Mr. Adams
The ancient city of Boston—ancient at least by our American standards—present this award in the name of Christian Herter, Congressman, Governor of Massachusetts and Secretary of State in the last years of President Eisenhower 's Administration.
A public servant for virtually all of his life, Chris Herter was admired and respected by all and regarded with affection by those like myself who were fortunate enough to know him. He was an imaginative and powerful influence on the development of United States foreign policy in the years following World War II.
It is a happy occasion for us to be able to meet you here and to express to you our high regard for the extraordinary leadership which you have given to your country and to the ever-increasing role which you have assumed in the affairs of the Western Alliance.
That the special relationship which exists between our two countries has been enhanced in your time was dramatically demonstrated by the warmth with which you were greeted before the Joint Meeting of Congress this morning and by the enthusiastic applause which punctuated your splendid speech. [end p1]
In ringing tones, you eloquently and forcefully stated your view. If there should be any part of it with which some might not wholly agree, that part we can accept as useful advice from a wise and trusted friend.
We can do no greater honour to the memory of Christian Herter, a great American, than presenting this award to you, Mrs. Thatcher, a world leader who adds lustre to the record of the greatest statesmen in the long history of your country. (applause)
Prime Minister
Lovely! It is absolutely beautiful and thank you very much! I don't have to give it back, do I?
I am deeply grateful to you Mr. Adams and to the Boston World Affairs Council for the great honour which you do me in presenting me the Christian Herter Award. I am flattered to be given a place amongst the list of distinguished earlier recipients of this award and it is a particular pleasure to follow in the footsteps of your Secretary of State, George Shultz, the most recent person to be so honoured. I have the greatest admiration for him. I think we are very fortunate to have him as Secretary of State of the great United States, and I am proud too to be the first British recipient of the award in the year which marks the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Britain and the United States.
Christian Herter, after whom the award is named, was one of the great visionaries of the post-war period. He was one of those who recognised the interdependence—I am so sorry, the post-war world, but you know, I am at an age when I ought to put [end p2] specs on but I am a little vain and don't—one of the great visionaries of the post-war world. He was one of those who recognised the interdependence of the United States and Europe and contributed to the building of those institutions which cemented our cooperation and our alliance, and it is a measure of the perception and wisdom of that generation of giants that these institutions have stood the test of time so well.
We can remain confident about the future, thanks to the solid foundations which he and others like him laid.
We also remember, particularly at a time when hopes are once again pinned on the chances of progress on arms control, the impulse which he gave to the work which later led to the test ban treaty.
It is a disappointment to me not to have been able to visit Boston itself to receive the award, but I am delighted to see so many of the Boston World Affairs Council at this ceremony.
I know well the magnificent work which the Council has done in Boston for thirty-five years in promoting understanding of foreign affairs. I also hear that you are shortly to have the pleasure of an address from my friend Peter Carrington. He was my Foreign Secretary. We are now very fortunate to have him as Secretary-General of NATO and no person understands more about both foreign affairs and defence than Peter Carrington, and you will greatly enjoy his address and I will tell him when I return, when I shall be seeing him, that I have seen you.
I hope very much to be able to visit Boston on some later occasion. The historical, commercial, cultural and family links [end p3] between Britain and Boston—not to speak of a small incident involving tea—give it a very particular spot in our hearts. Indeed, one should recall, in this 200th anniversary year, that the first envoy to the Court of St. James, when you established diplomatic relations with us in 1985 (1785?) was, I believe, one of your ancestors, one of your relatives, John Adams from Boston. You are related indeed? I am very very honoured to receive the award from you and again, specially appropriate during this 200th year.
In thanking you once again for doing me this signal honour, can I just recall the words with which Winston Churchill ended his address to a Joint Meeting of Congress in 1952: “Bismark” he said “once said that the supreme fact of the 19th century was that Britain and the United States spoke the same language. Let us make sure,” Winston continued “that the supreme fact of the 20th century is that they tread the same path!” We have done that successfully for thirty-three years since then and fortified by this proud award I shall do all in my power to see that the United States and the United Kingdom continue to tread the same path. Thank you. (applause)