Toasts of the President and the Shah of Iran
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Your Imperial Majesty, our beloved Chief Justice, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:

Your Majesty's visit tonight reminds me of how often we have gathered here in this room to welcome distinguished visitors from abroad. Personally, I find that one of the real pleasures of the Presidency--I might even say, one of the few pleasures.

I am told that this administration has actually set some kind of a record. We have welcomed almost 200 heads of state and chiefs of government to this house in the 5 years of the Presidency, and that has made everybody happy, including, of course, my economic advisers. They are so grateful for every little bit of help on the balance of payments problem that we can get.

I guess all of you know that I am not overly impressed by records or tallies such as head counts or roll calls or polls. I don't know where I could have acquired such a reputation. I guess maybe I just read it somewhere.

But just the same, when I looked over the number of foreign visitors in my administration-almost 200 in less than 5 years--I just happened to notice, Your Majesty, a striking statistic. That comes out to an average of four-fifths of a potentate a week.

But, Your Majesty, we do not parcel out your welcome in fractions. We are so happy, Mrs. Johnson and I, to greet you tonight with the full measure of all of our respect as well as our deep affection.

We greet you as an old friend, not just an old friend of ours, but of the United States.

We regret only that His Majesty's lovely Empress is not with him this evening.

A poet once said that the best mirror is an old friend. Each time I talk with His Majesty I see the reflection of common values and a common desire to use the resources that God has given both of our countries and to use those resources for the benefit of both of our peoples.

Years ago, His Imperial Majesty determined to break the grip of poverty and disease and ignorance in his own ancient land. Now, in less than a decade, smallpox has been destroyed as a threat to the health of Iran. Ninety-five percent of the total population has been immunized. Malaria, which used to infect almost three of every four Iranian families, now infects fewer than one in 20.

Government expenditures for education have more than doubled in this decade. There are 400 new schools for nomad children alone, and seven of every 10 males of school age are literate. More than 2 1/2 million tenant farmers have achieved the dignity of freeholders who own and who till their own land.

These great revolutionary reforms do not stand alone. They are great inspiration to others. They are part of a green revolution, a revolution of seed and fertilizer and agricultural credit and land reform and water which is taking place all over the world and which is a lasting and living tribute to such statesmen as our honored guest tonight.

In passing, I should like to pay tribute to another statesman who has helped both of us in this field and who helps us all around the world--Mr. David Lilienthal--who honors me by being at our table.

I knew that all of this would come about when I visited Iran in 1962 with Mrs. Johnson and we saw so clearly the deep commitment of this genuine, dedicated, sincere leader.

We here in America know that it is this kind of revolution which will ultimately really decide the fate of this world. We are so proud to have had a very little part in Iran's story through Mr. Lilienthal and through some of the people in our Government who have counseled with His Majesty.

But this story has been largely written, as such stories always are written, by great people with a courageous leader and with, most of all, the will--the will to help themselves.

It is such a pleasure to have all of you representing the farms, the labors, the industries, the church, and the educational institutions of this country, and the business world, the newspapers, to come here and join us in honoring this most distinguished citizen of the world.

I ask you, ladies and gentlemen, to join me in a toast to my friend and America's friend, His Imperial Majesty, the Shah of Iran.