Nixon pledges to promote world peace

WASHINGTON, JAN. 20. Mr. Richard Milhouse Nixon today took over as the 37th President of the United States of America declaring “the times are on the side of peace” and “history beckons America” to “help lead the world at last out of the valley of turmoil.”

President Nixon pledged “to consecrate my office, my energies and all the wisdom I can command to the cause of peace among nations.”

The Republican President was speaking from Capitol Hill a few moments after he had assumed Presidency.

In his inaugural speech — one of the shorter ones in American presidential history — Mr. Nixon promised to work for peace abroad and unity at home.

It was a speech in generalities as speeches on such occasions go. The President did not even mention Vietnam though his reference to the war abroad and divisions at home were unmistakable. Nor did he mention West Asia, another smouldering area where the Arab nations are heaving a sigh of relief that the Johnson Administration which, they believed, so strongly supported their adversary Israel is out and are hopefully looking to the Nixon administration as likely to be more impartial.

But in a catch-all passage, President Nixon said: “Where peace is unknown, make it welcome; where peace is fragile, make it strong; where peace is temporary, make it permanent.”

Mr. Nixon spoke to the American people — and the world by television satellite relay — from the steps of the white-doomed Capitol building. The advance text of his 2,000 word speech made no reference to a new Moscow offer, announced today, to open talks with the incoming administration on limiting strategic missile systems. — Reuter.