Press copy of the Remarks of the President Upon Signing of the Golden Book in Rudolph Wilde Platz, Berlin Germany, 26 June 1963

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 26, 1963 OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY (Berlin, Germany) THE WHITE HOUSE REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT UPON SIGNING OF THE GOLDEN BOOK IN RUDOLPH WILDE PLATZ, BERLIN, GERMANY I am proud to come to this city as the guest of your distinguished Mayor, who has symbolized throughout the world the fighting spirit of West Berlin, and I am proud to visit the Federal Republic with your distinguished Chancellor wno, for so many years, has committed Germany to democracy and freedom and progress, and to come here in the company of my fellow American, General Clay, who has been in this city during its great moments of crisis and will come again if ever needed. 2000 years ago the proudest boast was "Civitas Romanus Sum. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner." I appreciate my inter- preter translating my German. There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue be- tween the free world and the Communist world. Lot them come to Berlin. There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system, but it per- mits us to make economic progress. "Lasst sie nach Berlin kommen. Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us. I want to say, on behalf of my countrymen, who live many miles away on the other side of theAtlantic, who are far distant from vou, that they take the greatest pride that they have been able to share with vou, even from a distance, the story of the last 18 years. I kmow of no town, no city, that has been besieged for 18 vears that still lives with the vitality and the force, and the hope and the determination of the City of West Berlin. While the wall is the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the failures of the Communist system, for all the world to see, we take no satisfaction in it for it is, as your Mayor has said, an offense not only against history, but an of fense against humanity, separating families, dividing husbands and wives and brothers and sisters, and dividing a people who wish to be joined together. What is true of this city is true of Germany -- real, lasting peace in Europe can never be assured as long as one German out of four is denied the elementary right of free men, and that is to make a free choice. In 18 years of peace and good faith, this generation of Germans has earned the right to be free, including the right to unite their families and their nation in lasting peace, with good will to all people. You live in a defended island of freedom, but your life is part of the main. So let me ask vou, as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today, tothe hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this City of Berlin, or your country of Germany, to the advance of freedom everywhere, beyond the wall to the day of peace with justice, beyond your- selves and ourselves to all mankind. Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country, and this great Continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful glow. When that day finally MORE