would never be parochial, but I would like, if I might, in addition to the two representatives from Georgia, we are delighted to have with us, if we might find room on the platform for the two from Minnesota; if we could do that.

First of all, I want to say how pleased I am to be here. I have a special connection with the Senate Youth Program because when I was in the Senate, I served as one of the cochairmen a few years ago and worked very closely with the Senate Youth Program.

And my colleague, Hubert Humphrey, was the one who I believe introduced the first resolution, along with Senator Kuchel, and I forget who else, creating the Senate Youth Program. There is nothing like it--as you have already found out, for youth program--perhaps in the world, like the Senate Youth Program.

First of all, you have to be special, as the President pointed out, to be selected as one of two from your State. But, secondly, there is just no program that gives you a better look at Washington, at government, how it really works, and to see and hear the leadership in government that remotely compares to the Senate Youth Program.

So, I want to congratulate you for being selected. And I want to second the President's point that you realize that with this opportunity comes a special responsibility; because I have been around Washington long enough to watch people like you come down here and watch many of them grow and develop into community leaders, State leaders, public leaders, religious leaders, business leaders, leaders in education--all walks of life. And I hope that will happen to each of you, that you really go back now and let this be not just a great trip that you are on--it is unusual--but the beginning of a magnificent life of public service, that special dimension that we are all privileged to be a part of as Americans in a free society.

Finally, I want to say something about the Hearst family. You know, in our country we have a marvelous institution of philanthropy, of charitable and educational giving, and people of substance often give for various causes. But it is a funny thing. You usually don't see the family that did it, but that is not true of the Senate Youth Program.

Randy Hearst,² Mrs. Hearst, the Hearst family, every year that I have seen, have been here personally, day after day, doing everything that has to be done to make certain that this program is a success. If it weren't for their personal involvement, I don't think it would have succeeded and continued the way it is.

² William Randolph Hearst, Jr., editor-in-chief, Hearst Newspapers.

And I want to thank, on behalf not only of the participants here but of the United States Senate--I am no longer Senator, but I get to preside over it-and on behalf of the President--we congratulate you. But we also want to thank the Hearst family for their special personal commitment to this marvelous program.

Thank you very much.