October 24, 1949
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Mayor, distinguished guests:
If I were to call the roll here, I would call the roll of the most distinguished people in the world.
This has been a great day for me. I appreciate, Mr. Mayor, the cordial welcome of the greatest city in the world, the mayor of the greatest city in the world, and this great organization of the world, the United Nations.
We have laid the cornerstone of the building that is to house the organization for the peace and welfare of the world.
I am sincerely hoping that the things which we anticipated for the United Nations at San Francisco and at Flushing Meadows-when they opened up there, I happened to be present in both instances--will eventually come to pass.
If you remember, I always like to think of the adoption of the Constitution of the United States in 1789. We had almost exactly the same sort of troubles then that we are having with the United Nations on a world basis today.
In fact, it took us 80 years to find out that we could live peaceably together, and we had to whip ourselves before we became conscious of the fact that we were a great Nation. And then we had to fight two world wars before we found out that our position in the world was necessary for the benefit and the welfare of the world--as is the position of every other nation in the world.
I sincerely hope that as a result of this meeting today we will come closer and closer to that ideal condition which we all visualize, after having been through two of the most terrible wars that ever were fought.
I don't want to see another war. I am trying with everything I have to prevent another war. All I am working for is peace in the world, and the welfare of the people of the United States, and the people of all the other nations in the world. That is what Point 4 means.
Thank you very much.
NOTE: The President spoke at 3:40 p.m. at Gracey Mansion, the mayor's official residence, in New York City. The luncheon in the President's honor was given by Mayor William O'Dwyer.
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Mayor, distinguished guests:
If I were to call the roll here, I would call the roll of the most distinguished people in the world.
This has been a great day for me. I appreciate, Mr. Mayor, the cordial welcome of the greatest city in the world, the mayor of the greatest city in the world, and this great organization of the world, the United Nations.
We have laid the cornerstone of the building that is to house the organization for the peace and welfare of the world.
I am sincerely hoping that the things which we anticipated for the United Nations at San Francisco and at Flushing Meadows-when they opened up there, I happened to be present in both instances--will eventually come to pass.
If you remember, I always like to think of the adoption of the Constitution of the United States in 1789. We had almost exactly the same sort of troubles then that we are having with the United Nations on a world basis today.
In fact, it took us 80 years to find out that we could live peaceably together, and we had to whip ourselves before we became conscious of the fact that we were a great Nation. And then we had to fight two world wars before we found out that our position in the world was necessary for the benefit and the welfare of the world--as is the position of every other nation in the world.
I sincerely hope that as a result of this meeting today we will come closer and closer to that ideal condition which we all visualize, after having been through two of the most terrible wars that ever were fought.
I don't want to see another war. I am trying with everything I have to prevent another war. All I am working for is peace in the world, and the welfare of the people of the United States, and the people of all the other nations in the world. That is what Point 4 means.
Thank you very much.
NOTE: The President spoke at 3:40 p.m. at Gracey Mansion, the mayor's official residence, in New York City. The luncheon in the President's honor was given by Mayor William O'Dwyer.