Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, Members of the Congress, and my fellow Americans:I was thinking as I was walking down the aisle tonight of what Sam Rayburn told me many years ago: The Congress always extends a very warm welcome to the President-as he comes in.Thank all of you very, very much.I have come once again to this Chamber-the home of our democracy--to give you, as the Constitution requires, "Information of the State of the Union."I report to you that our country is challenged, at home and abroad:--that it is our will that is being tried, not our strength; our sense of purpose, not our ability to achieve a better America;--that we have the strength to meet our every challenge; the physical strength to hold the course of decency and compassion at home; and the moral strength to support the cause of peace in the world.And I report to you that I believe, with abiding conviction, that this people--nurtured by their deep faith, tutored by their hard lessons, moved by their high aspirations-have the will to meet the trials that these times impose.Since I reported to you last January:--Three elections have been held in Vietnam--in the midst of war and under the constant threat of violence.--A President, a Vice President, a House and Senate, and village officials have been chosen by popular, contested ballot.--The enemy has been defeated in battle after battle.--The number of South Vietnamese living in areas under Government protection tonight has grown by more than a million since January of last year.These are all marks of progress. Yet:--The enemy continues to pour men and material across frontiers and into battle, despite his continuous heavy losses.--He continues to hope that America's will to persevere can be broken. Well--he is wrong. America will persevere. Our patience and our perseverance will match our power. Aggression will never prevail.But our goal is peace--and peace at the earliest possible moment.Right now we are exploring the meaning of Hanoi's recent statement. There is no mystery about the questions which must be answered before the bombing is stopped.We believe that any talks should follow the San Antonio formula that I stated last September, which said:--The bombing would stop immediately if talks would take place promptly and with reasonable hopes that they would be productive.--And the other side must not take advantage of our restraint as they have in the past. This Nation simply cannot accept anything less without jeopardizing the lives of our men and of our allies.If a basis for peace talks can be established on the San Antonio foundations--and it is my hope and my prayer that they can--we would consult with our allies and with the other side to see if a complete cessation of hostilities--a really true cease-fire--could be made the first order of business. I will report at the earliest possible moment the results of these explorations to the American people.I have just recently returned from a very fruitful visit and talks with His Holiness the Pope and I share his hope--as he expressed it earlier today--that both sides will extend themselves in an effort to bring an end to the war in Vietnam. I have today assured him that we and our allies will do our full part to bring this about.Since I spoke to you last January, other events have occurred that have major consequences for world peace.--The Kennedy Round achieved the greatest reduction in tariff barriers in all the history of trade negotiations.--The nations of Latin America at Punta del Este resolved to move toward economic integration.--In Asia, the nations from Korea and Japan to Indonesia and Singapore worked behind America's shield to strengthen their economies and to broaden their political cooperation.--In Africa, from which the distinguished Vice President has just returned, he reports to me that there is a spirit of regional cooperation that is beginning to take hold in very practical ways.These events we all welcomed. Yet since I last reported to you, we and the world have been confronted by a number of crises:--During the Arab-Israeli war last June, the hot line between Washington and Moscow was used for the first time in our history. A cease-fire was achieved without a major power confrontation.Now the nations of the Middle East have the opportunity to cooperate with Ambassador Jarring's U.N. mission and they have the responsibility to find the terms of living together in stable peace and dignity, and we shall do all in our power to help them achieve that result.--Not far from this scene of conflict, a crisis flared on Cyprus involving two peoples who are America's friends: Greece and Turkey. Our very able representative, Mr. Cyrus Vance, and others helped to ease this tension.--Turmoil continues on the mainland of China after a year of violent disruption. The radical extremism of their Government has isolated the Chinese people behind their own borders. The United States, however, remains willing to permit the travel of journalists to both our countries; to undertake cultural and educational exchanges; and to talk about the exchange of basic food crop materials.Since I spoke to you last, the United States and the Soviet Union have taken several important steps toward the goal of international cooperation.As you will remember, I met with Chairman Kosygin at Glassboro and we achieved if not accord, at least a clearer understanding of our respective positions after 2 days of meeting.Because we believe the nuclear danger must be narrowed, we have worked with the Soviet Union and with other nations to reach an agreement that will halt the spread of nuclear weapons. On the basis of communications from Ambassador Fisher in Geneva this afternoon, I am encouraged to believe that a draft treaty can be laid before the conference in Geneva in the very near future. I hope to be able to present that treaty to the Senate this year for the Senate's approval.We achieved, in 1967, a consular treaty with the Soviets, the first commercial air agreement between the two countries, and a treaty banning weapons in outer space. We shall sign, and submit to the Senate shortly, a new treaty with the Soviets and with others for the protection of astronauts.Serious differences still remain between us, yet in these relations, we have made some progress since Vienna, the Berlin Wall, and the Cuban missile crisis.But despite this progress, we must maintain a military force that is capable of deterring any threat to this Nation's security, whatever the mode of aggression. Our choices must not be confined to total war-or to total acquiescence.We have such a military force today. We shall maintain it.I wish--with all of my heart--that the expenditures that are necessary to build and to protect our power could all be devoted to the programs of peace. But until world conditions permit, and until peace is assured, America's might--and America's bravest sons who wear our Nation's uniform--must continue to stand guard for all of us--as they gallantly do tonight in Vietnam and other places in the world.Yet neither great weapons nor individual courage can provide the conditions of peace.For two decades America has committed itself against the tyranny of want and ignorance in the world that threatens the peace. We shall sustain that commitment. This year I shall propose:--That we launch, with other nations, an exploration of the ocean depths to tap its wealth, and its energy, and its abundance.--That we contribute our fair share to a major expansion of the International Development Association, and to increase the resources of the Asian Development Bank.--That we adopt a prudent aid program, rooted in the principle of self-help.--That we renew and extend the food for freedom program.Our food programs have already helped millions avoid the horrors of famine.But unless the rapid growth of population in developing countries is slowed, the gap between rich and poor will widen steadily.Governments in the developing countries must take such facts into consideration. We in the United States are prepared to help assist them in those efforts.But we must also improve the lives of children already born in the villages and towns and cities on this earth. They can be taught by great teachers through space communications and the miracle of satellite television-and we are going to bring to bear every resource of mind and technology to help make this dream come true.Let me speak now about some matters here at home.Tonight our Nation is accomplishing more for its people than has ever been accomplished before. Americans are prosperous as men have never been in recorded history. Yet there is in the land a certain restlessness--a questioning.The total of our Nation's annual production is now above $800 billion. For 83 months this Nation has been on a steady upward trend of growth.All about them, most American families can see the evidence of growing abundance: higher paychecks, humming factories, new cars moving down new highways. More and more families own their own homes, equipped with more than 70 million television sets.A new college is founded every week. Today more than half of the high school graduates go on to college.There are hundreds of thousands of fathers and mothers who never completed grammar school--who will see their children graduate from college.Why, then, this restlessness?Because when a great ship cuts through the sea, the waters are always stirred and troubled.And our ship is moving. It is moving through troubled and new waters; it is moving toward new and better shores.We ask now, not how can we achieve abundance?--but how shall we use our abundance? Not, is there abundance enough for all?--but, how can all share in our abundance?While we have accomplished much, much remains for us to meet and much remains for us to master.--In some areas, the jobless rate is still three or four times the national average.--Violence has shown its face in some of our cities.--Cr