PALACE; AMBASSADOR AND PARTY ARRIVING; FLAGS; PRESIDENT RECEIVING AMBASSADOR; TODMAN SPEAKING; PRESENTING CREDENTIALS; PRESIDENT SPEAKING; POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.




Initials GL/VS/AS/MJB



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Background: THE NEW UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO GHAD, MR. TERENCE A TODMAN, PRESENTED HIS CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENT FRANCOIS TOMBALBAYE LAST WEEK AT THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE IN FORT-LAMY.

AFTER BEING RECEIVED BY THE PRESIDENT, MR. TODMAN SAID HE WAS DELIGHTED TO ARRIVE AS AMBASSADOR TO CHAD IN ITS TENTH YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE, AND AT A TIME WHEN THE UNITED STATES WAS LOOKING TO AFRICA WITH GROWING INTEREST
THIS INTEREST, HE SAID, WAS IN THE SPIRIT OF THE PRESENT AGE. IT WAS ALSO DUE TO RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANT AFRICAN HERITAGE WITHIN AMERICAN SOCIETY AND, FOR THE WORLD, RECOGNITION OF THE CONTRIBUTION AFRICA IS MAKING IN THE CULTURAL SPHERE AND IN THE SOLUTION OF INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS.

AFTER RECEIVING THE NEW AMBASSADOR'S CREDENTIALS, PRESIDENT TOMBALBAYE SAID MR. TODMAN'S ARRIVAL IN HIS COUNTRY MARKED A NEW STEP IN THE EVOLUTION OF FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND CHAD.

SPEAKING OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHAD, THE PRESIDENT SAID THE ONLY SAFEGUARD FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PEACE WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SOCIETY IN WHICH THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND FUNDAMENTAL LIBERTIES WOULD NO LONGER BE VIOLATED. FOR THIS REASON CHAD RECOGNISED THE NEED TO IMPLANT IN THE YOUNG THE NOBLE IDEA OF DIGNITY AND EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL.

HE SAID CHAD DID NOT DOUBT THE GOOD INTENTION OF THE UNITED STATES TO HELP IT SOLVE ITS PROBLEMS. THE INTELLIGENCE OF ITS SONS HAD ENABLED THE UNITED STATES TO TAKE HER FIRST STEPS ON THE MOON; IT WAS NOT IMPOSSIBLE THAT IT WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO SUPPRESS MISERY, SICKNESS, HUNGER AND IGNORANCE -- IN A WORD, UNDERDEVELOPMENT -- FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH.