 Pacific, another foreign government leader bound for the American capital. Like most state visitors to our shores, he is met at a nearby airport by the official White House helicopter and ferries along the Potomac River past familiar Washington sites to his host at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the President of the United States. President Johnson received the Prime Minister of Thailand, Tanam Kitikachon. Most men were concerned about the war that still raged in Vietnam and the peace that remained so elusive. During state visits in May and repeatedly on other occasions, President Johnson was no less fervent in his pledge to the free peoples of Asia. In a message relayed for the first time to Thailand by the communications satellite, the President affirmed that we would negotiate in good faith, but we would never compromise the future of Asia at the negotiating table. But one of the most important electronic contacts between Orient and Occident came in the early hours of May 3rd. The government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam is of the view that the former talks between Hanoi and Washington should be held immediately. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam welcomes the French government's willingness to offer Paris at the site for the talks between Hanoi's representatives and the United States. The signals of radio Hanoi broadcasting a note of hope. The North Vietnamese government at last was ready to enter into formal talks about the prospects of peace. At the White House, President Johnson worked through the pre-dawn hours that Friday in order to deliver his carefully praised response. I was informed about one o'clock this morning that Hanoi was prepared to meet in Paris on May the 10th or several days thereafter. After conferring with Secretary of State and Defense Ambassador Goldberg and Ball and Secretary Harrowman and Mr. Vance, I have sent a message informing Hanoi that the date of May the 10th and the site of Paris are acceptable to the United States. The diplomatic deadlock over a site for the peace talks was finally broken. The North Vietnamese had revealed a willingness to talk but only on their terms and at places where all the advantages would be theirs such as Warsaw, Phnom Penh or Burma. But the president who had already offered at least 15 locations had stood firm for a conference site that would be acceptable to both sides. And the American negotiators Averill Harrowman and Cyrus Vance would face a communist delegation headed by Swan Tweed in the French capital. But the war did not end with the start of talks at the Avenue Claver. Clark Clifford, Secretary of Defense, CIA Director Richard Helms, General McConnell from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Walt Rostow, the president's special assistant. These were some of the security advisors who worked with the president in meeting the enemy's newest combat challenge, red for blood in May. It was Hanoi's jungle password, a promise of new bloodshed and terror. There was a communist version of the old Prussian dictum of Von Klausowitz. War is a continuation of diplomacy by other means. During May, American special detection equipment including starlight scopes revealed that record numbers of North Vietnamese soldiers were infiltrating into South Vietnam. 30,000 communist troops a month on their way south to celebrate the 78th birthday of Ho Chi Minh by launching rocket and terror attacks on such cities as Ple Kru, Kanto, Da Nang, Saigon and other southern cities. Four more weeks of death and destruction to innocent civilians and over 100,000 new refugees. The communists paid dearly for their desperation tactics, losing almost 5,000 men a week. For the allies it was also costly, especially the Americans, who lost 562 men one week, 549 the next. May was the bloodiest month of the war. And although the Paris talks held a faint promise of peace, the president grieved over the fact that by Memorial Day 1968, over 20,000 Americans and 23 times that many Vietnamese soldiers had fallen in these three years of struggle along the frontiers of freedom. The battlefield is the scarred and lonely landscape of man's greatest failure. But it is a place where heroes walk. There will come a day when the last American soldier will have stacked arms in Vietnam. Quang Dao King and the hundred other places which once were battlefields will echo to an ancient roll call. The roster of brave men like these who stood and who fought when freedom passed. We have a special treat in store, a concert by the District of Columbia Youth Symphony. The first time I heard this orchestra, I put it in the back of my mind that sometime I wanted them to come here and play for us and I'm so happy that they could today. Mrs. Lyndon Johnson invited 1,000 fifth and sixth grade children to a concert on the South Long. She demonstrated that the White House is not only the home of presidents, it is also a national shrine to be shared with the people. As her husband entered the fifth year of his presidency, many of the programs Mrs. Johnson had sponsored to improve the quality of life in America were now showing results. One example of this transformation was at Buchanan School, a low income neighborhood school in the nation's capital. At one time children had no place to play except a hard asphalt lot and closed by a chain link fence. The school first caught Mrs. Johnson's attention because it had so many broken windows. With a generous gift of $400,000 from the Vincent Astor Foundation, the old playground was changed into an around the clock school and community recreation center for all ages. It's exciting design soon brought inquiries from communities the country over and enthusiasm from the neighborhood. For while Buchanan Plaza belongs first and foremost to this school, it also belongs to everyone in the neighborhood. It is a place where all ages can come together and find when they get there that there's lots to do. Since our committee for a more beautiful capital was formed a little over three years ago, we have devoted particular attention to improving the physical surroundings of public schools in the city. We have done so to make the school a place of pride in the neighborhood. We have done so out of the belief that children will respond affirmatively to improvements that they can see and touch and take part in. I think this place, Buchanan Plaza, is the wave of the future. School yards must not be locked at 3 p.m. They must not have forbidding fences that shut the community out and shut the children in. That door time is learning time just as much as the hours spent in the classroom. In her role as White House hostess, Mrs. Johnson helped the president meet foreign guests such as President Borguiba of Tunisia. Chief Justice and Mrs. Earl Warren were featured guests at the White House judicial reception. A tribute to the members of the Supreme Court. She also helped honor the nation's servicemen at this year's military reception. We're the first lady with Mrs. Humphrey and Mrs. Eisenhower, guests at the yearly White House luncheon for Senate ladies. It was a treasured moment for Mrs. Johnson, who saw old friends from her days as the wife of a senator on Capitol Hill. Her guests would be the first to be served on the new White House, China, unveiled earlier in May. It was the first full China service ordered since 1952, and its pattern reflected the first lady's interest in the floral beauty of America, wild flowers from the eastern Appalachians to the deserts of the West. Traveling to Arizona in May, Mrs. Johnson praised local conservationists, including former Senator Barry Goldwater, for making a parkland of a billion-year-old Camelback Mountain that overlooks Phoenix and saving it from those who had hoped to build a revolving cocktail lounge on its ancient crest. In Pineville, a little peed montown near Charlotte, North Carolina, Mrs. Johnson admired the restoration of the humble birthplace of James K. Polk, the 11th President of the United States. And when I return to Washington tonight, I will take back with me a message for the President. Today, I saw a place and a people who work and strive in the present, but respect the best of their past. Today, I was fortunate enough to see a bit of a national memory preserved. By the close of spring 1968, the first lady had logged nearly 150,000 miles, journeying from one end of the country to the other, encouraging Americans to rediscover the beauty and heritage that lay within the nation's boundaries. Such was the theme of this month's women's doers' luncheon at the White House. Thank you, Ms. Edmonton. That was a stirring, moving speech. I'm being interrupted. He is a friend of mine. Ms. Johnson is taking the leadership and seeing the country herself. She sees more of it than I wanted to see, because the more she sees the country, the less she sees of me. I came here today not just to see you, to see America through you and to thank you, but to have a chance to see her again. In May 1968, a poor people's campaign converged on Washington. It was led by the Reverend Ralph Abernathy, successor to Dr. Martin Luther King, who had died a month earlier, from an assassin's bullet. Like most of the marches on the nation's capital, Cox's Army in 1894, the Bonus War Veterans in 1932, and the 1963 march, it was in the name of a better share of the American dream. Its purpose was to dramatize the needs of the country's poor, and in particular, to impress those needs on the Congress. A deep awareness of the needs of poor people was central to all the President's domestic efforts during his years in office, and to his programs still pending on Capitol Hill. The Congress now has, under consideration, some 80 billion dollars worth of recommendations that the President has submitted in connection with social matters and welfare and poor security payments and additional food allotments and so forth. We think the people of this country must always have a right and we hope the opportunity to present to their government, to their viewpoints. As long as that is done lawfully and properly. Do expect that the poor will be better served if, after that viewpoint is presented, that the Congress and the appropriate administrative agencies can have the time to try to act upon it and execute it. We expect the leaders to present their viewpoints. We expect to seriously consider them. We believe the Congress will do likewise, and then we expect to get on with running the government there as it should be. The President in the business of running the government was very busy on behalf of his great society domestic programs during May. To underline his strong concern for a better cared for citizenry, the President selected for his new Secretary of Health Education and Welfare Wilbur Cohen, a pioneer in the movement for comprehensive social legislation. Today the reformers would do well I think if they just take Wilbur Cohen's life and study it. In a time when we're hearing so much about power. Black power and white power and green power and student power and perhaps someone should do analysis of another kind of power. Wilbur power. Certainly it's the power of optimism over pessimism. Certainly it's the power of involvement over indifference. It's the power of the patient, persistent reformer over the noisy zealot. And I have found that it's power that gets a job done. I'm proud to have worked for you for four and a half years and worked for eight months more because you have done more for health and education and social security than any President in the history of the United States. During the month President Johnson signed measures and lent the support of his office to many programs and groups which are striving for a better life, economic improvement for minorities, stronger insurance protection for those who travel our highways and for those who walk the streets of American cities. On the face of this stand there's a picture of a policeman with a little boy. For almost a year and a half we've been trying to help that policeman with our safe streets and our crime control program. The prime case in point is a gun bill. Some of the 6,500 murders. Some of the 60,000 robberies. Some of the 43,000 aggravated assaults that occur each year in this land of ours might have been prevented by passage of an effective gun control law. The American consumers movement gained great momentum with the signing of the truth in lending bill which was designed to safeguard the public against deception and usury in the marketplace. It was the product of eight years of work by consumer-minded public servants like former Senator Paul Douglas and Cedric Kroll of the Treasury Department. Also on hand were Congresswoman Lenore Sullivan and Betty Furness, the president's spokesman for the buying public. In another bill targeted toward the consumer the president sought to provide credit relief for the homeowner who like many Americans now was beginning to suffer from high interest rates and other danger signs of an overheated economy. In the face of a rising deficit the president had been seeking for months to bolster the economy with a 10% surcharge tax bill. Congress said the president could no longer ignore the ominous threat of inflation aggravated by the heavy costs of war. Time was running out as Mr. Johnson carried his warning to every available forum. While we have let this tax bill languish we have seen mortgage interest rates go from 5.5% to 7%. Three years ago no one would have ever believed that an 8% mortgage rate was possible in the United States but today interest rates are nearing the highest point in 50 years and I think this is something that should disturb every American but if we do not act now an even worse shock is in store for you and I want to warn you about it. But Congress had been reluctant to raise taxes especially in an election year. Finally however its leaders showed a willingness to pass the tax bill if federal expenditures were reduced by $6 billion. When Congress asked the president himself to slash $6 billion from his budget Mr. Johnson saw this as an abdication of congressional responsibility as he made clear in one of his more animated press conferences. But I think the time has come for all of the members of Congress to be responsible and even in an election year to bite the bullet and stand up and do what ought to be done for their country and the thing that I know that needs to be done more for their country than anything else except the step we're taking this morning to try to find a peace solution is to pass a tax bill without any ands, buts, or ours and if they want them to effect reductions then as each appropriation bill comes up offer their amendments like men out on the floor call the roll, but don't hold up a tax bill until you can blackmail someone into getting your own personal viewpoint over on reduction. Now the president can propose but the congress must dispose. I propose a budget. If they don't like that budget then stand up like men and answer the roll call and cut what they think ought to be cut and then the president will exercise his responsibility of approving it or rejecting it and vetoing it. But fiscal leaders in congress would not relent and it was left to the chief executive to trim $6 billion out of an already tight budget. The president explained to his cabinet the tasks that lay before them. Congressional supporters of great society programs he said would have to be persuaded that the budget cut was the lesser of two evils. Well, the anything like the headache or anything like is bad is saying to the world that we have no fiscal responsibility we will not pass that bill. Therefore, I want to ask for something I've never asked a cabinet to do before and I want to see if there is how much muscle we've got left, if any. I would like to use it out on at least 250 men that you've associated with most of them for the last eight years and see which ones that you have to take these little charts and go up and sit down and talk to them and say from the international standpoint Mr. Katzenbach says to the people that he knows best I think our country is in trouble and here's why and I hope that you can do this and if you do it I don't think it'll turn our program into pieces and I want you to know this I can take this sixth bill expenditure reduction and survive and still breathe and still walk and still exist if I get that 10 billion tax bill if I don't get the 10 billion I've got to take the sixth flush The tax issue was a sanguine example of the very real separation of powers that distinguishes the American system of government it also showed that presidential decision making is not a simple process but despite the give and take between executive and legislative branches of government a warm friendship remained on the more personal level between the president and the lawmakers for Mr. Johnson like 18 presidents before him had also worked among these ranks during his three decades of public service he had been both their minority and majority leader and now during the month of May they had invited him back for old times sake to break tradition and speak once again as their former senate leader I always profit from what I've learned from the members of this great body the president told his old colleagues and I appreciate all that you have done to ease my burden to help us better govern this nation summer treads on the heels of spring so it was observed of ancient Rome by the poet Horace and so it is in Washington by now much of May was receding in memory gone with the tulip and magnolia the persitia, jonkul giving way to the vernal rains and new generations of flowers and in Vietnam the monsoon shifts during May from northeast to southwest with the skies clearing along the demilitarized zone there would be more fighting in that unhappy land by Vietnamese, Americans, Koreans, Thais and by Australians by minister John Gorton of Australia came to Washington in May with Vietnam very much on his mind even as we stand here our men fight in Vietnam together as they fought in other wars to protect small nations from the overthrow by force of governments elected by the people and even as we stand here diplomats in Paris seek to discover whether there is hope of ending that fighting and securing a peace just, lasting and honorable giving to the people of south Vietnam a chance themselves to choose their future path without fear or threat you, Mr. President bore the lonely weight of decision to continue to resist force with force you, Mr. President by your recent gesture brought the North Vietnamese to talk you, Mr. President relinquish chance of further office to give those talks such chance of success as they may have and for that we admire and salute you the President included Mr. Gorton in intimate White House foreign policy and security discussions two leaders agreed on continuing cooperation in the maintenance of stability and security in Asia and in the Pacific President Johnson also invited Prime Minister Gorton to his Texas ranch toward the end of May there they would confer with General William Westmoreland reporting in from the battlefield in Southeast Asia General Westmoreland reported that although the enemy would make frenzy battle efforts to panic the Saigon government and sap the patience of Americans in an election year his forces were in fact deteriorating in strength and quality the very happy General Westmoreland has returning to Washington to take the place formerly occupied by General Blackjack Perkin and George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower as head of the chief of staff of the United States Army and the leader of the United States Army in this country President Johnson's surprise announcement in March that he would not seek another White House term recalled another president's similar announcement in 1952 Harry Truman, whom the Johnson's visited this month had also been confronted with a communist adversary on Asian battlefields and at the conference table like President Johnson Mr. Truman had come from humble origins and always identified with the people and both men had known the unmerciful width and caricature of American cartoonists I understand that some of you gentlemen may be thinking of changing your occupations too you'll have to turn in your drawing pads because you're going to miss me that much my butt knows 10 gallon hat I've always envied you your freedom of expression you are the living proof of the wonders of democracy where one man's artistic license is another man's credibility gap I'm going to miss you too it will be nice to bite into my morning Texas grapefruit without you biting back in your morning newspaper I suppose though I could have had it worse after all I could have been up against a columnist with all of your talent thank goodness Walter Lippman never learned to draw President Johnson obviously relaxed in the mellow and affectionate atmosphere of a party gathering in Texas commented on a life freed from politics but a life still deeply committed to the nation's unfinished business when I saw my dear friend of many many decades here at the head table of Raymond Buck it reminded me of the good old days when I used to be in politics I played here from the Temperate Union that once called upon a great government leader Prime Minister of Great Britain Winston Churchill make her complaint and she said Mr. Prime Minister I am told that during this war you have drunk enough brandy if it were poured out in this room to come up to here all of a standing Churchill looked at her and listened very attentively and he looked at the floor and he looked at the ceiling and he said my dear little lady so much we have done so much we have yet to do there's so much that we've done in this country all of us live better than our fathers and our grandfathers and those who made it possible for us to enjoy our liberty and freedom but there's so much yet for all of us to do one of the things yet to be done was on behalf of the nation's youth the president delivered his last major speech of the month at Texas Christian University to open our political system to the participation of the many I strongly believe therefore that the time is already here for this nation to recognize and to grant the right to vote to 18-year-olds we have everything to gain by extending to these young people the most precious right and responsibility of citizenship the right to vote the president had always regarded the youth of this country as his special charge for although he was completing his last year in the White House Mr. Johnson had plans to complete his public service in the manner he started it 40 years earlier as a teacher of youth thus for the president and first lady May was the month when all promises were honored and new pledges were made the fleeting moments of private relaxation during the month that their Texas ranch were no diversion from their public concern for the welfare of America which found its most poignant expression in the springtime of 1968 and in the final reckoning each of us is going to be accountable and this is our year of decision and our decisions now will bind the destinies of men for the long years to come throughout the lives of our grandchildren if we are to seize the full promise of this moment if we are to continue turning the tides of time and fortune in man's favor it will take a strong and a unified America to do it it will ask all of our old faith and wisdom and courage