Mr. Director, Mr. Coquet, Ambassador, amigos:
I want to express my warm appreciation
to the distinguished Director for being kind enough to invite us here this
morning. He must get somewhat discouraged to realize that as fast as he
builds these homes, he then looks out at all these young ladies and realizes
that in the short space of a few years, they are all going to have families
of 8, 9, 10 who are going to need homes.
I want to compliment the members
of the council, the Director and the architects, and all of you for how
beautifully this project has been put together. I have seen in many places
housing which has been developed under governmental influences, but I have
never seen any projects in which governments have played their part which
have fountains and statues and grass and trees, which are as important
to the concept of the home as the roof itself.
And finally, I want to say again
the strong impression I have had from this short visit to this city and
this country, how strongly your President, your leaders, and the people
of Mexico have understood that political freedom, however vital it may
be, does not reach its full significance until there is also economic participation
in the life of the country by the people themselves. Housing, education,
jobs, and security go hand in hand with the real concepts of political
equality and freedom.
This, Mexico has understood
in the revolution. This, this hemisphere must understand if we are going
to accomplish the goals of Alianza para el Progreso, a great movement
forward by the people of this hemisphere.
Viva Mexico, arriba, Mexico!