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Wenceslas Square Speech 1 V17/90 [OA 6027]
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26
16
5
5
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 14, 1990
INFORMATION
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH:
CHRISS WINSTON CW
FROM:
BETH HINCHLIFFE
BH
SUBJECT:
SPEECH IN WENCESLAS SQUARE
I. SUMMARY
On Saturday, November 17, 1990 -- the first anniversary of
the start of Czechoslovakia's "Velvet Revolution" -- you will be
addressing a gathering in Prague's Wenceslas Square. Since the
anniversary is so momentous, and since this is the site of the
revolution's beginnings, and the heart of the city, the crowd
could reach 100,000-200,000 people. Both Dubcek and Havel will
be there.
II. DISCUSSION
Since you will have previously outlined policy initiatives
in your address to the Czechoslovakian Federal Assembly, this
anniversary celebration will give you the opportunity to talk
directly to the people of Czechoslovakia. The atmosphere in the
square is expected to be emotionally charged, and could be quite
dramatic.
In consideration of that, the attached remarks (10 minutes)
focus on the special relationship between the United States and
Czechoslovakia. In addition, they pay tribute to the pride and
determination of the Czech and Slovak peoples, and to the
independence they have won.
Then the remarks discuss the New World of freedom and your
call for a global partnership of nations. They conclude with
your announcement of two gifts. First: that the United States
will be returning to the people of Czechoslovakia their
Declaration of Independence. Second: your presentation of a
replica of our Liberty Bell.
(Hinchliffe/Grossman)
November 15, 1990 5 p.m.
CZECH.SQ
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAS SQUARE, PRAGUE
November 17, 1990
Thank you, my Czech and Slovak friends. It is a tremendous
honor for me to be the first sitting American President to visit
your proud and beautiful country -- and to be able to join you on
the first anniversary of your extraordinary Velvet Revolution. III
What a powerfully moving sight. There are no leaves on the
trees -- and yet it is Prague spring. 11 There are no flowers
in bloom -- and yet it is Prague spring. 11 The calendar says
Nov. 17 -- and yet it is Prague spring. III
Your Declaration of Independence proclaims: "The forces of
darkness have served the victory of light. The longed-for age of
humanity is dawning. " Today, the freedom-loving people of the
world can bear witness that this age of humanity has now finally
-- and truly -- dawned for this splendid nation. III
I'm here on a pilgrimage. One that began seven decades ago
with an unprecedented partnership between two presidents: 11 the
philosopher who liberated Czechoslovakia politically and intel-
lectually, Tomas Masaryk -- and the idealistic scholar who led
the United States through World War I -- Woodrow Wilson. It was
a long, hard road from their work on your Declaration of Indepen-
dence to this celebration today. I am proud to walk these last
steps with you as one shared journey ends and another begins.
Our countries share a history. We share a vision. We share
a dream. A dream that burns bright in the torch held by our
Statue of Liberty. A dream reflected in the soft shadows cast by
2
candles in this square. And we share friendship. A friendship
Masaryk described to Czech-American soldiers 70 years ago. He
said: "Do not forget that the same ideals, the same principles
ever unite us. Do not forget us as we shall never forget you."
That is why I am here today. We have not forgotten. 111
And the world will never forget what happened here -- in this
square where the history of freedom was written. Wenceslas
Square still echoes with all the emotion your nation has felt for
generations. The days of anguish. The days of hope.
So many times you came here bearing candles against the dark
night, answering the call of Comenius to follow "the way of
light. " Those brave flames came to symbolize your fiercely
burning national pride. When I finally arrived in this square
today, the first thing I looked for was the candle wax. Mounds
of it, from the thousands of candles left here over the years.
I just came here from your great St. Vitus Cathedral. When I
see this extraordinary mosaic of melted wax in front of me -- I
find myself thinking of what happens at the Cathedral's Easter
midnight service. The priest brings a candle from the altar into
the unbroken darkness. Then he passes the flame to each worship-
per's own individual candle. Soon the church is ablaze with
flickering lights that shine together heralding the resurrection.
You -- the proud Czech and Slovak people -- you are that candle.
And your dreams are the candlelight the dispels the darkness. III
For nothing could stop a dream "whose time has come. " A
year ago, the world saw you face down totalitarianism. We saw
3
the peaceful crowd swell day by day in numbers and in resolve.
We saw the few candles grow into a blaze. We saw this square
become a beacon of hope for an entire nation. We listened as the
words of your leader became what Kafka called, "the axe for the
frozen sea" inside you. As this square gave birth to your era of
freedom, we rejoiced as if the victory were our own. 11
A victory that owes its heart to two heroes who honor us by
their presence. Alexander Dubcek. Twenty-two years ago he led
this nation in its first sweet taste of liberty. His are the
will and compassion that are the living Czechoslovakia.
And President Havel. My friend. A man of warmth, compassion,
wisdom, and tremendous moral courage. In the dark years, on one
side stood the state. On the other -- Havel. 11 On one side, the
trappings of tyranny. On the other -- this man of vision. On
one side, a cold jail. On the other -- this man who even in
prison was free -- with the freedom that comes from living in
truth. 11 Among the first was this man. Now there are millions.
For yours was the light that led us out of the chill winter
of the Cold War's darkness and sorrow -- to the brink of a Europe
healed and whole. A Europe intrepid and free. We have seen a New
World of freedom born amid shouts of joy and triumph. Born full
of hope, barreling with confidence toward a new century. A New
World born of a revolution that linked this square with others
like Budapest's Kossuth [KO-shoot] Square, and the Gdansk Ship-
yards in Poland. A revolution that joined together people fueled
by bravery, defiance, and humanity's essential quest for freedom.
4
And now you are at the threshold of a new era. But you do
not stand there alone. For four decades, our two nations waited
across the divide between East and West. Two peoples united in
spirit, bonded by visions -- and yet separated by conflict.
Today, the United States and Czechoslovakia stand together,
united once more in our devotion to the democratic ideal. Now,
with the division of Europe ending, and the emergence of demo-
cracy in the east, the challenge is to move forward. In Czecho-
slovakia: from revolution to renaissance. Across this continent:
toward a new Europe, in which each nation and every culture can
flourish and breathe free. On both sides of the Atlantic: toward
a commonwealth of freedom based on our shared principles -- and
inspired by words which are as true today as they were when your
great Comenius [koh-MAIN-ee-us] wrote them three centuries ago:
"Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity. " 111
A thousand miles to the south, this new commonwealth of
freedom faces its first test. 11 Czechoslovakia was one of the
first nations to condemn the outrage in the Persian Gulf. One of
the first to measure the magnitude of the wrong committed in the
name of territorial ambition. It is no coincidence that appease-
ment's lonely victim half a century ago should be among the first
to understand that there is right -- and there is wrong. There is
good -- and there is evil. And there are sacrifices worth making.
There is no question about what binds our nations, and so many
others, in common cause. There is no question that ours is a just
cause. And there is no question that good will prevail. The
5
darkness in the desert sky cannot stand against the way of light.
Earlier, I told your Parliament we know this is a difficult
time for you -- but also a time of extraordinary optimism. As
you undertake political and economic reform, we know you'll draw
on your moral strengths; your traditions; your courage; your
indomitable spirit. 11 And know one more thing. America will not
fail you in this decisive moment. America will stand with you. 11
I look forward to working with President Havel, and with all
Czechs and Slovaks, as we're finally able to continue along the
road mapped out by our presidents more than 70 years ago. A road
whose goal was described by Woodrow Wilson: "to bring peace and
safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free.
For the past 70 years your Declaration of Independence --
shared by Masaryk and Wilson -- has been preserved and cherished
in our Library of Congress. I say: It is time for Masaryk's words
to come home. 11 As humanity, liberty and independence return
to Czechoslovakia: so too will this treasured document. On behalf
of the people of the United States, I am proud to be able to tell
the people of Czechoslovakia that, before St. Nicholas' moonlight
procession on the Charles Bridge welcomes the Christmas season:
your original Declaration of Independence will have returned home
11 May it be for future generations a reminder of the ties that
bind our nations -- and the principles that bind all humanity. III
In 1776, when our Declaration of Independence was first read
in public, a bell tolled to proclaim the defiant thrill of that
moment. That bell -- we call it the Liberty Bell -- has for 200
6
years symbolized our nation's deepest dedication to freedom.
Dedication like your own.
Inscribed on it are the words: "Proclaim liberty throughout
all the land." We want to help you proclaim your new liberty
throughout all this proud and beautiful land -- and so today we
give to you our last replica of the Liberty Bell. One of our pa-
triotic songs proclaims "Sweet land of liberty from every moun-
tainside, let freedom ring. " And so when bells ring in Wenceslas
Square or in Bratislava, think of this Bell, and know that all
bells are tolling for your precious liberty -- now and forever.
God Bless Czechoslovakia!
#
#
#
#
(Hinchliffe/Grossman)
November 9, 1990
1 p.m.
SQUARE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAS SQUARE, PRAGUE
November 17, 1990
Thank you -- my brothers and sisters of the heart. It's
thrilling to be with you in this extraordinary place -- at this
extraordinary moment -- celebrating your extraordinary miracle.
What a powerfully moving sight. There are no leaves on the
trees -- and yet it is Prague spring. There are no flowers in
bloom -- and yet it is Prague spring. The calendar says November
17 -- and that's proof that it is Prague spring.
I will never forget this moment. I wasn't present to see
the horrifying and the wondrous events that have unfolded in this
almost mythical square. And yet the passion of your struggle has
imprinted vivid images in my heart. Now I am finally here. Here
in Wenceslas Square. 11 Now I stand in the spiritual heart of
Prague -- of Czechoslovakia -- of all Europe -- seeing it for
myself. And I am overwhelmed by the spirit and the pride and the
strength of the magnificent Czech and Slovak peoples.
I look behind me and see the statue of your murdered Saint
Wenceslas, who died at 22. I look out into the powerful depths
of this square and I can see -- as clearly as if I had been here
-- other young men who've given their lives for Czechoslovakian
nationalism. Jan Hus. Jan Opletal. Jan Palach. Martin Smid.
And I can also feel incredible power here. I can imagine
the bells tolling and the keys clanging and the voices singing in
proud collective defiance and celebration. October 28, 1918.
September 1939. November 17, 1939. March 1945.
2
And of course the anguish of August 1968. Your dreams so
long held. Your spirit so unquenchable. Our respect so immense.
Students streamed into this square, answering Comenius' call to
follow "The Way of Light.' Only to be met with barbaric
totalitarianism that broke the world's heart. We wept for them.
We wept for you. Yet when you followed that same way of light
and returned again and again with candles to the site of the
martyred -- we knew then that "the truth will win."
And we watched as the brave lights of your little candles
came to symbolize to the world the unquenchable Czechoslovakian
pride. When I finally arrived in this emotion-drenched square,
the first thing I looked for was the candle wax. Mounds of it,
from the thousands of candles left here over the last 23 years.
And then I saw this church, Mary of the Snow, overlooking
the square. And I thought of what happens at its Easter midnight
service. The priest brings a candle from the altar into the
unbroken darkness of the church. Then he passes the flame to each
worshipper's own individual candle. Soon the church is ablaze
with flickering lights that shine together to defeat the dark and
to herald the resurrection. You -- my Czech and Slovak friends -
- you are that candle. The light of your vision has redeemed you
from darkness. And that light is now spreading through the world.
For nothing could stop a dream "whose time has come." As I
stand here in this sacred spot I am taken back a year to the 50th
anniversary of November 17. I can almost see the thousands of
people in the cold -- facing police on a night of fury unleashed
3
and of dreams coalesced. I think of the blood that stained Nar-
odni Street. But I also think of your miraculous peacefulness. of
the crowd that swelled day by day in numbers and in resolve. of
a few candles that grew into a blaze. of this square alive with
the explosion of dreams too long deferred. And of the words of
your leader that became "the axe for the frozen sea inside you. "
I can feel this so clearly because it touched us so deeply.
You rekindled in us ideals we had perhaps begun to take for
granted. And as this square gave birth to your "era of freedom," "
we rejoiced as if it the victory were our own.
We rejoiced that our Czech and Slovak brothers and sisters
had, at long last, the most essential freedom of all. The freedom
to dream. You inherited a legacy rich in vision. A legacy you
ennobled by your own gentle revolution. A legacy embodied by two
legendary heroes who honor us by their presence.
Alexander Dubcek -- 22 years ago he led this nation in its
first sweet taste of liberty. Through the dark years he inspired
its spiritual and moral resistance. His is the will of steel and
the heart of love that are the living Czechoslovakia.
And Vaclev Havel. My friend. A man of warmth, compassion,
wisdom, and tremendous moral courage. He blesses the lives he
touches and the country he leads. His life is a tribute to the
difference one man can make. In the dark years, on one side
stood the state. On the other -- Vaclev Havel. On one side, the
trappings of tyranny. On the other -- this man of vision. On
one side, the cold jail. On the other -- this man who even in
4
prison was free -- with the freedom that comes from living in
truth. On this side was this man. Now there are millions.
Millions who answered, as Tomas Masaryk wrote: "Not with
violence but with love. Not with the sword but with the plough.
Not with blood but with work. Not with death but with life."
For all of you inspired the movement which in one incredible
year has taken us to the brink of a Europe healed and whole -- a
Europe intrepid and free. Yours was the light that led us out of
the Cold War -- out of its chill winter of darkness and sorrow.
The world marvels with you at the start of this New World
-- a wonderfully optimistic phrase coined first by your own
brilliant composer, Dvorak. We have seen this New World born amid
shouts of joy and triumph. Born full of hope, barreling with
confidence toward a new century. In Poland it took about 10
years. In Hungary, 10 months. East Germany, 10 weeks. Here: 10
days. Ten days that shook your world. And ours.
A New World born of a revolution that linked this town
square with others like Budapest's Kossuth Square, and XXX Square
in Gdansk. A revolution that linked people fueled by bravery,
defiance, and by humanity's essential quest for freedom.
You have done miraculous work. You have embodied one of my
favorite sayings: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin
it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
Your magnificent country is at the threshold of a new era.
And it stands there not alone, but with the rest of this
continent. Now the challenge is to continue to move forward.
5
From revolution to renaissance. Toward a new Europe in which
each nation and every culture can flourish and breathe free. I
speak for all Western leaders when I say that the Atlantic
alliance stands with you. We will continue to be part of your
nation's -- and Europe's -- democratic rebirth. And the creation
of a new Atlantic partnership of shared values.
A partnership inspired by the words of your great Comenius:
"We are all citizens of one world, we are all of one blood. Let
us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity." If there
is one thought I want you to take from this historic afternoon,
it is this: We must look beyond our own borders, to true global
partnership. The situation in the Gulf teaches us this harsh
lesson. Perhaps more than anyone, you in Czechoslovakia under-
stand how critical it is for the nations of the world to come to
the aid of Kuwait. To defend the oppressed as they throw off the
yoke of tyranny which no man has the right to impose on another.
We know that Czechoslovakia was one of the first nations to
endorse sanctions. We know how hard this has hit your economy.
And we want you to know how your example inspires the rest of the
world. You show that aggression against another member of the
international community -- be it next door or across the world
-- is everyone's business. When I thought back to this square a
year ago, I recalled the image of many of you pulling on a rope.
Today, all nations must pull together on the rope of survival.
Earlier, I told your Parliament we know this is a difficult
time. As you undertake political and economic reform, we know
6
you will draw on your strong industrial tradition -- your courage
-- your strength -- and your indomitable spirit. But I want you
to know one more thing. You can also always draw on us.
For our countries share a past. We share a vision. We share
a dream. A dream that became the torch held by our Statue of Lib-
erty. A dream that is reflected in the soft shadows of candles
in this square. And above all, we share friendship. A friendship
described by Masaryk to American soldiers here 70 years ago. He
said: "Do not forget that the same ideals, the same principles
ever unite us. Do not forget us, as we shall never forget you.
That is why I am here today. We will never forget you.
I look forward to working with my friend Vaclev Havel, and
all of you, as we embark on a new passage in our history -- one
that traces back to your magnificent Declaration of Independence,
inspired by our President Wilson's principles of liberated
mankind -- of equality of nations -- and of governments deriving
their powers from the consent of the governed.
I'm here today on a pilgrimage that began 7 decades ago with
the partnership between Masaryk and Wilson. I'm honored to be the
President who completes this journey. I only wish I had time to
visit Bratislava. For my heart is touched by an image of the
city of Comenius -- thousands of people marching 2 years ago with
their candles. I want to tell them I share the pain of how their
quiet, gentle call for religious freedom was met by brutality.
So it is to all citizens of this country that I speak from
this stunningly beautiful city. Masaryk wrote in the Declaration:
7
"The forces of darkness have served the victory of light. The
longed-for age of humanity is dawning." We rejoice that this age
of humanity has now finally dawned in your splendid country.
To commemorate your triumph, your American brothers and sis-
ters want to return Masaryk's words to their rightful home -- and
their rightful heirs. President Havel, on behalf of the American
people I have a very special gift for the Czechoslovakian people.
A precious document that has waited in America's National
Archives seven decades for this moment. I present to you
Masaryk's Declaration of Independence. God Bless Czechoslovakia!
#
#
#
#
7
"Old Glory" snapping in the breeze, we think of you. Whenever we
hear the words of "The star-Spangled Banner," we think of you.
Whenever we enjoy the boundless opportunities of a free country,
we think of you. 111 Year after year, on this special day, no
doubt each of you has given thanks for your country. This year,
your country gives thanks for you. 111
And so I would ask at this moment -- of all who are here, of
all who can hear my voice, of all faiths and all walks of life
-- today is Thanksgiving -- and please join with us now as we bow
our heads in a brief moment of silent prayer. IIIII
[[PAUSE]]
This has been an unforgettable visit. Not an hour will pass
that you will not be on my mind. And just remember, you may be
out of America's sight, but you will never be out of America's
heart. And so we leave you -- with a lump in our throats --- and
a prayer on our lips. God bless you and watch over you. And God
bless the United states of America.
#
#
Seend to
Winston
190233SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
90 OCT 14 All : 59
DATE: 11/13/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/14/90 3:00 PM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAUS SQUARE, PRAGUE
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
CARD
UNTERMEYER
CICCONI
ROGERS
DEMAREST
WINSTON
FITZWATER
PINKERTON
GRAY
PORTER ROSE
HAGIN
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 3:00 PM, Wednesday, November 14. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
Chrise,
I like alot.
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
Swean Porter 11/11:15am Rose
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Hinchliffe/Grossman)
90 NOV 13 PM 1:54
November 12, 1990 2 p.m.
PRAGUE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAS SQUARE, PRAGUE
November 17, 1990
Thank you, my Czech and Slovak friends. It is a tremendous
honor for me to be the first American President to visit your
proud and beautiful country -- and to be able to join you on the
1st anniversary of your extraordinary Velvet Revolution.
What a powerfully moving sight. There are no leaves on the
trees -- and yet it is Prague spring. There are no flowers in
bloom -- and yet it is Praque spring. The calendar says November
17 -- and yet it is Prague spring. As your legendary Tomas
Masaryk wrote in your Declaration of Independence: "The forces
of darkness have served the victory of light. The longed-for age
of humanity is dawning." Together, the freedom-loving people of
the world say to you: we rejoice that this age of humanity has
now finally -- and truly -- dawned for this splendid nation.
I'm here today on a pilgrimage. One that began 7 decades
ago with an unprecedented partnership between two presidents: the
philosopher who liberated Czechoslovakia politically and intell-
ectually, Tomas Masaryk -- and the idealistic scholar who led the
United States through WWI, Woodrow Wilson. It was a long, hard
road from their work on your Declaration of Independence to this
celebration today. I am proud to be the one to walk these last
steps with you as this shared journey ends and a new one begins.
For our countries share a past. We share a vision. We share
a dream. A dream that became the torch held by our Statue of
Liberty. A dream that is reflected in the soft shadows cast by
2
candles in this square. And we share friendship. A friendship
Masaryk described to American soldiers here 70 years ago. He
said: "Do not forget that the same ideals, the same principles
ever unite us. Do not forget us, as we shall never forget you. "
That is why I am here today. We will never forget you.
And the world will never forget what happened here. Wenceslas
Square still reverberates with all the emotions your nation has
felt for generations. The days of anguish. The days of hope.
For so many years you came here bearing candles against the dark
night, answering Comenius' call to follow "the way of light. "
Those brave flames came to symbolize your fiercely burning
national pride. When I finally arrived in this square today, the
first thing I looked for was the candle wax. Mounds of it, from
the thousands of candles left here over the years.
Then I saw that church, Mary of the Snow, overlooking the
square. And I thought of what happens at its Easter midnight ser-
vice. The priest brings a candle from the altar into the unbroken
darkness. Then he passes the flame to each worshipper's own
individual candle. Soon the church is ablaze with flickering
lights that shine together to defeat the dark and to herald the
resurrection. You -- the proud Czech and Slovak people -- you
are that candle. The light of your vision has redeemed you from
darkness. And that light is now spreading through the world.
For nothing could stop a dream "whose time has come. " A year
ago the world saw you face barbaric totalitarianism. We saw the
miraculously peaceful crowd swell day by day in numbers and in
3
resolve. We saw the few candles grow into a blaze. We saw this
square burst into life with the explosion of dreams too long def-
erred. We listened as the words of your leader became "the axe
for the frozen sea inside you.' As this square gave birth to your
"era of freedom," we rejoiced as if it the victory were our own.
A victory that owes its heart to two heroes who honor us by
their presence. Alexander Dubcek. 22 years ago he led this nation
in its first sweet taste of liberty. Through the dark years he
inspired its spiritual and moral resistance. His is the will of
steel and the heart of love that are the living Czechoslovakia
And Vaclev Havel. My friend. A man of warmth, compassion,
wisdom, and tremendous moral courage. He blesses the lives he
touches and the country he leads. In the dark years, on one side
stood the state. On the other -- Vaclev Havel. On one side, the
trappings of tyranny. On the other -- this man of vision. On
one side, the cold jail. On the other -- this man who even in
prison was free -- with the freedom that comes from living in
truth. First, there was this man. Now there are millions of ther
Millions who answered, as Tomas Masaryk wrote: "Not with
violence but with love. Not with the sword but with the plough.
Not with blood but with work. Not with death but with life.
Yours was the light that led us out of the chill winter of
the Cold War's darkness and sorrow - and to the brink of a Europe
healed and whole. A Europe intrepid and free. We have seen a New
World of freedom born amid shouts of joy and triumph. Born full
of hope, barreling with confidence toward a new century. In Pol-
4
and it took 10 years. In Hungary, 10 months. East Germany, 10
weeks. Here, 10 days. Ten days that shook your world. And ours.
A New World born of a revolution that linked this place with
places like Budapest's Kossuth Square, and the Gdansk Shipyards
in Poland. A revolution that joined together people fueled by
bravery, defiance, and by humanity's essential quest for freedom.
You have done miraculous work. You have embodied one of my
favorite sayings: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin
it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
And now you are at the threshold of a new era. But you do
not stand there alone. For four decades, our two nations stood
across the divide between East and West. Two peoples united in
spirit -- cut off by conflict. Today we stand together, united
once more in our devotion to the democratic ideal. Now, with the
division of Europe ending, and the emergence of democracy in the
east, the challenge is to move forward. In Czechoslovakia: from
revolution to renaissance. Across this continent: toward a new
Europe, in which each nation and every culture can flourish and
breathe free. On both sides of the ocean: toward a new Atlantic
partnership based on our shared heritage and common values.
A partnership inspired by words which are as true today as
they were when your great Comenius wrote them 3 centuries ago:
"Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity." If
there is one thought I want you to take from this historic
afternoon, it is that we must look beyond our own borders, to
true global partnership. The situation in the Gulf teaches us
5
this harsh lesson. We know that Czechoslovakia was one of the
first nations to endorse sanctions. We know how hard this has
hit your economy. And we want you to know how your example
inspires the rest of the world. You show that aggression against
another member of the international community -- be it next door
or across the world -- is everyone's business. You show that all
peoples must defend the oppressed as they throw off the yoke of
tyranny which no man has the right to impose on another.
Earlier, I told your Parliament we know this is a difficult
time. As you undertake political and economic reform, we know
you will draw on your strong industrial tradition -- your courage
-- your strength -- and your indomitable spirit. But I want you
to know one more thing. You also have our pledge of friendship.
I look forward to working with Vaclev Havel, and all of you,
as we are finally able to continue along the road mapped out by
our presidents more than 70 years ago. A road whose destination
was described by Woodrow Wilson as: "A universal dominion of
right by
free peoples (to) bring peace and safety to all
nations and make the world itself at last free. "
For the last 70 years, your Declaration of Independence --
on which these two men worked -- has been preserved and cherished
in our Library of Congress. It is time for Masaryk's words to
come home. As humanity, liberty and independence return to
Czechoslovakia -- so will this treasured document.
President Havel, on behalf of the people of the United States
of America, I have a very special gift for the people of Czechos-
6
lovakia. I am honored to announce that we will return to you
your original Declaration of Independence. May it be for future
generations a reminder of the ties that bind our nations -- and
the principles that bind all humanity. God Bless Czechoslovakia!
#
#
#
#
190233SS
Document No.
90 HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE: 11/13/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/14/90 3:00 PM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAUS SQUARE, PRAGUE
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
CARD
UNTERMEYER
CICCONI
ROGERS
DEMAREST
WINSTON
FITZWATER
PINKERTON
GRAY
PORTER ROSE
HAGIN
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 3:00 PM, Wednesday, November 14. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
see comments ys
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Hinchliffe/Grossman)
90 NOV 13 PM 1:54
November 12, 1990 2 p.m.
PRAGUE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAS SQUARE, PRAGUE
November 17, 1990
Thank you, my Czech and Slovak friends. It is a tremendous
honor for me to be the first American President to visit your
proud and beautiful country -- and to be able to join you on the
1st anniversary of your extraordinary Velvet Revolution.
What a powerfully moving sight. There are no leaves on the
trees -- and yet it is Praque spring. There are no flowers in
bloom -- and yet it is Prague spring. The calendar says November
17 -- and yet it is Prague spring. As your legendary Tomas
Masaryk wrote in your Declaration of Independence: "The forces
of darkness have served the victory of light. The longed-for age
of humanity is dawning. ^ Together, the freedom-loving people of
Only words when written 70 years ago. But today
can bear
the world say to you: we rejoice that this age of humanity has
now finally -- and truly -- dawned for this splendid nation.
I'm here today on a pilgrimage. One that began 7 decades
ago with an unprecedented partnership between two presidents: the
philosopher who liberated Czechoslovakia politically and intell-
ectually, Tomas Masaryk -- and the idealistic scholar who led the
United States through WWI, Woodrow Wilson. It was a long, hard
road from their work on your Declaration of Independence to this
celebration today. I am proud to be the one to walk these last
one
steps with you as this shared journey ends and a another new one begins.
For our countries share history. a past. We share a vision. We share
burns bright in
a dream. A dream that became the torch held by our Statue of
Liberty. A dream that is reflected in the soft shadows cast by
2
candles in this square. And we share friendship. A friendship
Masaryk described to American soldiers here 70 years ago. He
said: "Do not forget that the same ideals, the same principles
ever unite us. Do not forget us, as we shall never forget you.'
have not forgotten.
That is why I am here today. We will never forget you.
And the world will never forget what happened here. Wenceslas
echos
Square still reverberates with ald the emotions your nation has
felt for generations. The days of anguish. The days of hope.
For so many years you came here bearing candles against the dark
night, answering Comenius' call to follow "the way of light.'
Those brave flames came to symbolize your fiercely burning
national pride. When I finally arrived in this square today, the
first thing I looked for was the candle wax. Mounds of it, from
the thousands of candles left here over the years.
Then I saw that church, Mary of the Snow, overlooking the
square. And I thought of what happens at its Easter midnight ser-
vice. The priest brings a candle from the altar into the unbroken
darkness. Then he passes the flame to each worshipper's own
individual candle. Soon the church is ablaze with flickering
lights that shine together to defeat the dark and That to herald the
resurrection. You -- the proud Czech and Slovak people -- you
youndream The candlelight that shatters the darkness
are that candle. ^ The light of your vision has redeemed you from
darkness. And that light is now spreading through the world.
For nothing could stop a dream "whose time has come." A year
ago the world saw you face barbaric down totalitarianism. We saw the
firaculousl peaceful crowd swell day by day in numbers and in
3
resolve. We saw the few candles grow into a blaze. We saw this
become the beacon of hope for an entire nation.
square burst into life with the explosion of dreams too long def
erred. We listened as the words of your leader became "the axe
for the frozen sea inside you. If As this square gave birth to your
"era of freedom," we rejoiced as if it the victory were our own.
A victory that owes its heart to two heroes who honor us by
their presence. Alexander Dubcek. 22 years ago he led this nation
in its first sweet taste of liberty. Through the dark years he
inspired its spiritual and moral resistance. resolve His is the will of
loving
steel and the heart of love that are the living Czechoslovakia
And Vaclev Havel. My friend. A man of warmth, compassion,
wisdom, and tremendous moral courage. He blesses the lives he
touches and the country he leads. In the dark years, on one side
stood the state. On the other -- Vaclev Havel. On one side, the
trappings of tyranny. On the other -- this man of vision. On
one side, the cold jail. On the other -- this man who even in
prison was free -- with the freedom that comes from living in
Among the
truth. First, there was this man. Now there are millions.
Millions who answered, as Tomas Masaryk wrote: "Not with
violence but with love. Not with the sword but with the plough.
Not with blood but with work. Not with death but with life.
Yours was the light that led us out of the chill winter of
the Cold War's darkness and sorrow - and to the brink of a Europe
A new Cyechoslovakic.
healed and whole. A A Europe-intrepid and free. We have And seen a New
new
World of freedom born amid shouts of joy and triumph. Born full
of hope, barreling with confidence toward a new century. In Pol-
4
and it took 10 years. In Hungary, 10 months. East Germany, 10
weeks. Here, 10 days. Ten days that shook your world. And ours.
A New World born of a revolution that linked this square place with
places like Budapest's Kossuth Square, and the Gdansk Shipyards
in Poland. A revolution that joined together people fueled by
bravery, defiance, and by humanity's essential quest for freedom.
You have done miraculous work. You have embodied one of my
favorite sayings: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin
it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
And now you are at the threshold of a new era. But you do
not stand there alone. For four decades, our two nations stood
across the divide between East and West. Two peoples united in
spirit -- cut off by conflict. Today we stand together, united
once more in our devotion to the democratic ideal. Now, with the
division of Europe ending, and the emergence of democracy in the
east, the challenge is to move forward. In Czechoslovakia: from
revolution to renaissance. Across this continent: toward a new
Europe, in which each nation and every culture can flourish and
breathe free. On both sides of the ocean: toward a new Atlantic
partnership based on our shared heritage and common values.
A partnership inspired by words which are as true today as
they were when your great Comenius wrote them 3 centuries ago:
"Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity." If
there is one thought I want you to take from this historic
afternoon, it is that we must look beyond our own borders, to
true global partnership. The situation in the Gulf teaches us
inform infant
P A thousand miles to the south, this partnersly faces its
first Test. A test harsh with sacrifice. A test hard on the people
of Czechostovakia.
6
lovakia. I am honored to announce that we will return to you
your original Declaration of Independence. May it be for future
generations a reminder of the ties that bind our nations -- and
the principles that bind all humanity. God Bless Czechoslovakia!
# # # #
190233SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSECSTAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
11/13/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/14/90 3:00 PM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAUS SQUARE, PRAGUE
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
CARD
UNTERMEYER
CICCONI
ROGERS
DEMAREST
WINSTON
FITZWATER
PINKERTON
GRAY
PORTER ROSE
HAGIN
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 3:00 PM, Wednesday, November 14. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
Also -WE need some line
Declaration to present
As I understand WE do not have
(ZECh, for POTUS to
deliver, In a La "Ich bin Assistant James BEdinEr" to W. the Cicconi President
Further, David And I
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
discussed Ciberty BELL
Ext. 2702
concept. S.L
(Hinchliffe/Grossman)
90 NOV 13 PM 1:54
November 12, 1990 2 p.m.
PRAGUE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAS SQUARE, PRAGUE
November 17, 1990
Thank you, my Czech and Slovak friends. It is a tremendous
honor for me to be the first American President to visit your
proud and beautiful country -- and to be able to join you on the
1st anniversary of your extraordinary Velvet Revolution.
What a powerfully moving sight. There are no leaves on the
trees -- and yet it is Prague spring. There are no flowers in
bloom -- and yet it is Prague spring. The calendar says November
17 -- and yet it is Prague spring. As your legendary Tomas
Masaryk wrote in your Declaration of Independence: "The forces
of darkness have served the victory of light. The longed-for age
of humanity is dawning." Together, the freedom-loving people of
the world say to you: we rejoice that this age of humanity has
now finally -- and truly -- dawned for this splendid nation.
I'm here today on a pilgrimage. One that began 7 decades
ago with an unprecedented partnership between two presidents: the
philosopher who liberated Czechoslovakia politically and intell-
ectually, Tomas Masaryk -- and the idealistic scholar who led the
United States through WWI, Woodrow Wilson. It was a long, hard
road from their work on your Declaration of Independence to this
celebration today. I am proud to be the one to walk these last
steps with you as this shared journey ends and a new one begins.
For our countries share a past. We share a vision. We share
a dream. A dream that became the torch held by our Statue of
Liberty. A dream that is reflected in the soft shadows cast by
2
candles in this square. And we share friendship. A friendship
Masaryk described to American soldiers here 70 years ago. He
said: "Do not forget that the same ideals, the same principles
ever unite us. Do not forget us, as we shall never forget you."
That is why I am here today. We will never forget you.
And the world will never forget what happened here. Wenceslas
Square still reverberates with all the emotions your nation has
felt for generations. The days of anguish. The days of hope.
For so many years you came here bearing candles against the dark
night, answering Comenius' call to follow "the way of light.
Those brave flames came to symbolize your fiercely burning
national pride. When I finally arrived in this square today, the
first thing I looked for was the candle wax. Mounds of it, from
the thousands of candles left here over the years.
Then I saw that church, Mary of the Snow, overlooking the
square. And I thought of what happens at its Easter midnight ser-
vice. The priest brings a candle from the altar into the unbroken
darkness. Then he passes the flame to each worshipper's own
individual candle Soon the church is ablaze with flickering
lights that shine together to defeat the dark and to herald the
resurrection. You -- the proud Czech and Slovak people -- you
are that candle. The light of your vision has redeemed you from
darkness. And that light is now spreading through the world.
For nothing could stop a dream "whose time has come. " A year
ago the world saw you face barbaric totalitarianism. We saw the
miraculously peaceful crowd swell day by day in numbers and in
3
resolve. We saw the few candles grow into a blaze. We saw this
square burst into life with the explosion of dreams too long def-
erred. We listened as the words of your leader became "the axe
for the frozen sea inside you. As this square gave birth to your
"era of freedom, we rejoiced as if it the victory were our own.
A victory that owes its heart to two heroes who honor us by
their presence. Alexander Dubcek. 22 years ago he led this nation
in its first sweet taste of liberty. Through the dark years he
inspired its spiritual and moral resistance. His is the will of
steel and the heart of love that are the living Czechoslovakia
And Vaclev Havel. My friend. A man of warmth, compassion,
wisdom, and tremendous moral courage. He blesses the lives he
touches and the country he leads. In the dark years, on one side
stood the state. On the other -- Vaclev Havel. On one side, the
trappings of tyranny. On the other -- this man of vision. On
one side, the cold jail. On the other -- this man who even in
prison was free -- with the freedom that comes from living in
truth. First, there was this man. Now there are millions.
Millions who answered, as Tomas Masaryk wrote: "Not with
violence but with love. Not with the sword but with the plough.
Not with blood but with work. Not with death but with life.
Yours was the light that led us out of the chill winter of
the Cold War's darkness and sorrow - and to the brink of a Europe
healed and whole. A Europe intrepid and free. We have seen a New
World of freedom born amid shouts of joy and triumph. Born full
of hope, barreling with confidence toward a new century. In Pol-
4
and it took 10 years. In Hungary, 10 months. East Germany, 10
weeks. Here, 10 days. Ten days that shook your world. And ours.
A New World born of a revolution that linked this place with
places like Budapest's Kossuth Square, and the Gdansk Shipyards
in Poland. A revolution that joined together people fueled by
bravery, defiance, and by humanity's essential quest for freedom.
You have done miraculous work. You have embodied one of my
favorite sayings: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin
it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.'
And now you are at the threshold of a new era. But you do
not stand there alone. For four decades, our two nations stood
across the divide between East and West. Two peoples united in
spirit -- cut off by conflict. Today we stand together, united
once more in our devotion to the democratic ideal. Now, with the
division of Europe ending, and the emergence of democracy in the
east, the challenge is to move forward. In Czechoslovakia: from
revolution to renaissance. Across this continent: toward a new
Europe, in which each nation and every culture can flourish and
breathe free. On both sides of the ocean: toward a new Atlantic
partnership based on our shared heritage and common values.
A partnership inspired by words which are as true today as
they were when your great Comenius wrote them 3 centuries ago:
"Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity." If
there is one thought I want you to take from this historic
afternoon, it is that we must look beyond our own borders, to
true global partnership. The situation in the Gulf teaches us
5
this harsh lesson. We know that Czechoslovakia was one of the
first nations to endorse sanctions. We know how hard this has
hit your economy. And we want you to know how your example
inspires the rest of the world. You show that aggression against
another member of the international community -- be it next door
or across the world -- is everyone's business. You show that all
peoples must defend the oppressed as they throw off the yoke of
tyranny which no man has the right to impose on another.
Earlier, I told your Parliament we know this is a difficult
time. As you undertake political and economic reform, we know
you will draw on your strong industrial tradition -- your courage
--- your strength -- and your indomitable spirit. But I want you
to know one more thing. You also have our pledge of friendship.
I look forward to working with Vaclev Havel, and all of you,
as we are finally able to continue along the road mapped out by
our presidents more than 70 years ago. A road whose destination
was described by Woodrow Wilson as: "A universal dominion of
right by
free peoples (to) bring peace and safety to all
nations and make the world itself at last free."
For the last 70 years, your Declaration of Independence --
on which these two men worked -- has been preserved and cherished
in our Library of Congress. It is time for Masaryk's words to
come home. As humanity, liberty and independence return to
Czechoslovakia -- so will this treasured document.
President Havel, on behalf of the people of the United States
of America, I have a very special gift for the people of Czechos-
6
lovakia. I am honored to announce that we will return to you
your original Declaration of Independence. May it be for future
generations a reminder of the ties that bind our nations -- and
the principles that bind all humanity. God Bless Czechoslovakia!
# # # #
SENT BY:The TICKET CENTER
11-14-90 ; 4:44PM ; LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS-
2024566218:# 2
190233SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE: 11/13/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/14/90 3:00 PM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAUS SQUARE, PRAGUE
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLUBE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
CARD
UNTERMEYER
CICCONI
ROGERS
DEMAREST
WINSTON
FITZWATER
PINKERTON
GRAY
PORTER ROSE
HAGIN
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 3:00 PM, Wednesday, November 14. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
No Comment 11/14/90
90 OCT 14 P3 57
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
190233SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE MEMORANDUM
90 OCT 14 STAFFING
DATE: 11/13/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/14/90 3:00 PM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAUS SQUARE, PRAGUE
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
CARD
UNTERMEYER
CICCONI
ROGERS
DEMAREST
WINSTON
FITZWATER
PINKERTON
GRAY
PORTER ROSE
HAGIN
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 3:00 PM, Wednesday, November 14. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
NO COMMENTS. THANKS.
HOLLY WILLIAMSON NW
11-14-90
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
190233SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
90 OCT 14 P2: P2:59
DATE: 11/13/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/14/90 3:00 PM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAUS SQUARE, PRAGUE
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
CARD
UNTERMEYER
CICCONI
ROGERS
DEMAREST
WINSTON
FITZWATER
PINKERTON
GRAY
PORTER ROSE
HAGIN
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 3:00 PM, Wednesday, November 14. Thank you.
RESPONSE: no comment
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Hinchliffe/Grossman)
90 NOV 13 PM 1:54
November 12, 1990 2 p.m.
PRAGUE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAS SQUARE, PRAGUE
November 17, 1990
Thank you, my Czech and Slovak friends. It is a tremendous
honor for me to be the first American President to visit your
proud and beautiful country -- and to be able to join you on the
1st anniversary of your extraordinary Velvet Revolution.
What a powerfully moving sight. There are no leaves on the
trees -- and yet it is Prague spring. There are no flowers in
bloom -- and yet it is Prague spring. The calendar says November
17 -- and yet it is Prague spring. As your legendary Tomas
Masaryk wrote in your Declaration of Independence: "The forces
of darkness have served the victory of light. The longed-for age
of humanity is dawning." Together, the freedom-loving people of
the world say to you: we rejoice that this age of humanity has
now finally -- and truly -- dawned for this splendid nation.
I'm here today on a pilgrimage. One that began 7 decades
ago with an unprecedented partnership between two presidents: the
philosopher who liberated Czechoslovakia politically and intell-
ectually, Tomas Masaryk -- and the idealistic scholar who led the
United States through WWI, Woodrow Wilson. It was a long, hard
road from their work on your Declaration of Independence to this
celebration today. I am proud to be the one to walk these last
steps with you as this shared journey ends and a new one begins.
For our countries share a past. We share a vision. We share
a dream. A dream that became the torch held by our Statue of
Liberty. A dream that is reflected in the soft shadows cast by
2
candles in this square. And we share friendship. A friendship
Masaryk described to American soldiers here 70 years ago. He
said: "Do not forget that the same ideals, the same principles
ever unite us. Do not forget us, as we shall never forget you.'
That is why I am here today. We will never forget you.
And the world will never forget what happened here. Wenceslas
Square still reverberates with all the emotions your nation has
felt for generations. The days of anguish. The days of hope.
For so many years you came here bearing candles against the dark
night, answering Comenius' call to follow "the way of light."
Those brave flames came to symbolize your fiercely burning
national pride. When I finally arrived in this square today, the
first thing I looked for was the candle wax. Mounds of it, from
the thousands of candles left here over the years.
Then I saw that church, Mary of the Snow, overlooking the
square. And I thought of what happens at its Easter midnight ser-
vice. The priest brings a candle from the altar into the unbroken
darkness. Then he passes the flame to each worshipper's own
individual candle. Soon the church is ablaze with flickering
lights that shine together to defeat the dark and to herald the
resurrection. You -- the proud Czech and Slovak people -- you
are that candle. The light of your vision has redeemed you from
darkness. And that light is now spreading through the world.
For nothing could stop a dream "whose time has come. " A year
ago the world saw you face barbaric totalitarianism. We saw the
miraculously peaceful crowd swell day by day in numbers and in
3
resolve. We saw the few candles grow into a blaze. We saw this
square burst into life with the explosion of dreams too long def-
erred. We listened as the words of your leader became "the axe
for the frozen sea inside you. " As this square gave birth to your
"era of freedom, we rejoiced as if it the victory were our own.
A victory that owes its heart to two heroes who honor us by
their presence. Alexander Dubcek. 22 years ago he led this nation
in its first sweet taste of liberty. Through the dark years he
inspired its spiritual and moral resistance. His is the will of
steel and the heart of love that are the living Czechoslovakia
And Vaclev Havel. My friend. A man of warmth, compassion,
wisdom, and tremendous moral courage. He blesses the lives he
touches and the country he leads. In the dark years, on one side
stood the state. On the other -- Vaclev Havel. On one side, the
trappings of tyranny. On the other -- this man of vision. On
one side, the cold jail. On the other -- this man who even in
prison was free -- with the freedom that comes from living in
truth. First, there was this man. Now there are millions.
Millions who answered, as Tomas Masaryk wrote: "Not with
violence but with love. Not with the sword but with the plough.
Not with blood but with work. Not with death but with life.
Yours was the light that led us out of the chill winter of
the Cold War's darkness and sorrow - and to the brink of a Europe
healed and whole. A Europe intrepid and free. We have seen a New
World of freedom born amid shouts of joy and triumph. Born full
of hope, barreling with confidence toward a new century. In Pol-
4
and it took 10 years. In Hungary, 10 months. East Germany, 10
weeks. Here, 10 days. Ten days that shook your world. And ours.
A New World born of a revolution that linked this place with
places like Budapest's Kossuth Square, and the Gdansk Shipyards
in Poland. A revolution that joined together people fueled by
bravery, defiance, and by humanity's essential quest for freedom.
You have done miraculous work. You have embodied one of my
favorite sayings: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin
it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. "
And now you are at the threshold of a new era. But you do
not stand there alone. For four decades, our two nations stood
across the divide between East and West. Two peoples united in
spirit -- cut off by conflict. Today we stand together, united
once more in our devotion to the democratic ideal. Now, with the
division of Europe ending, and the emergence of democracy in the
east, the challenge is to move forward. In Czechoslovakia: from
revolution to renaissance. Across this continent: toward a new
Europe, in which each nation and every culture can flourish and
breathe free. On both sides of the ocean: toward a new Atlantic
partnership based on our shared heritage and common values.
A partnership inspired by words which are as true today as
they were when your great Comenius wrote them 3 centuries ago:
"Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity.' If
there is one thought I want you to take from this historic
afternoon, it is that we must look beyond our own borders, to
true global partnership. The situation in the Gulf teaches us
5
this harsh lesson. We know that Czechoslovakia was one of the
first nations to endorse sanctions. We know how hard this has
hit your economy. And we want you to know how your example
inspires the rest of the world. You show that aggression against
another member of the international community -- be it next door
or across the world -- is everyone's business. You show that all
peoples must defend the oppressed as they throw off the yoke of
tyranny which no man has the right to impose on another.
Earlier, I told your Parliament we know this is a difficult
time. As you undertake political and economic reform, we know
you will draw on your strong industrial tradition -- your courage
-- your strength -- and your indomitable spirit. But I want you
to know one more thing. You also have our pledge of friendship.
I look forward to working with Vaclev Havel, and all of you,
as we are finally able to continue along the road mapped out by
our presidents more than 70 years ago. A road whose destination
was described by Woodrow Wilson as: "A universal dominion of
right by
free peoples (to) bring peace and safety to all
nations and make the world itself at last free."
For the last 70 years, your Declaration of Independence --
on which these two men worked -- has been preserved and cherished
in our Library of Congress. It is time for Masaryk's words to
come home. As humanity, liberty and independence return to
Czechoslovakia -- so will this treasured document.
President Havel, on behalf of the people of the United States
of America, I have a very special gift for the people of Czechos-
6
lovakia. I am honored to announce that we will return to you
your original Declaration of Independence. May it be for future
generations a reminder of the ties that bind our nations -- and
the principles that bind all humanity. God Bless Czechoslovakia!
#
#
#
#
190233SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
90 OCT 13 P3: 24
DATE: 11/13/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/14/90 3:00 PM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAUS SQUARE, PRAGUE
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE N/C
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER N/C
DARMAN N/C
ROGICH
CARD
UNTERMEYER
CICCONI
ROGERS
DEMAREST
WINSTON
FITZWATER
PINKERTON
GRAY
PORTER ROSE
HAGIN
HOLIDAY N/C
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 3:00 PM, Wednesday, November 14. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Hinchliffe/Grossman)
90 NOV 13 PM 1:54
November 12, 1990 2 p.m.
PRAGUE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAS SQUARE, PRAGUE
November 17, 1990
Thank you, my Czech and Slovak friends. It is a tremendous
honor for me to be the first American President to visit your
during his presidency.
proud and beautiful country -- and to be able to join you on the
1st anniversary of your extraordinary Velvet Revolution.
What a powerfully moving sight. There are no leaves on the
trees -- and yet it is Prague spring. There are no flowers in
bloom -- and yet it is Prague spring. The calendar says November
17 -- and yet it is Prague spring. As your legendary Tomas a
Masaryk wrote in your Declaration of Independence: 0 "The forces
of darkness have served the victory of light. The longed-for age
only words when Written 70 yrs ago. But today
of humanity is dawning. " Together, the freedom-loving people of
can bear witness:
the world say to you: we rejoice that this age of humanity has
now finally -- and truly -- dawned for this splendid nation.
more than
I'm here today on a pilgrimage. One that began 7 decades
ago with an unprecedented partnership between two presidents: the
philosopher who liberated Czechoslovakia politically and intell-
ectually, Tomas Masaryk -- and the idealistic scholar who led the
United States through WWI, Woodrow Wilson. It was a long, hard
road from their work on your Declaration of Independence to this
celebration today. I am proud to be the one to walk these last
one
another
steps with you as this shared journey ends and a new one begins.
For our countries share history. past. We share a vision. We share
burns bright is
a dream. A dream that became the torch held by our Statue of
Liberty. A dream that is reflected in the soft shadows cast by
2
candles in this square. Czech- And we share friendship. A friendship
Masaryk described to American soldiers here 70 years ago. He
said: "Do not forget that the same ideals, the same principles
ever unite us. Do not forget us, as we shall never forget you."
have not forgotten
That is why I am here today. We will never forget you
And the world will never forget what happened here. Wenceslas
echos
Square still reverberates with all the emotions your nation has
felt for generations. The days of anguish. The days of hope.
So many times
For so many years you came here bearing candles against the dark
night, answering Comenius' call to follow "the way of light.' "
Those brave flames came to symbolize your fiercely burning
national pride. When I finally arrived in this square today, the
first thing I looked for was the candle wax. Mounds of it, from
time.
the thousands of candles left here over the years
Our Lady on the SNOW, not far from
Then I saw that church, Mary of the Snow, overlooking the
square. And I thought of what happens at its Easter midnight ser-
vice. The priest brings a candle from the altar into the unbroken
darkness. Then he passes the flame to each worshipper's own
individual candle. Soon the church is ablaze with flickering
lights that shine together to defeat the dark and to herald ing the
resurrection. You -- the proud Czech and Slovak people -- you
are that candle. ^ The light of your vision has redeemed you from dark-
Your dreams the can dlelight that shatters the
ness.
darkness. And that light is now spreading through the world.
For nothing could stop a dream "whose time has come." A year
down
ago the world saw you face barbaric totalitarianism. We saw the
miraculously peaceful crowd swell day by day in numbers and in
3
resolve. We saw the few candles grow into a blaze. We saw this
become the beacon of hope for on entire nation.
square burst into life with the explosion of dreams too long def
erred. We listened as the words of your leader became "the axe
us
for the frozen sea inside you." As this square gave birth to your
"era of freedom, " we rejoiced as if it the victory were our own.
A victory that owes its heart to two heroes who honor us by
their presence. Alexander Dubcek. 22 years ago he led this nation
in its first sweet taste of liberty. resolve Through the dark years he
inspired its loving spiritual and moral resistance. His is the will of
steel and the heart of love that are the living Czechoslovakia
And Vaclev Havel. My friend. A man of warmth, compassion,
wisdom, and tremendous moral courage. He blesses the lives he e
touches and the country he leads. In the dark years, on one side
a
stood the state. On the other -- Vaclev Havel. On one side, the
trappings of tyranny. On the other -- this man of vision. On
one side, the cold jail. On the other -- this man who even in
prison Amongthe was free -- with the freedom that comes from living in
truth. First, -there was this man. Now there are millions.
Millions who answered, as Tomas Masaryk wrote: "Not with
violence but with love, Not with the sword but with the plough,
Not with blood but with work. work, Not with death but with life. "
the
Yours was the light that led us out of the chill winter of
the Cold War's darkness and sorrow - and to the brink of a Europe
healed and whole. Av Europe intrepid and free. We have And seen a New
A new Czechoslavakia.
new
World of freedom born amid shouts of joy and triumph. Born full
of hope, barreling with confidence toward a new century. In Pol-
4
and it took 10 years. In Hungary, 10 months. East Germany, 10
weeks. Here, 10 days. Ten days that shook your world. And ours.
A New World born of a revolution that linked this square place with
[COE-shoot]
places like Budapest's Kossuth Square, and the Gdansk Shipyards
in Poland. A revolution that joined together people fueled by
bravery, defiance, and by humanity's essential quest for freedom.
You have done miraculous work. You have embodied one of my
favorite sayings: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin
it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
And now you are at the threshold of a new era. But you do
not stand there alone. For four decades, our two nations stood
across the divide between East and West. Two peoples united in
spirit -- cut off by conflict. Today we stand together, united
once more in our devotion to the democratic ideal. Now, with the
division of Europe ending, and the emergence of democracy in the
east, the challenge is to move forward. In Czechoslovakia: from
revolution to renaissance. Across this continent: toward a new
Europe, in which each nation and every culture can flourish and
breathe free. On both sides of the ocean: toward a new Atlantic
partnership based on our shared heritage and common values.
A partnership inspired by words which are as true today as
they were when your great Comenius wrote them 3 centuries ago:
"Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity.' If
there is one thought I want you to take from this historic
afternoon, it is that we must look beyond our own borders, to
true global partnership. The situation in the Gulf teaches us e
P A thousand miles to the South, this infant partnership
faces its first test. A test harsh with sacrifice. A test
hard on people of Chechoslovakaa.
5
this harsh lesson. We know that Czechoslovakia was one of the
first nations to endorse sanctions. We know how hard this has
hit your economy. And we want you to know how your example
inspires the rest of the world. You show that aggression against
another member of the international community -- be it next door
or across the world -- is everyone's business. You show that all
peoples must defend the oppressed as they throw off the yoke of
tyranny which no man has the right to impose on another.
Earlier, I told your Parliament we know this is a difficult
But it IS also a time of extraordinary opportunity and
time. As you undertake political and economic reform, we know optimism
mary strengths:
you will draw on your strong industrial tradition -- your courage
your strength and your indomitable spirit. But I want you
to know one more thing. You also have our pledge of friendship.
walking that Foada
I look forward to working with Vaclev Havel, and all of you,
as we are finally able to continue along the road mapped out by
our presidents more than 70 years ago. A road whose destination
was described by Woodrow Wilson as: "A universal dominion of
right by
free peoples (to) bring peace and safety to all
nations and make the world itself at last free."
For the last 70 years, your Declaration of Independence --
on which these two men worked has been preserved and cherished
in our Library of Congress. It is time for Masaryk's words to
come home. As humanity, liberty and independence return to
Czechoslovakia -- so will this treasured document.
President Havel, on behalf of the people of the United States
of America, I have a very special gift for the people of Czechos-
6
lovakia. I am honored to announce that we will return to you
your original Declaration of Independence. May it be for future
generations a reminder of the ties that bind our nations -- and
the principles that bind all humanity. God Bless Czechoslovakia!
#
#
#
#
190233SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
11/13/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/14/90 3:00 PM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAUS SQUARE, PRAGUE
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
CARD
UNTERMEYER
CICCONI
ROGERS
DEMAREST
WINSTON
FITZWATER
PINKERTON
GRAY
PORTER ROSE
HAGIN
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 3:00 PM, Wednesday, November 14. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
This speed is not asgood as the 2 edual assembly spuch.
The two speeches need to he repetatine in seveal places in
ander to explasive our ky pte.
great shetoric
we should quate Havel he has written some Assistant
James W. Cicconi
to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
the Z irit 4 pages of this spuch don't say anything Ext. 2702 This
speech will bomb
(Hinchliffe/Grossman)
90 NOV 13 PM 1:54
November 12, 1990 2 p.m.
PRAGUE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAS SQUARE, PRAGUE
November 17, 1990
Thank you, my Czech and Slovak friends. It is a tremendous
honor for me to be the first American President to visit your
proud and beautiful country -- and to be able to join you on the
1st anniversary of your extraordinary Velvet Revolution.
What a powerfully moving sight. There are no leaves on the
trees -- and yet it is Prague spring. There are no flowers in
bloom -- and yet it is Prague spring. The calendar says November
17 -- and yet it is Praque spring. As your legendary Tomas
Masaryk wrote in your Declaration of Independence: "The forces
of darkness have served the victory of light. The longed-for age
of humanity is dawning." Together, the freedom-loving people of
the world say to you: we rejoice that this age of humanity has
now finally and truly -- dawned for this splendid nation.
I'm here today on a pilgrimage. One that began 7 decades
ago with an unprecedented partnership between two presidents: the
philosopher who liberated Czechoslovakia politically and intell-
ectually, Tomas Masaryk -- and the idealistic scholar who led the
United States through WWI, Woodrow Wilson. It was a long, hard
road from their work on your Declaration of Independence to this
celebration today. I am proud to be the one to walk these last
steps with you as this shared journey ends and a new one begins.
For our countries share a past. We share a vision. We share
a dream. A dream that became the torch held by our Statue of
Liberty. A dream that is reflected in the soft shadows cast by
J this letter this
2
a have never progetting you
candles in this square. And we share friendship. A friendship
Masaryk described to American soldiers here 70 years ago. He
said: "Do not forget that the same ideals, the same principles
ever unite us. Do not forget us, as we shall never forget you.'
That is why I am here today. We will never forget you.
And the world will never forget what happened here. Wenceslas
Square still reverberates with all the emotions your nation has
felt for generations. The days of anguish. The days of hope.
For so many years you came here bearing candles against the dark
night, answering Comenius' call to follow "the way of light.'
Those brave flames came. to symbolize your fiercely burning
goofy
national pride. When I finally arrived in this square today, the
first thing I looked for was the candle wax. Mounds of it, from
the thousands of candles left here over the years.
Then I saw that church, Mary of the Snow, overlooking the
the
square. And I thought of what happens at its Easter midnight ser-
vice. The priest brings a candle from the altar into the unbroken
darkness. Then he passes the flame to each worshipper's own
individual candle. Soon the church is ablaze with flickering
lights that shine together to defeat the dark and to herald the
resurrection. You -- the proud Czech and Slovak people -- you
you one the condle?
are that candle. The light of your vision has redeemed you from
darkness. And that light is now spreading through the world.
For nothing could stop a dream "whose time has come. " A year
ago the world saw you face barbaric totalitarianism.
We saw the
miraculously peaceful crowd swell day by day in numbers and in
canh roy
this word
3
resolve. We saw the few candles grow into a blaze. We saw this
square burst into life with the explosion of dreams too long def-
erred. We listened as the words of your leader became "the axe
for the frozen sea inside you. If As this square gave birth to your
"era of freedom, " we rejoiced as if it the victory were our own.
A victory that owes its heart to two heroes who honor us by
their presence. Alexander Dubcek. 22 years ago he led this nation
in its first sweet taste of liberty. Through the dark years he
and
inspired its spiritual and moral resistance. His is the will of
steel and the heart of love that are the living Czechoslovakia
And Vaclev Havel. My friend. A man of warmth, compassion,
wisdom, and tremendous moral courage. He blesses the lives he
touches and the country he leads. In the dark years, on one side
stood the state. On the other -- Vaclev Havel. On one side, the
trappings of tyranny. On the other -- this man of vision. On
one side, the cold jail. On the other -- this man who even in
prison was free -- with the freedom that comes from living in
truth. First, there was this man. Now there are millions.
Millions who answered, as Tomas Masaryk wrote: "Not with
violence but with love. Not with the sword but with the plough.
Not with blood but with work. Not with death but with life.
adalian ther
Yours was the light that led us out of the chill winter of
the Cold War's darkness and sorrow - and to the brink of a Europe
healed and whole. A Europe intrepid and free. We have seen a New
World of freedom born amid shouts of joy and triumph. Born full
of hope, barreling with confidence toward a new century. In Pol-
4
and it took 10 years. In Hungary, 10 months. East Germany, 10
weeks. Here, 10 days. Ten days that shook your world. And ours.
A New World born of a revolution that linked this place with
places like Budapest's Kossuth Square, and the Gdansk Shipyards
awk!
in Poland, A revolution that joined together people fueled by
bravery, defiance, and by humanity's essential quest for freedom.
You have done miraculous work. You have embodied one of my
favorite sayings: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin
awbired
it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
And now you are at the threshold of a new era. But you do
not stand there alone. For four decades, our two nations stood
across the divide between East and West. Two peoples united in
spirit -- cut off by conflict. Today we stand together, united
once more in our devotion to the democratic ideal. Now, with the
division of Europe ending, and the emergence of democracy in the
east, the challenge is to move forward. In Czechoslovakia: from
revolution to renaissance. Across this continent: toward a new
Europe, in which each nation and every culture can flourish and
breathe free. On both sides of the ocean: toward a new Atlantic
partnership based on our shared heritage and common values.
A partnership inspired by words which are as true today as
they were when your great Comenius wrote them 3 centuries ago:
"Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity." If
there is one thought I want you to take from this historic
afternoon, it is that we must look beyond our own borders, to
true global partnership. The situation in the Gulf teaches us
5
this harsh lesson. We know that Czechoslovakia was one of the
first nations to endorse sanctions. We know how hard this has
hit your economy. And we want you to know how your example
inspires the rest of the world. You show that aggression against
another member of the international community -- be it next door
or across the world -- is everyone's business. You show that all
peoples must defend the oppressed as they throw off the yoke of
tyranny which no man has the right to impose on another.
Earlier, I told your Parliament we know this is a difficult
time. As you undertake political and economic reform, we know
you will draw on your strong industrial tradition -- your courage
-- your strength -- and your indomitable spirit. But I want you
to know one more thing. You also have our pledge of friendship.
I look forward to working with Vaclev Havel, and all of you,
as we are finally able to continue along the road mapped out by
our presidents more than 70 years ago. A road whose destination
was described by Woodrow Wilson as: "A universal dominion of
right by free peoples (to) bring peace and safety to all
nations and make the world itself at last free."
For the last 70 years, your Declaration of Independence --
on which these two men worked -- has been preserved and cherished
in our Library of Congress. It is time for Masaryk's words to
come home. As humanity, liberty and independence return to
Czechoslovakia -- so will this treasured document.
President Havel, on behalf of the people of the United States
of America, I have a very special gift for the people of Czechos-
6
lovakia. I am honored to announce that we will return to you
your original Declaration of Independence. May it be for future
generations a reminder of the ties that bind our nations -- and
the principles that bind all humanity. God Bless Czechoslovakia!
# # # #
9004
190233SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE: 11/13/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/14/90 3:00 PM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAUS SQUARE, PRAGUE
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
CARD
UNTERMEYER
CICCONI
ROGERS
DEMAREST
WINSTON
FITZWATER
PINKERTON
GRAY
PORTER ROSE
HAGIN
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 3:00 PM, Wednesday, November 14. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
The NSC Staff concurs, with changes as indicated.
Brent Scowcroft
st 8d 11 100 06
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Hinchliffe/Grossman)
90 NOV 13 PM 1:54
November 12, 1990 2 p.m.
PRAGUE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAS SQUARE, PRAGUE
November 17, 1990
Thank you, my Czech and Slovak friends. It is a tremendous
honor for me to be the first American President to visit your
proud and beautiful country -- and to be able to join you on the
1st anniversary of your extraordinary Velvet Revolution.
What a powerfully moving sight. There are no leaves on the
trees -- and yet it is Praque spring. There are no flowers in
bloom -- and yet it is Prague spring. The calendar says November
17 -- and yet it is Praque spring. As your legendary Tomas
Masaryk wrote in your Declaration of Independence: "The forces
of darkness have served the victory of light. The longed-for age
of humanity is dawning." Together, the freedom-loving people of
the world say to you: we rejoice that this age of humanity has
now finally -- and truly -- dawned for this splendid nation.
I'm here today on a pilgrimage. One that began 7. decades
ago with an unprecedented partnership between two presidents: the
philosopher who liberated Czechoslovakia politically and intell-
(TOE-mas MAS-ah-rick)
ectually, Tomas Masaryk -- and the idealistic scholar who led the
World was I
United States through WWI, Woodrow Wilson.
It was a long, hard
road from their work on your Declaration of Independence to this
celebration today. I am proud to be the one to walk these last
steps with you as this shared journey ends and a new one begins.
Cut
For our countries share a past. We share a vision. We share
for
a dream. A dream that became the torch held by our Statue of
brevity
Liberty. A dream that is reflected in the soft shadows cast by
It was a partnership among Czechs and
Slovaks to join together in federation,
2
candles in this square. And we share friendship. A friendship
Masaryk described to American soldiers here 70 years ago. He
cut
said: "Do not forget that the same ideals, the same principles
stority
ever unite us. Do not forget us, as we shall never forget you.
That is why I am here today. We will never forget you.
And the world will never forget what happened here. Wenceslas
Square still reverberates with all the emotions your nation has
felt for generations. The days of anguish. The days of hope.
For so many years you came here bearing candles against the dark
night, answering Comenius' call to follow "the way of light. "
Those brave flames came to symbolize your fiercely burning
national pride. When I finally arrived in this square today, the
first thing I looked for was the candle wax. Mounds of it, from
the thousands of candles left here over the years.
Then I saw that church, Mary of the Snow, overlooking the
square. And I thought of what happens at its Easter midnight ser-
vice. The priest brings a candle from the altar into the unbroken
Cut
for
darkness. Then he passes the flame to each worshipper's own
revity
individual candle. Soon the church is ablaze with flickering
lights that shine together to defeat the dark and to herald the
resurrection. You -- the proud Czech and Slovak people s you
are that candle. The light of your vision has redeemed you from
darkness.
And that light is now spreading through the world.
For nothing could stop a dream "whose time has come. " A year
ago the world saw you face barbaric totalitarianism. We saw the
miraculously peaceful crowd swell day by day in numbers and in
3
resolve. We saw the few candles grow into a blaze. We saw this
square burst into life with the explosion of dreams too long def-
erred. We listened as the words of your leader became "the axe
for the frozen sea inside you. II As this square gave birth to your
"era of freedom, we rejoiced as if it the victory were our own.
A victory that owes its heart to two heroes who honor us by
their presence. Alexander Dubcek. 22 years ago he led this nation
in its first sweet taste of liberty. Through the dark years he
inspired its spiritual and moral resistance His is the will of
Compassion
steel and the heart of love that are the living Czechoslovakia
And Vaclev a Havel. My friend. A man of warmth, Compassion)
HAH-vel)
wisdom, and tremendous moral courage. He blesses the lives he
touches and the country he leads
In the dark years, on one side
Cut
stood the state. On the other -- (Vacley Havel. On one side, the
for.
trappings of tyranny. On the other -- this man of vision. On
brevity
one side, the cold jail. On the other this man who even in
prison was free -- with the freedom that comes from living in
truth. First, there was this man. Now there are millions.
Millions who answered, as Comas Masaryk wrote: "Not with
violence but with love. Not with the sword but with the plough.
Not with blood but with work. Not with death but with life.
Yours was the light that led us out of the chill winter of
the Cold War's darkness and sorrow - and to the brink of a Europe
and free
healed end whole. A Europe intrepid and free. We have seen a New
World of freedom born amid shouts of joy and triumph. Born full
of hope, barreling with confidence toward a new century. [ [In Por In
4
and it took 10 years. In Hungary, 10 months. East Germany, 10
weeks. Here, 10 days. Ten days that shook your world. And ours J
A New World born of a revolution that linked this place with
(KO - shoot)
places like Budapest's Kossuth Square, and the Gdansk Shipyards
in Poland. A revolution that joined together people fueled by
bravery, defiance, and by humanity's essential quest for freedom.
cut
}
You have done miraculous work. You have embodied one of my
creaty
favorite sayings: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin
it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. "I
And now you are at the threshold of a new era. But you do
not stand there alone. For four decades, our two nations stood
across the divide between East and West. Two peoples united in
spirit -- cut off by conflict. Today we stand together, united
once more in our devotion to the democratic ideal. / Now, with the
division of Europe ending, and the emergence of democracy ascendant ^ in the
A
east, the challenge is to move forward. In Czechoslovakia: from
revolution to renaissance. Across this continent: toward a new
Europe, in which each nation and every culture can flourish and
breathe free.
On both sides of the ocean: toward a new Atlantic
partnership based on our shared heritage and common values.
INSERT
A partnership inspired by words which are as true today as
they were when your great Comenius wrote them 3 centuries ago:
"Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity.' If
there is one thought I want you to take from this historic
afternoon, it is that we must look beyond our own borders, to
true global partnership. The situation in the Gulf teaches us
5
this harsh lesson. We know that Czechoslovakia was one of the
first nations to endorse sanctions. We know how hard this has
hit your economy. And we want you to know how your example
inspires the rest of the world. You show that aggression against
another member of the international community -- be it next door
Malem
or across the world -- is everyone's business. You show that all
peoples must defend the oppressed as they throw off the yoke of
tyranny which no man has the right to impose on another.
Earlier, I told your Parliament we know this is a difficult
time. As you undertake political and economic reform, we know
you will draw on your strong industrial tradition -- your courage
-- your strength -- and your indomitable spirit. But I want you
to know one more thing. You also have our pledge of friendship
President
I look forward to working with Vaclev Havel, and all of you,
as we are finally able to continue along the road mapped out by
our presidents more than 70 years ago. [A road whose destination
was described by Woodrow Wilson as: "A universal dominion of
right by free peoples (to) bring peace and safety to all
nations and make the world itself at last free ")
For the last 70 years, your Declaration of Independence --
on which these two men worked -- has been preserved and cherished
in our Library of Congress. It is time for Masaryk's words to
come home. As humanity, liberty and independence return to
Czechoslovakia -- so will this treasured document.
President Havel, on behalf of the people of the United States
of America, E have a very special gift for the people of Czeches
6
lovakia. I am honored to announce that we will return to you
your original Declaration of Independence. May it be for future
generations a reminder of the ties that bind our nations -- and
the principles that bind all humanity. God Bless Czechoslovakia!
#
#
#
#
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
90 OCT 14 P12 16
November 13, 1990
Memorandum to Chriss Winston
From:
Jim Pinkerton
Re:
Wenceslaus Square draft
I think this is quite well-written; just a couple of
comments.
On pg. 3, graf 3, is it correct to say that Dubcek led the
Czechs to their "first " taste of liberty? What about Masaryk
or any other liberator in Czech history?
At the top of page 4, I don't think we need to get into
invidious comparisons about who got liberated the fastest.
However, I do like the 10 Days that Shook the World line.
###
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 14, 1990
MEMORANDUM FOR CHRISS WINSTON
FROM:
ROGER B. PORTER
RBP
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks: Wenceslaus Square, Prague
I have reviewed and concur with the Presidential remarks for
Wenceslaus Square, November 17, 1990.
If you have any questions or we can help in any other way,
please let me know.
90 OCT 14 P7: 30
Attachment
CC: James W. Cicconi
190233SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
11/13/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: 11/14/90 3:00 PM
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAUS SQUARE, PRAGUE
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
CARD
UNTERMEYER
CICCONI
ROGERS
DEMAREST
WINSTON
FITZWATER
PINKERTON
GRAY
PORTER ROSE
HAGIN
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 3:00 PM, Wednesday, November 14. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Hinchliffe/Grossman)
90 NOV 13 PM 1:54
November 12, 1990 2 p.m.
PRAGUE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: WENCESLAS SQUARE, PRAGUE
November 17, 1990
Thank you, my Czech and Slovak friends. It is a tremendous
honor for me to be the first American President to visit your
proud and beautiful country -- and to be able to join you on the
1st anniversary of your extraordinary Velvet Revolution.
What a powerfully moving sight. There are no leaves on the
trees -- and yet it is Prague spring. There are no flowers in
bloom -- and yet it is Prague spring. The calendar says November
17 -- and yet it is Prague spring. As your legendary Tomas
Masaryk wrote in your Declaration of Independence: "The forces
of darkness have served the victory of light. The longed-for age
of humanity is dawning." Together, the freedom-loving people of
the world say to you: we rejoice that this age of humanity has
now finally -- and truly -- dawned for this splendid nation.
I'm here today on a pilgrimage. One that began 7 decades
ago with an unprecedented partnership between two presidents: the
philosopher who liberated Czechoslovakia politically and intell-
ectually, Tomas Masaryk -- and the idealistic scholar who led the
United States through WWI, Woodrow Wilson. It was a long, hard
road from their work on your Declaration of Independence to this
celebration today. I am proud to be the one to walk these last
steps with you as this shared journey ends and a new one begins.
For our countries share a past. We share a vision. We share
a dream. A dream that became the torch held by our Statue of
Liberty. A dream that is reflected in the soft shadows cast by
2
candles in this square. And we share friendship. A friendship
Masaryk described to American soldiers here 70 years ago. He
said: "Do not forget that the same ideals, the same principles
ever unite us. Do not forget us, as we shall never forget you."
That is why I am here today. We will never forget you.
And the world will never forget what happened here. Wenceslas
Square still reverberates with all the emotions your nation has
felt for generations. The days of anguish. The days of hope.
For so many years you came here bearing candles against the dark
night, answering Comenius' call to follow "the way of light.'
Those brave flames came to symbolize your fiercely burning
national pride. When I finally arrived in this square today, the
first thing I looked for was the candle wax. Mounds of it, from
the thousands of candles left here over the years.
Then I saw that church, Mary of the Snow, overlooking the
square. And I thought of what happens at its Easter midnight ser-
vice. The priest brings a candle from the altar into the unbroken
darkness. Then he passes the flame to each worshipper's own
individual candle. Soon the church is ablaze with flickering
lights that shine together to defeat the dark and to herald the
resurrection. You -- the proud Czech and Slovak people -- you
are that candle. The light of your vision has redeemed you from
darkness. And that light is now spreading through the world.
For nothing could stop a dream "whose time has come." A year
ago the world saw you face barbaric totalitarianism. We saw the
miraculously peaceful crowd swell day by day in numbers and in
3
resolve. We saw the few candles grow into a blaze. We saw this
square burst into life with the explosion of dreams too long def-
erred. We listened as the words of your leader became "the axe
for the frozen sea inside you. " As this square gave birth to your
"era of freedom, we rejoiced as if it the victory were our own.
A victory that owes its heart to two heroes who honor us by
their presence. Alexander Dubcek. 22 years ago he led this nation
in its first sweet taste of liberty. Through the dark years he
inspired its spiritual and moral resistance. His is the will of
steel and the heart of love that are the living Czechoslovakia
And Vaclev Havel. My friend. A man of warmth, compassion,
wisdom, and tremendous moral courage. He blesses the lives he
touches and the country he leads. In the dark years, on one side
stood the state. On the other -- Vaclev Havel. On one side, the
trappings of tyranny. On the other -- this man of vision. On
one side, the cold jail. On the other -- this man who even in
prison was free -- with the freedom that comes from living in
truth. First, there was this man. Now there are millions.
Millions who answered, as Tomas Masaryk wrote: "Not with
violence but with love. Not with the sword but with the plough.
Not with blood but with work. Not with death but with life.
Yours was the light that led us out of the chill winter of
the Cold War's darkness and sorrow - and to the brink of a Europe
healed and whole. A Europe intrepid and free. We have seen a New
World of freedom born amid shouts of joy and triumph. Born full
of hope, barreling with confidence toward a new century. In Pol-
4
and it took 10 years. In Hungary, 10 months. East Germany, 10
weeks. Here, 10 days. Ten days that shook your world. And ours.
A New World born of a revolution that linked this place with
places like Budapest's Kossuth Square, and the Gdansk Shipyards
in Poland. A revolution that joined together people fueled by
bravery, defiance, and by humanity's essential quest for freedom.
You have done miraculous work. You have embodied one of my
favorite sayings: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin
it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. II
And now you are at the threshold of a new era. But you do
not stand there alone. For four decades, our two nations stood
across the divide between East and West. Two peoples united in
spirit -- cut off by conflict. Today we stand together, united
once more in our devotion to the democratic ideal. Now, with the
division of Europe ending, and the emergence of democracy in the
east, the challenge is to move forward. In Czechoslovakia: from
revolution to renaissance. Across this continent: toward a new
Europe, in which each nation and every culture can flourish and
breathe free. On both sides of the ocean: toward a new Atlantic
partnership based on our shared heritage and common values.
A partnership inspired by words which are as true today as
they were when your great Comenius wrote them 3 centuries ago:
"Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity." If
there is one thought I want you to take from this historic
afternoon, it is that we must look beyond our own borders, to
true global partnership. The situation in the Gulf teaches us
5
this harsh lesson. We know that Czechoslovakia was one of the
first nations to endorse sanctions. We know how hard this has
hit your economy. And we want you to know how your example
inspires the rest of the world. You show that aggression against
another member of the international community -- be it next door
or across the world -- is everyone's business. You show that all
peoples must defend the oppressed as they throw off the yoke of
tyranny which no man has the right to impose on another.
Earlier, I told your Parliament we know this is a difficult
time. As you undertake political and economic reform, we know
you will draw on your strong industrial tradition -- your courage
-- your strength -- and your indomitable spirit. But I want you
to know one more thing. You also have our pledge of friendship.
I look forward to working with Vaclev Havel, and all of you,
as we are finally able to continue along the road mapped out by
our presidents more than 70 years ago. A road whose destination
was described by Woodrow Wilson as: "A universal dominion of
right by
free peoples (to) bring peace and safety to all
nations and make the world itself at last free."
For the last 70 years, your Declaration of Independence --
on which these two men worked -- has been preserved and cherished
in our Library of Congress. It is time for Masaryk's words to
come home. As humanity, liberty and independence return to
Czechoslovakia -- so will this treasured document.
President Havel, on behalf of the people of the United States
of America, I have a very special gift for the people of Czechos-
6
lovakia. I am honored to announce that we will return to you
your original Declaration of Independence. May it be for future
generations a reminder of the ties that bind our nations -- and
the principles that bind all humanity. God Bless Czechoslovakia!
#
#
#
#
November 13, 1990
MEMORANDUM FOR CHRISS WINSTON
FROM:
JENNIFER GROSSMAN
SUBJECT:
FACT CHECK ON WENCESLAS SQ. REMARKS
NOTE:
Our Czech contact at the Library of Congress has
expressed concern about what will happen to some of the
quotes (originally translated from Czech to English)
when they are translated back to Czech again. Because
of the many ways each word can be translated, he fears
that what should sound like the original historic Czech
quotes will sound like a strange and innapropriate
paraphrase. He as offered to find us the quotes in
original Czech to avoid confusion in translation.
p. 1, graph 1: "the first American President to visit"
Balated
True, first American President to visit as president; others
have, but not during their presidency.
2)
p. 1, graph 2: "Tomas Masaryk" is pronounced "TOE-mash MAH-
sah-rick"
3)
p. 1, graph 3: "One that began 7 decades ago "
Actually, the year she is referring to is 1918. I don't
know if it's necessary to phrase as "that began more than 7
decades ago "
(4)
p. 2, graph 1: "Masaryk described to American soldiers"
Correct: however, note that these soldiers were Czech-
American.
5)
p. 2, graph 2: "For so many years you came here bearing
candles. "
Our Czech specialist at the Library of Congress says that
this statement is untrue. For "so many years, in fact, the
people of Czechoslovakia were barred from coming to the
square bearing candles. Moreover, "so many years" implies
continuity. How about rather than "For so many years, we
substitute "So many times." Our Czech friend says that
works.
6)
p. 2, graph 2: "Mounds of it, from the thousands of candles
left here over the years.'
Same problem as #5. The symbolic burning of candles
happened occasionally, but didn't have the kind of
permanence this phrase suggests. Moreover, it was really
since the Velvet Revolution (last Nov. 17) that people began
burning the candles with real regularity and openness.
7)
p. 2, graph 3: " Mary of the Snow, overlooking the square. "
"Our Lady on the Snow" is the better known and more official
version of this name. Note: it's "on" not "of" the Snow.
Secondly, the church is not "overlooking the square."
"Close to" or "not far" from the square would be much
better.
8)
p. 3, graph 1: "the words of your leader became 'the axe for
the frozen sea inside you
This Kafka quote reads "inside us" not "inside you. "
Also note: this Kafka line comes from his correspondence and
is therefore not the most well known. Given its relative
obscurity, I don't know if you want to include attribution.
It is however, quite beautiful.
9)
p. 3, graph 3: "Vaclev Havel"
lickling
It's Vaclav, not Vaclev. The pronunciation: "VATZ-lav."
10)
p. 3, graph 4: Just a question of punctuation on this
Masaryk quote, it's all one sentence and should read as
follows:
"Not with violence but with love, not with the sword but
with the plough, not with blood but with work, not with
death but with life
"
(11)
p. 4, graph 2: "Kossuth" is pronounces COE-shoot.
12)
p. 5, graph 4: "--on which these two men worked--
This line refers to Wilson and Masaryk--and although Masaryk
presented the Declaration to Wilson, the latter didn't
actually work on it. Why not clear this up with: "which was
shared by these two men" or just kill that little line
altogether.