Mr. Johnson making statement; signing the bill; Latin American foreign ministers watching; outside shot of White House.




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Background: Foreign ministers from 20 Latin American countries, in Washington DC for a meeting of the Organization of American States, watched President Johnson Friday (22 Sept) sign a bill which authorized a 900-million dollar contribution to the Inter-American Development Bank. Mr. Johnson called the bank a "major instrument of the Alliance for Progress" and a model for international development.

The bank has financed road building, public works projects and housing projects in the seven years of its evidence. The 900-million dollar United States contribution is to be made over a three year period. A total of about 2.2 billion dollars has been contributed to the Bank by the United States.

Here is a transcript of President Johnson's remarks on the sound track of the film: "The presence of the foreign ministers here in Washington coincided with the passage by Congress of the bill which forms a very major element of the United States participation in the Alliance for Progress in which we all are very proud. The bill that I shall shortly sign authorise a United States contribution os some 900-million dollars to the International Inter-American Development Bank over the next three years. Some of you will remember at Punta del Este last April I told my fellow presidents the recommendations represent my convictions and my policy and the decisions which you will take here and the followed action that we will take in the months ahead that will enable me to pursue that policy."