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No, but I expect to be invited to it. If I'm not, I shall invite myself.

This is the first time in the history of mankind that any head of any major nation, that I know of, has ever said that he wanted the whole country to be beautified. In France, various rulers have tried to beautify Paris, and recently DeGaulle and Malraux have gotten the buildings cleaned in Paris. But they haven't gone forth on a planting or general redesign or beautification program for the whole nation, nor has other modern ruler than I know of ever done this. Pericles built the Parthenon and the Acropolis, but I don't recall that it was ever said that he wanted to beautify the whole of Athens. Nor do I recall that anybody ever wanted to beautify the whole of England, or the whole of Italy, or any other country. Individual cities have been beautified, and great efforts have been made, but no general concept of a whole nation has been expressed. I think it's a very important move.

Well, we are now mature enough, as a people, to support this kind of program, don't you think?

Oh, certainly. There's no doubt in my mind. I think it could have been supported anytime in the last 25 or 50 years. I think it's really the spirit of wanting to have beauty, as well as order, on any scale. If the President, as the leader of the country, expresses this need, something happens that is much more comprehensive than if it's just a volunteer effort of a