June 14, 1951
Mr. Secretary, Mrs. Warren, members of this great organization, the 4-H Clubs of America:
I am more than happy to welcome you again to the White House. I was very much afraid that we were going to be rained out, but the weather cleared up just especially for you. Some of my people around the house thought it wouldn't be possible to use the Rose Garden, for the simple reason that they were afraid it would be too wet, but I believe it has dried off so it's all right, and the weather is with us.
I want to congratulate you on what you have been doing and congratulate you on improving the life and ways of the farm. When I was on the farm--and I hope to go back to the farm someday; some people are in a hurry for me to go back, but I'm in no hurry--but when I do go back, I want to find things still further improved. And I think you are going to contribute to that improvement.
As I started to say, when I was running the farm, where my brother is now and my two nephews, we had to have from 5 to 15 people all the time to help operate that farm.
Now, these two young men--my nephews--operate it by themselves. I tell them they have never done a day's work in their lives, for they ride for everything. They go out and get a wagon load of corn in an hour and a half, that used to take me 2 days. They can go out and plant a field in a third of the time that it took me to plant it.
That is the mechanized farm age that has reduced the drudgery, and reduced the number of men that are necessary to produce the food that keeps this country and the world going.
We must continue to improve the production of food, for food is the fundamental basis of a high standard of living.
If we have plenty to eat and plenty to wear--and those things come from the farm--you can usually be in a pretty happy frame of mind. Whereas if you are hungry, or you don't have the clothing necessary to make a proper appearance, you are in a bad way.
I hope you will continue just what you are doing now, to contribute to that improvement of the welfare of the people who produce the food and clothing for the United States and a large part of the world.
It is certainly a pleasure to have had you here. [At this point the President was presented a gold key. He then resumed speaking.]
I certainly appreciate the presentation of this key. I had an honorary Phi Beta Kappa key presented to me by the University of Missouri, and I don't think a bit more of that than I do of this; and I thank you for it.
NOTE: The President spoke at 12:05 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White House. In his opening words he referred to Charles F. Brannan, Secretary of Agriculture, and Mrs. Gertrude L. Warren who was in charge of matters relating to 4-H Club work at the Department of Agriculture.
The gold key was presented to the President by Marjorie Nold of Savannah, Mo., and Richard Golob of Sunnyside, Wash.
Mr. Secretary, Mrs. Warren, members of this great organization, the 4-H Clubs of America:
I am more than happy to welcome you again to the White House. I was very much afraid that we were going to be rained out, but the weather cleared up just especially for you. Some of my people around the house thought it wouldn't be possible to use the Rose Garden, for the simple reason that they were afraid it would be too wet, but I believe it has dried off so it's all right, and the weather is with us.
I want to congratulate you on what you have been doing and congratulate you on improving the life and ways of the farm. When I was on the farm--and I hope to go back to the farm someday; some people are in a hurry for me to go back, but I'm in no hurry--but when I do go back, I want to find things still further improved. And I think you are going to contribute to that improvement.
As I started to say, when I was running the farm, where my brother is now and my two nephews, we had to have from 5 to 15 people all the time to help operate that farm.
Now, these two young men--my nephews--operate it by themselves. I tell them they have never done a day's work in their lives, for they ride for everything. They go out and get a wagon load of corn in an hour and a half, that used to take me 2 days. They can go out and plant a field in a third of the time that it took me to plant it.
That is the mechanized farm age that has reduced the drudgery, and reduced the number of men that are necessary to produce the food that keeps this country and the world going.
We must continue to improve the production of food, for food is the fundamental basis of a high standard of living.
If we have plenty to eat and plenty to wear--and those things come from the farm--you can usually be in a pretty happy frame of mind. Whereas if you are hungry, or you don't have the clothing necessary to make a proper appearance, you are in a bad way.
I hope you will continue just what you are doing now, to contribute to that improvement of the welfare of the people who produce the food and clothing for the United States and a large part of the world.
It is certainly a pleasure to have had you here. [At this point the President was presented a gold key. He then resumed speaking.]
I certainly appreciate the presentation of this key. I had an honorary Phi Beta Kappa key presented to me by the University of Missouri, and I don't think a bit more of that than I do of this; and I thank you for it.
NOTE: The President spoke at 12:05 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White House. In his opening words he referred to Charles F. Brannan, Secretary of Agriculture, and Mrs. Gertrude L. Warren who was in charge of matters relating to 4-H Club work at the Department of Agriculture.
The gold key was presented to the President by Marjorie Nold of Savannah, Mo., and Richard Golob of Sunnyside, Wash.