| THE ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION DINNER US Ambassador "Speech of Thanks", Lord Ismay at English Speaking Union Dinner speaking. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tape Master: | 8621 | |
| Catalog #: | 140112 | |
| Clip Number: | 140112-3 | |
| Orginal Film: | UN 2972 B | |
| Timecode: | 01:35:57 - 01:41:41 | |
| Location: | London | |
| Year Shot: | 1957 (Actual Year) | |
| Audio: | Yes | |
| Color: | No | |
| Headings: | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Misc. LOCATIONS/EUROPE: UK, England, London | |
| Description: | Lord Ismay at English Speaking Union Dinner speaking about N.A.T.O. (nat. snd.). "Your Royal Highness, Your Excellencies, Mr. Mayor, My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen. It has been said that a profit is not without honor save in its own content. Your presence here sir supported by this distinguished company makes it quite clear that aphorism does not apply to super annulated Secretary Generals. And my cup of gladness and pride has been filled to overflowing by the all too kind things that you have said sir and other speakers about me, reinforced as they have been by those wonderful messages, from President Eisenhower, to whom the Atlantic Community in general and I’m particular owe the most tremendous debt, from my successor pro-tem Alster Park, from the Prime Minister of Canada … if I have deserved one fraction of the tributes that have been paid to me tonight, I should be quite insufferable, but you needn’t worry because I’m very conscious and many people in this room are very conscious, that the large share for the credit of any success that I have achieved is due to my wife. (Applause) … I’ve known it for a long time. Also, I only said goodbye to Paris three weeks ago, but its sill already makes me feel homesick to see all these familiar flags around. The flags of the fifteen countries, which I served for 5 years. But it also make me happy because it means that all those countries are represented here and that I can thank them from the bottom of my heart for their support, their encouragement, their indulgence and their friendship. I’d always understood that a man couldn’t serve two masters. I now know that’s it’s not only a little education, but a joy to serve fifteen. And I can assure you all, that although I am now exclusively British again officially, a part of me will always belong to those other 14 countries of the Alliance. … an old retainer has a lot of privileges and one of them is to speak quite frankly to his masters. So I’m going to leave a parting message. It is called ‘Rules of Conduct from NATO Governments.’ Rule number one. I must get them in the right order. Do not forget that although the Alliance was born of fear and that first priority had to be given to military preparedness, it is not a military alliance in the old fashion sense of the term. If it is going to survive, it has got to be strong, not only militarily, but politically and morally. That means that all the partners must consult each other, or at least inform each other, before they take decisions on any matters that effect the Alliance as a whole. That is a solemn obligation. “ | |
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