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the President. Instead of waiting in an anteroom for our own
meeting with the President, we were privileged to take part --
standing, with many cabinet members, to one side, witnessing the
ceremony. The Argentine Ambassador, as custom dictates for such
ceremony, was attired in morning cutaway coat with tails, and
striped trousers. However, in the Philippines, formal attire for
all occasions is a very thin jacket with much embroidery work,
especially down the front. Both times I have seen President
Marcos, he has worn one of these -- no necktie, but the shirt-coat
open at the neck. On this particular formal occasion, he wore the
black-and-gray striped trousers, with the barong. This barong is
very cool, and appropriate for the extremely hot and humid weather
of the Philippines.
Shortly after the presentation of the Argentinean's
credentials, which took place in an open-air wing of the Palace --
open on both sides, with the heavily gilded carved THRONE chair
at the rear, we were ushered into the President's office. Our
Ambassador College TV and camera crew had gone in first, to get
cameras and lighting adjusted.
President Marcos was in a sparkling, genial and very
alert mood. He remembered my former visit. I had with me a copy
of the June-July PLAIN TRUTH, with a picture of him smiling on
the front cover -- reproduced from an oil painting we had specially
done for The PLAIN TRUTH. A few special copies fresh off the press
had been specially air-mailed to us. But he already had received
a copy, and had read the cover story, which seemed to please him.
Accompanying me, as usual, were Mr. Rader and Mr. Gotoh.
After our initial greetings, the President introduced us to cabinet
members, who had just come into his office. All cabinet members
were present except Minister of Labor Ople, and Minister of Social
Welfare Dr. (Mrs.) Lim -- the two who were sponsoring my public
campaign. I looked around, and asked the President regarding the
Foreign Secretary, General Romulo. I had known him for 29 years
-- since the San Francisco Conference, where the charter for the
United Nations was drawn up in 1945. The General had left just
before we entered. But the President had him called back
immediately. Minister Ople was in the hospital for an annual
required checkup, and Mrs. Lim was, I think, out of the city
until Sunday.
We had an invigorating meeting with President Marcos for
about a half hour. He thanked us for having his mother, who is
an avid reader of The PLAIN TRUTH, as a dinner guest. He
remembered the Steuben piece I had presented to him on the former
visit in 1970, and I had another with me, which he seemed to admire
very much. He presented me with two books he has written since I
last saw him, autographed, and said he wanted to give his personal
blessing on the big meetings, starting that night.
Many of you may see this interview on sound film later.
But NOW we had come to the BIG EVENT! Friday night was
the first night of the Manila campaign -- there were to be three
meetings in all (lectures they were called in the newspapers).