Extracted text

OCR Page 1 of 9
12/16/60 12/21/60 Fifty years ago the Congress of the United States first brought me into the service of the United States Government with an appoint- between ment to West Point. Thus began an association wath a young Cadet and the Congress that wound up a half century later in a warm relationship between a President and the Congress. They have been full years. The past eight years have been without precedent in the history of our government. At no time during that period did the party in con- trol of the Executive Branch have what could be called a clear working majority in the Congress. For the last six years the Administration faced Congresses dominated by the opposition in both houses. But we did not fall out into bitter, unreconcilable factions which in other nations have paralyzed the democratic process. Despite our differences we worked together, and the business of the nation went forward, and the fact that it did so is in large measure a credit to the wisdom, fore- bearance, and sense of duty displayed by the Congress. For the generous support tendered to me over all these years of war and peace, I wish to express my abiding gratitude. And now in 5 the