Autobiography of Herbert W Armstrong - Volume 2
QR Code
Autobiography of Herbert W Armstrong - Volume 2

Chapter 77

March 26, 1972 — June 1973

March 26, 1972

Dear Inner Family of Co-Workers:
   I am writing while our plane is being refueled at Teheran, Iran (which is Persia). We are en route from Colombo, Ceylon, to Israel. Now our engines are starting up. I will have to fold my typewriter back up into its place until we are airborne.
   In Ceylon I had a ... meeting with the Prime Minister, in the living room of her official residence, Friday afternoon. Last night (Saturday night) my daughter and I ... were guests at dinner at "Queen's House," residence of the Governor General. It is really a palace — quite huge for a private residence. It was built over 400 years ago by the Dutch, when they were in control of Ceylon, before it came into British hands. Ceylon is now independent, but a member of the British Commonwealth. The Governor General is appointed by Queen Elizabeth of England.
   We had been invited to Ceylon by the Prime Minister, Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, through the Ceylon High Commissioner (same level as Ambassador) to India, at New Delhi. The High Commissioner accompanied us on our plane to Colombo. I will give you a report of the meeting with the Prime Minister in the Personal article in the May Plain Truth. I just thought in this more personal and confidential letter to our inner family of Co-Workers you might enjoy some of the more personal highlights.
   At the dinner at "Queen's House" last night besides our party, were the Governor General and his wife, his Chief Aide and wife, and the High Commissioner of Ceylon from New Delhi.
   This morning, we brought the High Commissioner with us as far as Bombay, where he caught a commercial flight back to New Delhi. We have had to make the one fuel stop between Bombay and Israel, at Teheran. While we were on the ground at Bombay, one of our Indian Co-Workers who is a mechanic with Indian Airlines, recognized our plane, and came aboard for a few minutes' visit. I have met him two or three times before. His daughter graduated from Ambassador College, English campus, and until her marriage was also a faculty member.
   Earlier, at New Delhi, I had another visit with President V.V. Giri, and also a meeting with our U.S. Ambassador Keating. He is the former Senator from New York. I am sorry that there have recently been more or less strained relations between the Governments of India and the United States. For that reason protocol made it inadvisable for me to see Mrs. Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, when I had had a talk with our American Ambassador on the same visit.
   However, at New Delhi we were entertained twice at the home of the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr. Singh — and there we met two or three maharajahs, and the Ambassadors from Chile, Argentina, and Sudan, and we received invitations to visit their countries in South America and Africa ....
   On this present trip, we left Pasadena Monday, March 6, flew out to Honolulu, stopped overnight, then Tuesday morning flew (one stop for fuel at Wake Island) to Tokyo. We did not disembark, but Dr. and Mrs. Ohama came aboard our aircraft and flew with us to Seoul, Korea. Dr. Ohama is the leading educator of Japan, and perhaps the leading nonofficial adviser to the Government. He has visited both our Pasadena and Texas campuses, and addressed the student bodies.
   I had never been to Korea before. Dr. Ohama and I had expected to have a meeting with the President of Korea, but, as frequently happens with heads of state, emergency matters came up that prevented. However, I did have a very fine meeting with the Minister of Education and his two chief aides ....
   We flew back to Tokyo on Friday. Had dinner Saturday night with the new Ambassador, from Israel, and his wife. Had tea with them at their Embassy Sunday afternoon. Had tea with the Emperor's brother, Prince Mikasa, on Monday afternoon at his palace. On Monday night we were guests of two of the most influential Members of the Diet (the Japanese governing body — Congress-Parliament), both of whom had accompanied Prime Minister Sato on his trip to San Clemente (the Western White House in California) for the meeting with President Nixon ....
   The big day was Wednesday. About eleven in the morning, we were driven to the House of Representatives office building, where Mr. Bunsei Sato (no relation to the Prime Minister, but a leader in the Diet), together with Mr. Keiwas Okuda, the other Diet Member who had visited our Texas campus, joined us and took us to the Japanese national capitol building.
   There, Minister of Commerce and Industry Tanaka, considered to be the probable next Prime Minister, excused himself for about fifteen minutes from a very important conference, to meet me. He invited me to have a longer meeting with him on my next visit to Tokyo. I also met the Minister of Pollution (the official title uses a different word), the Secretary of the leading political party, and another top ranking Diet Member — a Mr. Ishii, a graduate of Stanford University, besides one or two other Diet Members. We had lunch in the Diet building restaurant.
   Then, a fourth Diet Member, Mr. Shionoya, whose son is in his second year at Ambassador College, Pasadena, joined us. And these four leading men of the Japanese Government accompanied us to the Prime Minister's official residence for my meeting with him.
   Prime Minister Sato reminded me at the outset, that this was a very historic occasion. When I first had a meeting with him, in December, 1970, the newspaper headlines were blaring forth the news of the great riot against American forces on Okinawa. The Prime Minister had asked me to visit Okinawa, on my February, 1971, trip — which I did, and wrote an article on my survey there in The Plain Truth. The Prime Minister thanked me for the help I had given, and reminded me that immediately following our meeting, which was in his private office, he was to step into an adjoining conference room where the U.S. Ambassador and staff were to exchange the ratification instruments with the Japanese Foreign Minister and staff, legally affirming the reversion of Okinawa back to Japan. This was the big moment in Prime Minister Sato's administration. We visited with him for some forty minutes, leaving at ten minutes to 3. As we left, the United States delegation were driving up. Their meeting was scheduled for three o'clock. It was the big news on front pages next morning ....

Meeting with President Suharto of Indonesia - November 1972

   At last, the long-awaited, twice-postponed meeting with President Suharto took place, yesterday morning, in Djakarta.
   We flew on here today, en route to Jerusalem, where eighty of our Ambassador College students have been working this summer on the giant archaeological project adjoining the Temple Mount. Then a stopover at our campus in England, a luncheon visit with King Leopold, and then back to Pasadena.
   At this point we are approximately halfway around the world on the present trip. We really had a most interesting and profitable meeting with General Suharto ....I wanted to know what President Suharto's plans were for keeping the Communist forces out of Indonesia. Any Communist takeover there would imperil the entire free world. That is a major reason why President Suharto is of vital concern to the United States, Canada, Britain and Western Europe.
   The first time I had a meeting set up with the General he had been called to Europe. The second time a meeting was planned, the King of Thailand was in Djakarta on a state visit, and of course that required the full time of the President. He had been desirous of seeing me all along, and this was made doubly evident by the warmth of the reception at this meeting yesterday morning.
   If you could be with me in meetings with heads of governments in different parts of the world, you would have an altogether new concept of the insurmountable problems facing this whole, very sick world today. These heads of governments tell me of problems beyond their human power to solve ...
   Before I tell you of the things President Suharto and I discussed, I think you might be interested in a brief description of our arrival at the Presidential office building in Djakarta.
   Yesterday morning, at 8:45, we arrived at the Presidential office building in Djakarta. Immediately it was evident that the President was expecting us. At the entrance of the building we walked into a battery of official and press photographers, and a number of Presidential staff members. The Chief of Protocol stepped forward to greet us. The signing of the official guest book was carefully documented by a staccato of flashbulbs.
   First we walked into a reception room and talked briefly with the Chief of Protocol and the Presidential interpreter, while awaiting General Suharto's arrival.
   Remember that President Suharto is the leader of the fifth largest nation in population [1972 figure] — with a population in Indonesia of approximately 125 million. Indonesia is one of the richest countries in the world in natural resources, but, as yet, one of the least developed. Incidentally, you might understand better where and what Indonesia is when I tell you we used to call it the East Indies. It composes many islands, the largest of which are Java, Borneo, Sumatra, and the western part of New Guinea. If you have an atlas, I suggest you look at the maps to locate this important nation of Indonesia. Djakarta is a short distance south of the equator, and not too far northwest of Australia. It is in the far Southeast Asian district, south of Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. I know how most people are unfamiliar with geography and the location of continents and nations on this earth on which we live.
   Shortly, we were ushered into the President's rather large and well-appointed office. The smiling President met us at the doorway with a very warm greeting.
   I thanked him for giving official approval for our forthcoming scientific expedition into the Irian, that is, the western portion of New Guinea, and for the cooperation given by the Indonesian government to King Leopold of Belgium, when he was there planning the expedition. I've mentioned previously the joint participation of Ambassador College with the Belgian Foundation, headed by King Leopold, for the exploration of land inhabited by Aboriginal peoples, the study of these peoples, and other activities in the field of anthropology.
   We then moved over to a seating area, where I was seated next to the President. I then presented him, as is customary in visiting a head of state, with a small gift — a fine piece of American Steuben crystal. This presentation brought on a flurry of activity by the official photographers — as there had been when I first shook hands with the President ....
   President Suharto explained his country's policy of National Resilience. This is a program of united mobilized people's efforts to improve the country's economic, social and military position, in order to withstand successfully the continuous effort by subversive forces, supported, if not directed, in large part from outside the country.
   Indonesia is largely one of the undeveloped and very poor countries. Mr. Suharto emphasized the efforts being made to relieve the conditions of poverty and misery and discontent — and the continuing effort by the government to show the people the proof — the evidence — of the benefits of the national policies. He urged that other nations in Southeast Asia adopt the same policy of National Resilience to insure their social, economic and military growth in the face of subversive elements, and to improve the standard of living of their peoples, and promote peace everywhere.
   As this man, responsible for the welfare and the future of some 125 million people, continued to tell me his problems, and his efforts for peace and for the betterment of the vast number of his people, I had to think, in my own mind, of the magnitude of these problems — and the complexity of the thousands of factors with which he is trying to cope.
   General Suharto is having to work to try to improve, or change, the conditions of poverty, illiteracy, and misery of the vast majority of 125 million people within the framework of this world's pattern and ways of society — its ways, traditions and customs of living — the ways and traditional methods of dealing with other nations ....
   President Suharto faces the evils of poverty, illiteracy, degeneracy of mind and body, people living, or rather eking out an existence, in misery and the lowest of living standards. President Suharto didn't cause these evils. They were there before he was born. He inherited them. So he set in order this policy of National Resilience in an effort to improve the country's economic, social and military position ....

June 1973

   On this present trip around the world, now almost ended, I have been discussing important domestic and world problems once again with a number of heads of state. But just what is the connection between the conditions and problems of the governments around the world and the gospel of Jesus Christ?
   The connection is very vital! If people knew just what the gospel of Jesus Christ is, they would understand that very important and urgent connection ....
    It has to do with the evils confronting the world's peoples, which the governments in the world have tried to cope with, but have been unable. It has to do with the way people live — with the cause of all the world's evils — and it has to do with the solution that will be made — and the government that will bring peace and universal, right education and prosperity and abundant, joyful well-being to the peoples of the world! It has to do with the problems faced by heads of state today and how those problems are going to be solved!
   Therefore, as the minister of the living Christ, and of his gospel, it is very much a vital part of my commission to discuss these very problems and conditions with those closest to them, the heads of governments. My commission is not a local one, but a worldwide ministry.
   This present trip, almost ended, has been of very special significance and concern in this regard. Also, it has sparkled with interest! There were some personal and human-interest incidents as well as the more serious and vital.
   First, we stopped off in New York to break the time-lag of eight hours between California and England. I took a short flight to Washington, D.C., where I spoke to a combined Worldwide Church of God assembly of between 2,000 and 3,000 people. Then I went on to the campus of our Ambassador College in England on March 4. March 5 and 6 I was busy writing and doing a Sunday radio broadcast in our recording studio on campus. Tuesday night, March 6, I attended our college's annual spring concert at the Watford Town Hall. These concerts are given annually by our college, as a contribution to community cultural interest. This year, the concert was provided by the London Symphony Orchestra, with guest conductor Van Remortel and the world-renowned Huddersfield Choral Society, combining with our own Ambassador Chorale.
   We left Luton Airport (where we garage our plane when in England) early Wednesday morning March 7. We flew all the way to New Delhi, India that day.
   For more than three years we had been planning a series of scientific expeditions, a joint participation between Ambassador College and the King Leopold III Foundation in Belgium. This morning, at last, was the "kickoff" of the expedition. It was to be made in the wilds of New Guinea. We first landed at Brussel's airport where King Leopold and Monsieur Andrι Capart, Director of the Royal Museum of Natural Science in Brussels, also a member of the foundation, boarded our plane. Mr. Capart is one of five scientists participating in this present expedition. The others were to meet them in New Guinea, traveling by commercial airlines.
   At New Delhi airport that night, we were met at the plane by the Chief of Protocol of India and the Belgian Ambassador and members of his staff. Because of King Leopold's presence, we were put through immigration and customs with diplomatic speed, and cars were waiting to whisk us to our hotel.
   One of the most helpful people in our worldwide work has been Dr. Negendra Singh of New Delhi. He is a recent appointee as judge of the World Court at The Hague — a position of great worldwide power and importance, due to the fact that the nations have feared to defy a decision made by this World Court. The court's sole power is its moral power — but that has proved very great. Prior to his high appointment, Dr. Singh was Executive Secretary to President V.V. Giri of India. He has been a guest speaker before Ambassador College students and faculty at all three campuses.
   On Thursday night, March 8, Dr. and Mrs. Singh were our dinner guests at our hotel. On Friday, March 9, was a luncheon in my honor at Dr. Singh's residence. Two distinguished guests present were His Excellency Abdul Hakim Tabibi, the Ambassador from Afghanistan, and the Ambassador from Ethiopia, Getachew Mekasha. Mr. Tabibi was educated in the United States at Georgetown University and George Washington University, and was formerly Ambassador to the United Nations. He invited us to visit his country and his king, Muhammed Zahir Shah, who has ruled forty years. At his invitation, a meeting with the king of Afghanistan was set for a later date.
   The Ethiopian Ambassador extended an invitation from Emperor Haile Selassie, one of the best-known rulers in the world, for a personal meeting in Addis Ababa in the near future. Emperor Haile Selassie, known as "the Lion of the Tribe of Judah," has been regarded as a descendant of King Solomon of Judah, through the Queen of Sheba.
   He was crowned the 225th ruler in 1930. It was in 1935 that Mussolini's Italian forces overran Ethiopia, in fulfillment of the prophecy in the latter part of Daniel 11:40. The Italians ruled Ethiopia until 1941. Emperor Haile Selassie's appeals to the League of Nations made world news. They were often cited as the warnings unheeded that led to World War II. Ethiopia is rich in biblical history, and I am looking forward with great interest to this meeting with Emperor Haile Selassie.
   Also present at this luncheon were several other distinguished guests, including V.B. Giri, eldest son of President V.V. Giri, whom I had met previously.
   I have had a personal meeting with President Giri each time I have visited India, once at the governor's mansion in Bangalore, once at the governor's mansion in Madras and all other times at his palace in New Delhi. This visit was no exception .... I, with Dr. Singh, paid another visit to the President at the impressive palace. The President's face lit up, and he stretched forth his hand in a very warm greeting. I had not presented a gift since our first meeting, some two and a half years ago (it is not custom on subsequent visits), but this time I presented him with a beautiful, sparkling piece of Steuben crystal for his desk. We posed together for official photographs. Then we discussed the cooler relations between the United States and Indian governments and his official state visit to Malaysia. In fact, he had just returned the night before and had made special arrangements for our visit without prior notification.
   When I visit President Giri, he talks about the serious and tragic need for one hundred fifty million jobs — and of the poverty and other serious problems in the second most populous nation in the world. All nations have problems and troubles. India is no exception. Millions walk around aimlessly, with nothing to do — no jobs. Such problems weigh heavily on officials at the head of national governments.
   I am learning more and more about these problems and man's efforts to solve them, in such meetings. And, I am having an opportunity to get more and more of this good news over to those struggling with this present world's problems, through its governments.
   I have, in my lifetime, met hundreds of the great and the near great — multimillionaire heads of great industrial corporations, heads of great educational institutions, heads of great banks and governments, and no matter how lofty the position or status, if one is allowed to look deeply into their personal lives, he discovers that they have their personal troubles, disappointments, unhappiness — because they don't know the way! Christ's gospel reveals the WAY — both for the individual and for the nation. But the gospel has not been gotten across to the comprehension of the world! ...
   But my commission is merely to proclaim or teach it — not to force any to accept it. God's own Kingdom and solution to world problems and individual, personal problems is going to come, on schedule — and your believing it or not believing it will neither prevent it nor hasten it ....
   But back to the trip ....
   At Dr. Singh's residence I met the younger son of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This young man was trained as an engineer in India and trained on the job in the Rolls-Royce factory in England. He is presently embarking on a private enterprise to produce an all-India automobile of the Volkswagen type. His name is Sanjay Gandhi. He extended an invitation to our party to dine at the Prime Minister's home on our trip in May.
   Dr. Singh also invited us to visit the World Court at The Hague on our May trip.
   At 10 a.m. March 11, we were again airborne for Jakarta, on the island of Java, in Indonesia. It was a six-hour forty-minute flight nonstop — lasting virtually all day.
   That morning I had come down with the flu and a severe head cold. It was the start of a three-day fast for me. On the plane, I occasionally sipped lemon juice and honey — but took no food. The next day at Jakarta, I ran a temperature of over 102. At Jakarta I remained confined to my room. Jakarta is just south of the equator, and it's steamy hot there. The air-conditioning in my room at the hotel was one of these window contraptions, and it was almost a choice of sweltering or being in an ice-cold draft.
   At the Jakarta airport, we were met at our plane by the official Indonesian protocol people, the Belgian ambassador Mr. Georges Elliott, the Belgian economic advisor, and Dr. Sarwono, head of the Indonesian Educational and Scientific Institute, which had helped make many of the arrangements for King Leopold's expedition in New Guinea.
   March 12: Due to my flu attack, several appointments were canceled for me. But my assistant Mr. Stanley Rader called upon our friend Mr. Adam Malik, the Indonesian Foreign Minister — second man in the government, next to President Suharto, and until this year, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations at New York. President Suharto was addressing and being re-elected by the National Assembly that day. But he sent greetings and his personal best wishes for the success of the expedition and an invitation to visit him on our next return to Indonesia.
   That evening, a banquet was held for King Leopold ....
   March 13: We flew to Biak, in West Irian (New Guinea). It was a five-hour flight, at nearly 600 miles per hour. We must have flown over hundreds of islands, all part of Indonesia, many of the islands as yet uncharted.
   At Biak, we were met by a contingent of military personnel, including the general who is administrator for the area. Some of the other military officers had been detailed there to escort and protect King Leopold and the scientists on the expedition. They were going into some of the wildest jungle on earth, among totally uncivilized natives — perhaps headhunters — who may not have seen civilized people before.
   We spent about an hour at Biak, had photographs taken and bid good-bye to the King. [The king's party was] to spend the night there, then rendezvous the following day at a place called Djajapura (formerly Hollandia) with the other scientists who had flown there by commercial airlines. From there, the expedition was to get under way.
   We again boarded our plane for an approximately five-hour flight to Hong Kong. I was still running a fever, and it had been a rather trying day for me. It seemed very nice to be in a properly air-conditioned hotel room with an even temperature and no drafts. I said that I was going to remain right there until I recovered from the flu.
   March 14 and 15: Resting and recuperating in Hong Kong.
   March 16: We boarded our plane at 8 a.m., arriving in Bangkok, Thailand (formerly Siam) about 9:30. We were met at the airport by Madam Sunirat Telan, owner of hotels and other enterprises, and also a close friend of the King and Queen and Princess Dusdi Sukhuma. These two ladies have accompanied us in all visits with King Bhumibol Adulyadej. On this morning, we had a meeting with the King at 11 a.m. We were driven to the palace. Having some extra time, we were driven around the city so that we arrived at the palace just before 11.
   We were greeted by the admiral who is the King's number one aide. We were first escorted, as usual, into a reception room. Then shortly after, we were shown into the room where the King was waiting for us.
   On entering, we were met, as usual, by a barrage of brilliant lights, TV cameras and still photographers. The King greeted us warmly. He expressed great appreciation for our interest and cooperation in the education of the hill-tribe people. He was most happy to report that very pleasing results are being achieved in the area of Ambassador College's participation in the King's program (as part of the Ambassador College Extension Program of Education for all peoples at all levels, getting the missing dimension in education to people worldwide). Not only are the people being taught the true values and purpose of life, but they are also being shown how to do new things with their hands.
   They are now replacing the former poppy crops (for making opium) with vegetables, now being canned for the market in newly established canneries. And the people are much happier and better off economically. The Ambassador College motto is "Recapture True Values," and some of these mountain tribes are beginning to do just that.
   After the meeting with the King, we were driven directly to the personal residence of Prime Minister Kittikachorn for my second meeting with him within six weeks. He arrived ten minutes late, apologizing unnecessarily, but greeting us warmly and enthusiastically.
   He had been detained in an important meeting with his highest officials, dealing on that day with a Communist intrusion at the northeastern border of Thailand (North Vietnam is only a short distance from that point). The Prime Minister was still dressed in his military uniform. On our previous meeting with him, he was dressed in civilian clothes. The Prime Minister's son-in-law, whom we met on the previous visit, was there, talking with us until Mr. Kittikachorn's arrival .... The Prime Minister's son-in-law has a Ph.D. in Education and was trained at Boston University in the United States.
   Again the Prime Minister and I discussed the Vietnam cease-fire situation and the future prospects of the new bastion in Thailand against the communist threat in Southeast Asia. Once again he stressed the threat of communism and said he fully expects increased communist efforts against Thailand when the cease-fire becomes more effective in Laos and Vietnam. But he said his people are prepared and vigilant, as well as experienced in dealing with the communist menace.
   Prime Minister Kittikachorn then presented me with two beautiful full-color portraits, one of himself alone and the other of himself and his wife. They had just celebrated their forty-second wedding anniversary. I congratulated him, mentioning that my wife had died just 3½ months before our fiftieth or golden anniversary. I had presented him with a beautiful piece of Steuben crystal, which he seemed to like very much.
   We returned to the airport, taking with us as guest, as previously planned, Princess Sukhuma, who accompanied us to Pasadena. We returned that same afternoon to Hong Kong. My temperature was gone and the flu had nearly disappeared, but we remained in Hong Kong for the weekend, because our next scheduled meeting was for Monday night in Tokyo.
   Monday, March 19: We flew into Tokyo to attend a banquet with Prince Mikasa, brother of Emperor Hirohito, Ambassador Ron of Israel, Dr. Ohata, archaeologist from the university, and six other young Japanese archaeologists and Middle East scholars. They are to participate in the archaeological project at Tel Zeror — an ancient biblical site between the modern cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa. The project is cosponsored by the Japanese government and Ambassador College. Perhaps some of our Ambassador students may be working on this project this summer, as well as on the large archaeological project at the base of the Temple Mount, digging down to the palace, location of the throne of David, in the ancient city of David. This project is sponsored jointly by Hebrew University, the Israel Archaeological Society and Ambassador College.
   Tuesday, March 20: We had dinner with the Ambassador from Thailand and his wife, invited by Princess Sukhuma, who was accompanying us, and, of course, who had attended the banquet with us on Monday night. The Thai Ambassador had formerly been stationed at the United Nations in New York and also had been stationed in Bonn, West Germany. One of the children of the Ambassador and his wife had been born in the United States and was educated in a girls' school in Virginia.
   March 21: At the suggestion of former Prime Minister Eisaku Sato, we had been invited to make a second visit to Okinawa, where I was guest of honor at a small and intimate banquet sponsored by the governor of Okinawa and the President of the university there.
   We were met at the airport by Mr. Matsumura, Director of General Affairs of the University of the Ryukyus, and Mr. Ichimura, President of the university's alumni association and Rector of the university's law institute ....
   At five that evening, I was visited in my hotel suite by the parents of a girl student at our Pasadena campus, a transfer from the university at Okinawa, on our new exchange program with that university, and also by the father and one of the brothers of a young male student at Pasadena, also a transfer from the Okinawan university.
   At six, President Takara of the university came to my suite for an informal chat and renewal of acquaintance prior to the banquet.
   At 6:30 p.m., we entered the private banquet room in our hotel, the newly opened Okinawa Hilton. Present were Governor and Mrs. Yara, university President Takara and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Matsumura, Mr. and Mrs. Ichimura, a Mr. Sho, grandson of the last king of the Ryukyus, now a businessman and member of the Board of Trustees of the university. These Japanese women appeared in their bright and beautiful Japanese kimonos ....
   Both the university president and the governor spoke at some length .... The governor's speech, especially, was full of feeling, sincerity and emotion. He wanted me to convey to former Prime Minister Sato his deep appreciation for his tireless efforts in bringing about the reversion of Okinawa (from the United States) to Japan.
   A portion of his deeply felt speech was this: "Please convey to Prime Minister Sato that nothing is lost in Okinawa. We have many problems facing us. But we hope to create a new Okinawa. Please convey this additional message: We believe and desire, because of the friendship of America and mainland Japan, for a better Okinawa — a better tomorrow. The new Okinawa is like a woman expecting a child — it will be painful, but a priceless and precious new life will be born. It will take a long period of patience to create this new Okinawa. The reversion is precious — not because of yesterday — not because of today, but because of tomorrow!"
   The Governor said he was expressing his personal opinions and feelings. He had wanted, originally, to be a teacher, so at this important meeting, he was speaking as an educator among educators. He also said that before the reversion, the big goal was to achieve the reversion.
   But now that that was accomplished, he had discovered his problems were far greater than they were before. He was then chief executive of the Japanese people under American government and authority. Now that he is Governor, and in authority, he finds that the problems confronting him and his administration are greater than when under the authority of the United States. Problems previously submerged now confront him.
   The university President expressed his appreciation over the exchange program of the university with Ambassador College.
   I spoke on the problems confronting both Japan and the United States, and the causes of the trade and monetary imbalance, asking for understanding and patience, and asking them to look forward to the world of peace we are proclaiming worldwide. But this was neither the time nor place for a sermon on how that happy result actually will be brought about in the world tomorrow.
   However, such meetings and conferences as I have had on this most recent round-the-world trip definitely are paving the way for getting that happy and wonderful good news in great power before the peoples and nations of this unpeaceful and unhappy world today.

Previous      Chapter 77      Next
Publication Date: 1987
Back To Top