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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release April 13, 1998

                       REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
                         AND THE FIRST LADY
                       AT ANNUAL EASTER EGG ROLL

The South Lawn

10:12 A.M. EDT

MRS. CLINTON: Well, we want to welcome all of you to the 120th Easter Egg Roll. And we're especially pleased that the weather is so beautiful and that all of you could be here on the South Lawn of the White House. And I hope everybody on the Ellipse who is standing in line knows how happy we are to have you here as well.

So I hope you have a wonderful time. Everybody just enjoy yourself, and especially make sure that every child enjoys him or herself, and that every family will receive one of these little books as you leave about the Easter Egg Roll here at the White House. And be sure to look at your program because there are some wonderful events going on in the tents down at the end of the lawn.

So now it's my pleasure to introduce the President of the United States, who always starts the real activities of the Easter Egg Roll -- President Clinton. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Good morning. Isn't it a wonderful morning? Let me say, I want to thank all the volunteers and all the sponsors who've made this wonderful day possible for thousands and thousands of young people.

I also want to say that the first official White House Egg Roll occurred here in 1878 when President Rutherford Hayes was living in the White House. Now, a lot of things have changed since then, but the most important thing today that you need to know is that for the very first time, hundreds of thousands of young people will be experiencing the White House Egg Roll through the Internet, thanks to Earthlinks, and I want to thank them for that. (Applause.)

I'd also like to thank a number of others, and especially Sun Microsystems, for all the work that's been done to try to open the White House to people around the world and especially around our country. But this day is special because of what Earthlinks has done to let lots and lots of young people who never could come to the White House be part of the Egg Roll.

So, are we ready to start the Egg Roll?

MRS. CLINTON: Bernie's right here.

THE PRESIDENT: Bernie, where's the whistle? This is the one thing every year I know, no matter what else happens, I will do right. (Laughter.) Are you ready, kids? Are you ready? I'm going to count to three and blow the whistle. One, two, three. (Applause.)

END 10:14 A.M. EDT