 President and Mrs. Jorge Blanco, ladies and gentlemen, it's a pleasure to have you as our guest this evening. President Jorge Blanco and his lovely wife represent a country rich in history, blessed with natural beauty and filled with creative and robust people. This morning at the welcoming ceremony, I mentioned the great accomplishments of your people. Mr. President, you can be rightfully proud of your country's freedom. Eugenio Maria de Austos, a writer from the last century, truly a man of the hemisphere once wrote, no one knows better the meaning of justice and freedom than those who have lived under despotism, well, such is the case of those who lead the Dominican Republic today. In our lifetime, through your efforts and those of good people like you, the Dominican Republic has been rescued from tyranny and brought safely into the family of free nations. Your personal commitment to the high ideals of liberty, Mr. President, is exemplary. There can be no greater vocation for any statesman than to lead his people to a more free, just, and humane society. In pursuit of that vocation, you have set a standard of statesmanship and patriotism, which is a model not only for the Caribbean but for the Western Hemisphere, indeed for the leader of any country, seeking to create a climate of dignity and freedom in which the human spirit can flourish. This is not to suggest that under a free government, there are no problems. One of the perplexing difficulties, as we're both fully aware, Mr. President, is ensuring economic growth and progress. World events totally beyond our control can dramatically change the rules of the game. Such was the case with energy costs during the last decade. Maintaining healthy economic growth in the face of rising energy costs has been a major challenge to democratic governments throughout the world. Progress can no longer be taken for granted, but instead requires constant diligence and a commitment to the long-run well-being of a country. Yet there's no reason that, working together, free people cannot triumph over adversity today, just as we have in the past. Juan Pablo Duarte, the great Dominican patriot, said it well. Let us work for the country, he wrote. For in so doing, we work for ourselves and for our children. President Blanco, your government is today ensuring a better tomorrow. You're meeting a challenge head-on, working diligently to rebuild your economy through fiscal responsibility and courageous reform in public administration. You've improved your country's business and investment climate. And by stressing the importance of the private sector and by providing practical incentives for investment, you've made certain the Dominican Republic will be part of the economic upsurge now taking place in the United States as it spreads throughout the global economy. Some of you may not be aware that President Blanco in his country has established enterprise zones to encourage investment and commerce. Mr. President, perhaps you've got some tips on how to get great ideas like that through the legislative process here in Washington. Seriously though, Mr. President, in the strength of Dominican democracy have not gone unnoticed by our Congress. Your support and the example of a strong Dominican democracy deserve credit for helping assure the passage of the Caribbean Basin Initiative. You prove that there is a better way and it works. Together we can show the world that, indeed, freedom works. Together, well, it's up to us. President Jorge Blanco, we honor you tonight for the part that you and your country are playing in the cause of human freedom. Now, if you will all join me in a toast to President and Mrs. Jorge Blanco and to the Dominican Republic. Mr. President Reagan, Senora de Reagan, damas y caballeros, esta cena será imprescedera en mi memoria en la de mi esposa y en la de los miembros de nuestra delegación. Podemos, desde ahora, considerarla entre los momentos estelares de nuestras vidas. Sentimos, por encima del aire protocolar, la simpatía y el cariño que el presidente Reagan, su gentil esposa, Doña Nancy de Reagan, y los altos funcionarios de esta nación nos ofrecen a recibirnos como emisarios de la democracia que representamos con legítimo orgullo. Nos complace comprobar una vez más que la democracia dominicana es respetada y admirada por la gran democracia de los Estados Unidos de América, ambas asociadas y coincidentes en la defensa de los valores humanos que dieron origen a nuestras respectivas naciones. Tenemos un pasado común de ideales y principios y un presente lleno de responsabilidades que deberán contribuir a la construcción de un futuro más promisorio para nuestros pueblos. Agradezco, Presidente Reagan, su reconocimiento a la vocación democrática de nuestro pueblo y a la firme voluntad del gobierno que tenemos a bien dirigir, de luchar tesoneramente con fe y voluntad in quebrantable por el mantenimiento del sistema democrático, no obstante las adversidades de una crisis económica mundial sin precedentes que afecta toda la comunidad internacional, principalmente a los países en vía de desarrollo. Desde el mismo momento en que asumimos el poder nos hemos trazado un objetivo claro y preciso, sanear las finanzas y la economía de la nación dominicana tal como usted acaba de señalar en sus palabras. Para ese insporterable objetivo, estamos dedicando nuestros mayores esfuerzos y sacrificios conscientes de que una casa en orden y la adopción de políticas conducentes a un desarrollo sostenido y de medidas reformadoras que aseguren un verdadero régimen de justicia social son pre-requisitos indispensables para el fortalecimiento y la plena vigencia de nuestras instituciones democráticas. La presidencia de un país grande o pequeño tal como es los Estados Unidos de América y la República Dominicana es una fragua donde se forjan los liderazgos en la toma de conciencia de los recursos y las aspiraciones de sus respectivos pueblos. Por eso no vacilamos en apoyar y defender su generoso programa de la iniciativa de la cuenca del Caribe, la cual es ya una realidad que sirve para ensanchar nuestros mercados y al mismo tiempo constituye un gran estímulo para la iniciativa privada, un motor permanente y necesario para el desarrollo de nuestras sociedades. Hago votos sinceros porque de nuestras conversaciones surjan soluciones adecuadas y justas a problemas comunes que garanticen realizaciones positivas para el desarrollo de nuestras economías y la prosperidad de nuestras naciones. Presidenta Reagan, me siento profundamente conmovido por la mención de Eugenio María de Hostos y de Juan Pablo Duarte. Eugenio María de Hostos es el maestro por excelencia de todas las generaciones dominicanas. Juan Pablo Duarte conjuntamente con otros dos grandes patriotas fundaron nuestra república, pero la mención del nombre de Juan Pablo Duarte aquí en estos salones de la Casa Blanca constituye un reconocimiento formidable de los ideales que sirvieron para forjar la independencia nuestra del 27 de febrero de 1844. Dentro de la belleza de este salón donde los hombres han venido a compartir con el calor de las bellas mujeres y trajes que indudablemente van a formar parte de nuestra memoria en forma constante la cogida de la democracia americana hacia nosotros que usted tan dignamente dirige y prestigia colma muchos de nuestros anhelos y resultado fructífero de nuestras conversaciones para hacer finalmente la estampa de regreso hacia nuestro país. Brindemos por la aventura personal del señor presidente y de su distinguida esposa. Brindemos por la felicidad de nuestros respectivos pueblos. There was a part of the President's remarks that were improvised. I'd like to transmit to those who didn't understand the English what he said. President Reagan, I have been deeply moved by your mention of Eugenio María de Oztos and Juan Pablo Duarte. Eugenio María de Oztos, it was the teacher power excellence of all successive generations of Dominicans as the years have gone by. Juan Pablo Duarte together with other two great patriots was the founder of our modern republic. But the mention of the name of Juan Pablo Duarte here in this room of the White House is an extraordinary recognition of the ideals that have shaped our nation throughout the years and which led to the independence movement which led to in turn to our independence declared on the 27th of February of 1844. Into this beautiful room have come men. They have come to share the warmth with the beautiful ladies who have accompanied them and with all of their beautiful dresses. And this undoubtedly will be an indelible part of the recollection that we have of this evening. But of all, Mr. President, the welcome, the warm welcome that you have given us on the behalf of the great American democracy of which you are a worthy leader and to which you bring so much prestige fills every one of the aspirations that we might have had when we came to this city. And the fruitful results of our conversations will be the golden touch that will accompany us upon our return to our country. Thank you. One wonderful moment when fate takes his hand. I'm able to mix and make them all friendships to be here when the President asked me to come here tonight. Actually, he told me to come in from Nevada. You just do what the President says. And a lot of things went through my mind if you can imagine. Number one, they said you've got 25 minutes. And as you know, I am known for my short shows. And so that's the first thing we had to deal with. And then of course dealing with a language barrier. But we took care of that fairly quickly because I realized that dignity and honor and love really knows no language barrier. So we hope that we'll be doing something that you might enjoy. A lot of things went through my mind as to what I should do in terms of a medley of my hit. Instead, I just decided we'd kind of mix it up and do as many different kinds of music as possible within the timeframe given. And as we were coming in here tonight, as you can see, we brought a great many instruments. And the Secret Service certainly went through every instrument and every musician. And it reminded me of the time that rest his soul, Mr. Jack Benny came to the White House and he came with this violent case under his arm. And the security agent said, Mr. Benny, I'm not trying to embarrass you or offend you, but I have to ask you what's in the case. And Mr. Benny in his inimitable style said, a machine gun. And the Secret Service agent said, thank God, we were afraid you brought your violin. We hope that we'll be doing something that you might enjoy. The kind of show that you get tonight is in direct proportion to the kind of audience that you are. Being Indian, I don't need to do this for a living. We're going to do something that I very rarely do. I don't know why we haven't done this in a long, long time. Maybe when I hear your reaction to it, I'm fresh in my memory. And to President Jorge Blanco, Mrs. Blanco, we hope that you might enjoy this. Thank you very, very much. I think all of us must be very grateful that Wayne Newton has come and entertained us as wonderfully as he has. You know, there are many things said about him that he is the greatest performer in the history of Las Vegas. There is another thing that they say about him that he has never played to an empty seat. He is the entertainer's entertainer. And with all the respect that his entertainers and audiences have paid him, they don't match the honors that he has received for his good work in so many worthy endeavors and worthwhile causes. He has never said no to any of those. And I think we're all very grateful to have had him here tonight. And Wayne, I hope you won't have to wait four years before you can come back again. I'll see you next year.