tience. We must let them know, and we must let the world know, that we are willing to bear the burden of a long struggle to defeat the Communist invasion of South Viet

nam.

For patience is the answer. And patience is everyone's business. It doesn't belong to any single party alone.

I had lunch only yesterday in the White House with one of the greatest men that this country has ever produced. He has been our Chief of Staff, he has been a Commander of our European theater, he has been head of our NATO forces. He has been president of Columbia University. And he has been President of the United States.

I had lunch with General Eisenhower. During the conversation, someone said that tremendous American firepower helped him make the difference in World War II. President Eisenhower immediately replied, "No, our firepower was essential, but what really made the difference in World War II was the tremendous willpower of the American people."

And I think President Eisenhower was right. Willpower has been our secret all along-and it must be now.

If I were writing a history book of this time, I would call this "The Era of Progress." It has been a time of great progress generated by great willpower.

I can remember the days of the Dust Bowl and the days when Oklahomans by the thousands pulled up stakes and left their native soil to go other places.

Those were terrible days for Oklahoma and for the Nation.

But there aren't going to be any more Dust Bowls because we have learned how to harness the soil and how to control and use our rivers to the best advantage.

The great Arkansas River this year will get almost 10 percent of all the appropria

tion for all the public works on rivers in the United States-this one area alone.

You can multiply that example a few dozen times and get a good idea of the kind of American progress that I am talking about.

Look at what has been happening to the per capita income of the State of Oklahoma that I have heard Bob Kerr, Mike Monroney, Carl Albert, and the others talk about by the hours. From 1960 through 1965 your per capita income climbed slightly more than 3 percent every year-a total increase of almost 17 percent. And I am talking about real dollars.

From 1963 through 1965, your per capita income rose 5.8 percent per year each yearthe last 2 years almost 12 percent. And my economists tell me that in the last 6 months, Oklahoma's income has risen even higher than the 6 percent a year.

Now, look at your employment picture.

In 1965 it was up more than 2 percent over 1963. If you add the total employment figures since 1965, the percentage will go a little over 3 percent.

In America, we would all call this a great, rich success story. What you see here tonight in Oklahoma is just a reflection of what has happened all over the country since 1960. Although you have been slightly more aggressive and slightly more progressive and you are bearing the fruits of that thinking.

The most important reason, though, I think, is the willpower as well as the vision. of the people of Oklahoma. So, I have come here tonight to say to you: Be of strong heart. Give us your patience without your partisanship. Give us your support. Let us all be Americans first, and Democrats or Republicans last. Let us support our men in Vietnam and send them the message that we will see it through.

I went to Washington 35 years ago. At that time, we had a lot of problems. I thought we never could face those problems and solve those problems and find solutions to them. They were problems of the Dust Bowl, they were problems of the tenant. farmer, they were the problems of home foreclosures, they were the problems of bonus marchers coming to Washington and being driven down Pennsylvania Avenue to the camps of Anacostia, they were the problems of souplines that stretched out on every main

street.

Our average weekly wage at that time was $18 per week. Today, it is $112 per week. Our average per capita farm income at that time was $300 per year. It is $5,440 today. Sure, we had problems then, and we have problems now. But the problems then were the problems of poverty, were the problems of depression. The problems we have today are the problems of prosperity. We have good jobs. Seven million more people are working today than they were when I went in the executive department and left the Senate just a few years ago. Seven million more jobs. Seven million more taxpayers.

Unemployment has dropped from 7 percent to a little over 3 percent. So, when you have all your people working-76 million of them drawing good wages, making good income, working reasonable hours, you are going to have problems with prices. Our prices have risen 10 percent since 1960. The last 6 years, our prices have gone up 10 percent, but our per capita income has gone up nearly 20 percent. We have 20 percent more income to buy things that cost us 10 percent more.

And our profits have gone up 83 percent for the highest profits after taxes in the history of this country. We have had two tax rebates in the last 2 years.

Now we may have another kind of tax

bill down the road. I am not going to talk about that tonight because I don't know. But I do know that we have a great deal to be thankful for. We have a great deal to be grateful for. We have a great many blessings that we ought to recognize.

Now some people like to get worried. Some people like to be concerned. Some people like to be frustrated and I can't do anything about satisfying them all. But I can say this to you: that I doubt the 120 nations that I deal with, the 120 countries that we have representatives to in the form of Ambassadors, I doubt that you can point to a single one of those countries on the map where any single person in the sound of my voice tonight would not like to trade places with what you have here at home. That is a pretty good record for your accomplishment. I said a few years ago my personal political philosophy was this: that I was a free man first, that I was an American second, that I was a public servant third, and a Democrat fourth, in that order. I have come here tonight as an American, a free American and a public servant, the President of this country. I have come here to say to you that your country is steering a firm and steady course, that we are enjoying a prosperous period, that we have the problems that go with prosperity, that we have the problems of defending freedom and liberty in the world; because there are a lot of people who want what we have and we have to protect it.

We are protecting it and we are defending it and we are living up to our treaty obligations and we plan to until success is assured, until our boys win and until we can bring them home with pride and with honor.

So, to the men of all religions and all faiths, to the men of all colors and all regions, to the men of all political parties, I say here in the great State of Oklahoma tonight you have every reason to be very proud of those

that have sent forward to represent you you in the councils of your Federal Government.

I am not going to stay all night. I am not even going to talk all night. I am just about through. I do want to present, though, my long-time beloved friend, the most distinguished Governor from the State of Texas, John Connally.

And now I am going to take a little drive out here to Pryor and see some of my friends out there, have a light dinner, and go on

home before it gets too dark. Good night.

NOTE: The President spoke at 6:45 p.m. at Tulsa International Airport, Tulsa, Okla. His opening words referred to Russell Hunt, chairman of the welcoming committee, Mayor James M. Hewgley of Tulsa, Governor Henry Bellmon of Oklahoma, and Senators A. S. Mike Monroney and Fred R. Harris, both of Oklahoma. During his remarks he referred to, among others, Robert S. Kerr, Senator from Oklahoma 1949-1963, and James E. Webb, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Congressman Edmondson, Senator Monroney, Senator Harris, members of the very able Oklahoma delegation, distinguished honored guests from Washington and Oklahoma, and ladies and gentlemen:

I am so happy that I could come by here this evening and see you before I go home tonight to spend my birthday tomorrow.

I have spent a large part of my life talking, planning, and working for the State of Oklahoma with the leaders of Oklahoma.

I left Washington this morning and went to Idaho and made several stops in that State. Then we went to Colorado this afternoon and made several stops in that State. And I had thought it would be all right if I came by here and ate supper with you before I went home. I never did plan to spend the night. I don't know where the Governor might have gotten the idea that I was going to be on his hands for a long time. Now I want to keep this record straight. I want the Governor of Oklahoma to know that he is welcome in Washington any timebefore November or after November.

I plan to send him a telegram to that effect tonight. And to keep it strictly nonpolitical, I am going to send it c.o.d.

Lady Bird told me-said, "I am going to have the surprise of your life for your birthday tomorrow." And Ed Edmondson said, "We appreciate your coming to Pryor so much, and what you have done for Pryor already, that we are going to give you the greatest surprise you have ever had for a birthday." And then they showed up with the Governor's telegram-and that was a surprise!

I remember so many, many hours that I spent with your great leader, Bob Kerr, talking about the future of your people, the people that he loved so much, and your State.

Mike Monroney and I entered the Congress only a year apart back in the 1930's and we have worked together very closely ever since.

When Lady Bird leaves town and I have no place to go, and I feel a little lonelyand one of my daughters gets married and the other one is in Hollywood-I call up Mike or Mary Ellen and say, "Is it all right if I come on out for supper?" And then I slip out from the Secret Service and go out and spend a quiet evening-in the way I enjoy most-talking to my friends from my neighboring State. It never occurred to me

for a moment that you might not want me to come down here.

Fred Harris is a great Senator. I saw him when he was running for the Senate. When he got to Washington he hit the ground running. He has been running ever since. He is one of the few freshmen Senators to ever come into the Senate and become chairman of a subcommittee the day he got there. He is an Oklahoma statesman in the image of Bob Kerr and Mike Monroney. And you are going to hear plenty from him in the years to come.

I served in the House of Representatives for a long time and I served with a good many men, I expect more than 2,500 in the House and the Senate, in the 35 years that I have been there. I always thought Mr. Rayburn was the best man I ever served with in the House and I guess he was. He served there 50 years and he had to get elected every 2 years for 25 separate elections.

But if there is another man that even comes close to Mr. Rayburn, it is his neighbor, Carl Albert, who succeeded him as majority leader. He is a good man. He is an able man, he is a wise man, he is a tough little fellow, but he is all wool and a yard wide. And that's all I know to say about him!

Now, Ed Edmondson got me to come here. It has already cost us a good deal. I don't know how much more I am going to have to pay after this introduction tonight, but he is quoting what I said the last time. I was in Oklahoma. I know that 10 percent of all the money the Federal Government is spending on public works this year is being spent on the Arkansas River. And it looks like Ed has some other ideas in mind.

He has been a key figure in the development of one of the greatest river developments in the entire world. He has been a

key figure in Indian affairs legislation. He has been a key figure, along with another good friend of mine, in the beautification field. And except for Ed Edmondson, a great deal of the beauty of this land that we saw today in Idaho and Colorado, and this evening in Tulsa, and here tonight in Pryor, wouldn't have been possible. So, I am so thrilled that we have a chance to come to his district and to say to you people that he is just as good as they come.

He is respected. He works hard. He covers the ground he stands on. And he is welcome in the White House day or night— before or after November, political or nonpolitical.

I am glad that Page Belcher came down here with us. He is from Enid. He represents the First District. He has done that for 16 years with a good record on the Agricultural Committee.

My old friend, Tom Steed, of Shawnee, came along with us today. He has worked hand-in-glove with me through the years. He does an excellent job as chairman of the subcommittee on U.S. Capitol appropriations and has been very valuable as assistant to the President.

John Jarman, of Oklahoma City, has served the Fifth District continuously since 1950 and is the fourth ranking member of the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee.

Jed Johnson is the youngest Member of the House of Representatives, 26 years of age, freshly married, going strong, making a fine record. I knew his father ahead of him and he was a good Congressman. I think Jed is going to be just as good. And that is saying a lot, Jed.

You have a good many people serving in Washington: Mr. Owens from your State on the Securities and Exchange Commission; Mr. Jim Webb, the Administrator of the

Space Agency; Mr. Leverett Edwards, Chairman of the National Mediation Board.

All of these men are serving your State and serving our country faithfully, but the one that I am particularly fond of, because I see him about 18 hours a day, is this young man, Jim Jones, who is on my White House staff and sits right outside my door and tells me all day long I am running late. I am going to introduce him now before he comes up and pulls my coattail and tells me to stop.

I want to talk to you just a few moments about partnership-partnership between Federal resources and local action.

Now I know that is nothing new to Oklahoma. You have been engaged in that kind of partnership for a long time. You saw it when we built a new library over at Tulsa. You saw it when we built a new hospital at Edmond under the Hill-Burton Act. You saw it when the Federal Government built the new interstate highway across Oklahoma from the east to the west and from the north to the south.

You are going to see it pretty soon when the barges and the towboats make their way up the Mississippi to the Arkansas to Pine Bluff, Little Rock, Fort Smith, Muskogee, and on to the port of Catoosa near Tulsa, not very far from this spot.

We look to the day when thousands of your people are going to be working here in the industries along this great navigation channel. We look to the day when six great reservoirs in the project will be generating a combined power output of more than half a million kilowatts, providing more and cheaper electricity for the homes and the industries.

We look to the day when there will be a new market, a new day for Oklahoma's mineral resources, and a cheaper cost for moving farm products out of Oklahoma and moving raw materials into Oklahoma.

This Arkansas River project, like the Oklahoma Ordnance Works Authority project, is an example of what partnership can do. They symbolize what is going on in the United States today at every level of the government.

We have tonight with us two great Governors, Governor John Connally of Texas, Governor Jack Campbell of New Mexico. They are here to meet Governor Farris Bryant. We are talking with the Governors of these States about the problems of these States to make these States bigger, better, wealthier, to make better use of their material and human resources.

We are entering a new day of relations between government and private institutions and individual citizens. This new federalism-this new day of cooperationis not fully understood. But the problems are apparent.

A great society is not going to be built in this country by Lyndon Johnson. It is not going to be built in Washington, D.C. And with all due respect to your leaders on this platform tonight, they are not going to build it, either, although they are going to help.

A great nation is the sum total of all the people, people like you, in towns like Pryor, in cities like Tulsa and Oklahoma City-in 50 States of this Union. East and west, north and south, America is being shaped tonight; our destiny is being forged by the people like you and what you do.

That is why I have traveled today all through Idaho and through Colorado and now through Oklahoma. And I know that while America has come a long way, the best is yet to come.

Someone has said that we are living in the age of machines. We have machines for almost every purpose you can think of. They will even brush your teeth, they will even shine your shoes. But machines can