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Exchange of Toasts Between the President and Bruno Kreisky, Federal Chancellor of Austria
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7336898
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document
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Exchange of Toasts Between the President and Bruno Kreisky, Federal Chancellor of Austria
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
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Dinners and dining
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1974-11-12
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1974
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Digitized from Box 4 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 12, 1974
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
THE WHITE HOUSE
EXCHANGE OF TOASTS
BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT
AND
BRUNO KREISKY
FEDERAL CHANCELLOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA
THE STATE FLOOR
10:02 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Chancellor and distinguished
guests:
It is a great privilege to honor you in the
White House on this occasion. As I look around the room, I
see many, many people that I know from personal experience,
including Mrs. Ford and myself, who have visited Austria
and been the beneficiaries of the wonderful hospitality,
the warmth, the friendship of the many, many fine Austrians
who have bent over backwards to make us from America
warmly welcome.
I must say to you, Mr. Chancellor, that sometime --
I can't give you the date -- but I am going to wander into
Austria and take advantage of those wonderful Tyrolean Alps,
because I do like to ski, and hopefully I will have an
opportunity to do so just to not only enjoy the benefits of
the mountains, but the benefit of the wonderful people
from your country.
There are many, Mr. Chancellor, who pass judgment
on a country by its size and geography and its size in
population. I don't think those are the most significant
ways on which you really can judge a people or a country,
and we recognize, of course, that Austria is relatively
small in population and relatively small in geography,
but as we look at the great history at the present in
Austria, we find that looking from the outside to the
country that you have a great humanitarian spirit, you have
a great belief in friendship, but more importantly than
almost anything, the people of Austria have a character.
And that is how we judge, in my opinion, the
strength of a nation, despite its size either geographically
or population-wise.
MORE
(OVER)
Page 2
We know over the years since the end of the
decade of the forties that Austria has contributed very
significantly, despite many problems. You have
contributed in the Middle East, and Cyprus, and we commend
you and we thank you for these efforts that have helped
to preserve the peace and to build for it in the future.
I would simply like to express on behalf of all
of us in the United States our gratitude for the friend-
ship that we have with the people of Austria, the gratitude
that we have for the actions of your government, and we
look forward, I can say, Mr. Chancellor, without any
reservation or qualification, the opportunity to work
with you and the people of your country in the years
ahead.
It is an enduring friendship predicated on a
firm foundation of people to people and government to
government, and may I ask all of our distinguished
guests here tonight to join me in a toast to Dr. Bruno
Kreisky, the Chancellor of the Republic of Austria.
CHANCELLOR KREISKY: Mr. President, Mrs. Ford,
ladies and gentlemen:
In your warm words of welcome, Mr. President,
for which I sincerely thank you, you have mentioned the
longstanding and proven ties between the United States
and Austria. Certainly the peoples of the former Austro-
Hungarian monarchy always harbored feelings of genuine
friendship and admiration for the American people.
To the best of my recollection, however, the
relations between the two governments were not always
quite that cordial. (Laughter)
It appears that His Imperial and Royal Apostolic
Majesty Franz Joseph could not bring himself for a long
time to receive the American envoy to Vienna.
Early in this century the developing official
relations between Austria and Hungary and the United
States of America, at least until the outbreak of World
War I and the ensuing disintegration of the Austro
monarchy, there really never was more than correct
relations and, therefore completely different from those
we are fortunate to enjoy today.
Why do I choose to point this out? Because the
development of our relations serves as a most convincing
example, which shows that a very special and close
relationship between two nations can be developed in
quite a few decades.
MORE
Page 3
I see three reasons for this. In 1945 the
United States became one of the four occupation powers
in Austria and helped us from the very first day to lay
all those foundations needed for the restoration of
democracy. Nothing has made a greater contribution to
the history of our democracy than the presence of the
United States in Austria. You virtually were the guardian
of our freedom, Mr. President.
Secondly, Austria was in ruins and it was hard
to imagine at that time how our State could ever again
become the home and heaven of our people. You gave to
those of us who set out to clear the ruins not only a
healthy dose of American optimism, but also the most
generous material assistance.
Mr. President, I hope you will have the
opportunity to see with your own eyes the fruits which
have sprung from your country's contributions to the
economic revival of Austria.
Aid under the Marshal Plan was the foundation of
our economic prosperity and its effects are still being
felt today. This aid constitutes one of the chief reasons
why twice as many people than in 1937 earn a good living
in Austria today.
During the period from 1937 to 1970, our Gross
National Product, given constant rises, quadrupled, and
has shown a marked increase since.
Let me add that your material assistance of
that time still keeps giving today, as many Austrian
firms receive lower interest, long-term investment loans
from the ERP counterpart front, which is sustained
through repayment of earlier loans.
The fact that this aid by the United States for
the restoration of our economy was given to us free of
any contingencies of political dogma enabled us to
utilize those sums, which appeared gigantic to us in the
light of our circumstance, and complete independence.
And finally, the third reason. Through
generous grants, Austrian scientists, engineers and experts
of every specialty have been afforded the opportunity
to explore new dimensions in the advanced areas of your
cultural and scientific life.
A further example is the considerable contri-
bution made by the Ford Foundation to the Institute for
Advanced Studies in Vienna from which a great number of
eminent social scientists have emerged in recent years.
This constitutes ample reward for the contributions made
by Austria to the cultural life of the United States.
MORE
Page 4
Before raising my glass to the continued
prospering of these relations, I would like to again voice
my regret that Mrs. Kreisky was unable, for reasons of
health, to participate in this beautiful and impressive
visit. She regretted this all the more because it robbed
her of the opportunity to meet Mrs. Ford, whose
restoration to health has made us all very happy and to whom
I wish to extend warm personal wishes.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to
raise your glasses and join me in a toast to the health
of the President of the United States and his charming
wife, and to the continued development of the excellent
relations between our two countries.
END
(AT 10:14 P.M. EST)