It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this home where Mrs. Roosevelt lived longer than any other First Lady and take part in this ceremony commemorating the issuance of this stamp.

The things for which Mrs. Roosevelt stood are clearly identifiable and they represent the best of our national effort and purpose.

We would certainly be foolish to halt the sale of our wheat when other countries can buy that wheat from us today and then sell it as flour to the Communists.

Most of all, I want to express our appreciation to the astronauts, who have become part of the American story in a very real way, and to their wives, who are also here.

It is appropriate that I report to the Congress the reasons for the Government's decision not to prohibit the sale of surplus American wheat, wheat flour, feed grains and other agricultural commodities for shipment to the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries during the next several months.

I want to express my appreciation to the Armed Forces of the United States who have supported this effort, who provided these young men

I can assure you that it has had a most extraordinary influence on our lives, been useful beyond measure to the United States, and I feel that way about what we are trying to do now.

I am confident that when this job is done-of giving the United States the kind of position in this area which it must have--that it will then become as obvious to us, its significance as obvious to us, its uses as obvious to us, its benefit as obvious to us as a country as the Sputnik satellite is to us, as the airplane is to us.

I think it honors an extraordinary page in American history, as well as in the history of flight.

When the plane was first invented, I am sure there were a good many who wondered what possible use it could be.

I hope that this award, which in a sense closes out this particular phase of the space program, will be a stimulus to them and to other astronauts who will carry our flag to the moon and perhaps even someday beyond.