9.

DISTINGUISHED THAT FEW OF US DARE IMAGINE WHAT OUR NATIONAL LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN WITHOUT HIM. THIS BUOYANT, BUBBLING, LOVEABLE WARRIOR HAS DEMONSTRATED THROUGH A LIFETIME OF SERVICE THAT IN AMERICA MAN ACHIEVES NO-BILITY NOT BY HIS BEGINNINGS BUT BY HIS ENDS.

ON YOUR BEHALF MAY I ASK LOU WASSERMAN THAT HE GET IN TOUCH WITH HUBERT TO TELL HIM THAT WE THOUGHT OF HIM WITH AFFECTION, THAT WE HONOR WHAT HE HAS ALWAYS STOOD FOR AND, ABOVE ALL, THAT WE NEED HIM VERY MUCH.

1.

MR. WASSERMAN, MR. FELT, DANNY, MR. SCHLOSSER, CHRISTIANS,
JEWS AND ALSO THE ARAB WHO IS NEGOTIATING TO BUY THIS HOTEL.

IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE HONORED BY A GROUP BASED ON THE
PRINCIPLE OF COMPLETE EQUALITY BETWEEN RELIGIONS. THAT IS WHY I
WANT JUST TO MAKE SURE: CAN YOU CHRISTIANS IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM
HEAR ME?

I AM, OF COURSE, DEEPLY HONORED TO RECEIVE THE HUMANITARIAN
AWARD OF THIS DISTINGUISHED ORGANIZATION. WHAT MY STAFF THINKS OF
YOUR JUDGMENT IS ANOTHER MATTER; IT CANNOT BE REPEATED IN MIXED
COMPANY. THEY CONSOLE THEMSELVES THAT THIS IS THE TOWN OF MAKE
BELIEVE AND SUGGEST THAT IF LEW CAN BRING THIS OFF HE CAN NEXT
DEVOTE HIMSELF TO REHABILITATING IDI AMIN.

BUT I WILL NOT LET SMALL MINDS DETER ME FROM ENJOYING AN
OCCASION WHICH HAS ASSEMBLED SO MANY OF MY FRIENDS. I LEFT WASHINGTON
FOR IT DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL TIME OF YEAR. THE
LEAVES ARE TURNING -- ALMOST AS FAST AS BERT LANCE'S FRIENDS.

2.

PEOPLE ARE ASKING ME IF I MISS ALL THE POWER, ALL THE TRAPPINGS AND ATMOSPHERE OF PUBLIC OFFICE. MY ANSWER IS "ABSOLUTELY NOT."

I MADE THAT POINT TO MY ASSISTANT'S KNELT YESTERDAY MORNING AS THEY AT OUR REGULAR MORNING STAFF MEETING.

AS YOU MAY KNOW I AM WRITING A BOOK. IT DEALS WITH THE STORY OF THE STRUGGLE FOR POWER IN HIGH PLACES...AND THAT IS AFTER ONLY SIX MONTHS AT NBC.

I FIRST ATTEMPTED TO EMULATE THE DISTINGUISHED AUTHOR OF "ROOTS."
BUT I DID NOT GO SO FAR BACK AS MR. HALEY. I QUIT WHEN I WAS AHEAD--
THAT IS WHEN I HAD ESTABLISHED TO MY SATISFACTION THAT I WAS A.DIRECT
DESCENDANT OF DISRAELI.

SO, I WENT BACK TO MY MEMOIRS. PEOPLE TEND TO ASK ME; "WOULD YOU DO IT OVER AGAIN?" THE ANSWER IS: "YES, I WOULD DO IT OVER AGAIN."

MY TROUBLE IS THAT NOBODY HAS ASKED ME.

IF THERE IS ONE REGRET, IT CONCERNS THE ARDUOUS EFFORTS TO CREATE A BUFFER ZONE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND EGYPT IN THE SINAI DESERT.

IT TOOK YEARS OF PAINFUL NEGOTIATIONS. I COULD HAVE SAVED EVERYBODY A LOT OF TROUBLE IF I HAD FOLLOWED MY FIRST INSTINCT -- PARTED THE RED SEA AND BE DONE WITH IT.

3.

AS YOU KNOW I SEE PRESIDENT CARTER OCCASIONALLY, AT HIS DESK IN THE OVAL OFFICE, HE HAS A SIGN WHICH READS "THE BUCK STOPS HERE." IN HIS CHARACTERISTIC SPIRIT OF BIPARTISANSHIP, HE LETS ME BORROW IT FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS. I HAVE FOUND IT HELPS TO MAKE MY POINT WHEN I TALK BUSINESS WITH HERB SCHLOSSER OR MY PUBLISHER.

WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAS ASKED ME TO DO IS TO TESTIFY IN BEHALF OF HIS PANAMA CANAL TREATY. THIS IS, OF COURSE, QUITE A COMMITMENT. THE HEARINGS MAY GO ON INTERMINABLY. THEY COULD LAST NEARLY AS LONG AS THE Emmy AWARD SHOW.

BUT I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL RECEPTION THAT ASSEMBLES SO MANY OF MY FRIENDS.

LEW WASSERMAN, WHO IS THE WARMEST FRIEND AND SUPPORTER ANYONE CAN HAVE THE GOOD FORTUNE TO KNOW.

DANNY KAYE -- EXTEMPORANEOUSLY

IRVING FELT WHO HAS PATIENTLY PUT UP WITH NANCY'S ROOTING FOR THE WRONG TEAM AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. HERB SCHLOSSER, MY FRIEND AND COUNSELLOR FOR A DECADE.

5.

LET

ME MAKE A FEW SERIOUS OBSERVATIONS. THE MODERN AGE HAS BROUGHT UNDREAMT OF BENEFITS TO MANKIND IN MEDICINE, IN TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE AND IN HUMAN COMMUNICATION. BUT IT HAS ALSO SPAWNED PLAGUES IN ELABORATING NEW TOOLS OF OPPRESSION, INTOLERANCE AND NEW REFINEMENTS OF TERROR AND DISCRIMINATION. THE OBSCENE AND ATROCIOUS ACTS SYSTEMATICALLY EMPLOYED TO DEVALUE, DEBASE AND DESTROY THE VERY CONCEPT OF HUMAN DIGNITY IN SO MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD UNDERLINE THE NECESSITY FOR ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THIS AND THE VISION THAT BROUGHT FORTH THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS.

TO AN ASSEMBLAGE COMPOSED OF SO MANY MEN AND WOMEN DISTINGUISHED IN THE ARTS, IT IS HARDLY NECESSARY TO STRESS THAT EVERY GREAT ACHIEVEMENT WAS A DREAM BEFORE IT BECAME A REALITY. DIPLOMATS DEAL WITH THE WORLD AS IT IS. BUT THIS ORGANIZATION IS DEDICATED TO THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE. AT THESE TABLES TONIGHT WE HAVE COME TOGETHER BECAUSE OF OUR COMMON DEDICATION TO PEACE, TO CIVIL LIBERTY, TO JUSTICE, TO A BETTER WORLD.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON ONCE CITED FABLE FROM AN UNKNOWN ANTIQUITY.

6.

"THE GODS, IN THE BEGINNING,
DIVIDED MAN INTO MEN
THAT HE MIGHT BE MORE HELPFUL TO HIMSELF
JUST AS THE HAND WAS DIVIDED INTO FINGERS,
THE BETTER TO ANSWER ITS END.

THIS IS A WISDOM THAT NEITHER MEN NOR NATIONS HAVE AS YET ADEQUATELY UNDERSTOOD OR PRACTICED. OVER THE CENTURIES, MANKIND HAS EMPHASIZED RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL OR IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES RATHERN THAN A COMMON DESTINY;

OF THE SPECIES ON THE PLANET, MAN ALONE HAS INFLICTED UPON HIMSELF, MOST OF HIS SUFFERING.

IN AN AGE OF POTENTIAL NUCLEAR CATACLYSM, IN AN ERA OF INSTANT COMMUNICATION AMIDST IDEOLOGICAL CONFLICT, WE MUST OVERCOME ABOVE ALL THESE APPARENTLY IRON LAWS OF HISTORY. IT IS PART OF THE BIBICAL TRADITION THAT THE WORLD RESTS ON THREE PILLARS: ON JUSTICE, ON TRUTH, ON PEACE -- AND THAT THESE THREE ARE ONE AND THE SAME FOR IF THERE IS JUSTICE THERE IS TRUTH, AND IF THERE IS TRUTH, THERE IS PEACE. THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS HAS ALWAYS STOOD FOR THESE PRINCIPLES AND THEREBY GIVEN HOPE TO MILLIONS.

HOPE HAS BEEN LIKENED TO A ROAD IN THE COUNTRY. IT IS NOT
THERE TO BEGIN WITH BUT AS IT IS TRAVELED MORE AND MORE IT COMES
INTO EXISTENCE.

LET US CONTINUE ON THE ROAD OF OUR HOPES UNTIL WHAT IS NOW
UNFAMILIAR BECOMES NATURAL AND WHAT IS NOW A VISION TURNS INTO
A REALITY.

IN THIS SPIRIT I SALUTE THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CHRISTIANS
AND JEWS AND THANK YOU FOR HONORING ME.

8.

LET ME CLOSE ON A PERSONAL NOTE. ON THE WAY OUT HERE I THOUGHT OF A MAN WHO MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE I KNOW EPITIMIZES THE IDEALS OF THIS ORGANIZATION, AND WHO HAS MEANT A GREAT DEAL TO ME PERSONALLY: OUR DEAR AND GALLANT FRIEND HUBERT HUMPHREY. HE IS NOW RESTING AT HIS HOME IN MINNESOTA EAGERLY ANTICIPATING HIS RETURN TO THE SENATE WHERE HE WILL BUTRESS HIS ADMIRERS AND SMITE HIS OPPONENTS IN HIS UNENDING BUT NEVER MALICIOUS BATTLE FOR THE VALUES THAT HAVE INSPIRED HIS LIFE AND ENRICHED THIS NATION AND THE WORLD.

IT HAS BEEN SAID OF HUBERT THAT HE WAS ASKED TO SPEAK AT A TREE PLANTING CEREMONY IN ISRAEL AND BY THE TIME HE FINISHED TALKING HE WAS STANDING IN THE SHADE. BUT WHO CAN FAIL TO REMEMBER THE PURPOSE OF HIS ELOQUENT ORATORY -- HIS PLEAS FOR COMPASSION, FOR BROTHERHOOD, FOR EQUAL RIGHTS AND SIMPLE DECENCY? WHO CAN FAIL TO HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY THIS COURAGEOUS FIGHTER WHO PRACTICED WHAT HE PREACHED OVER A CAREER SO LONG AND

DISTINGUISHED THAT FEW OF US DARE IMAGINE WHAT OUR
NATIONAL LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN WITHOUT HIM. THIS BUOYANT,
BUBBLING, LOVEABLE WARRIOR HAS DEMONSTRATED THROUGH A
LIFETIME OF SERVICE THAT IN AMERICA MAN ACHIEVES NO-
BILITY NOT BY HIS BEGINNINGS BUT BY HIS ENDS.