THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

                      REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
                           UPON DEPARTURE
             
                           The South Lawn

10:28 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Hillary and I were very sad to learn that our good friend and America's outstanding Ambassador to France, Pamela Harriman, passed away just a few moments ago in Paris.

She was an extraordinary United States Ambassador, representing our country, as well as our government, to the people of France and to the government, earning the trust of the leaders and the admiration of people.

She was one of the most unusual and gifted people I ever met, with an extraordinary life from her years growing up in Great Britain, to being a part of what the British went through in World War II as the Prime Minister's daughter-in-law; and then her remarkable life in America with Averell Harriman, with all the work she did as a force for political activism for the Democratic party; and with the friends she had in both parties, in business and labor and in politics.

Our country will miss her. We are deeply indebted to the work she did in France in maintaining our relationships with one of our oldest and closest allies. She was a source of judgment, an inspiration to me; a source of constant good humor and charm and real friendship and we will miss her very, very much.

I had a good talk this morning with her son, Winston Churchill, and our prayers are with him and the rest of her family and her legion of friends. She will be brought home to America later this week and we'll have more announcements about her funeral later.

America has lost a great public servant and another immigrant who became a great American. Thank you.

END 10:30 A.M. EST