"The Truman Doctrine"

Harry S. Truman: "The TrumanDoctrine" delivered 12 March 1947
Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Congress of the United States:The gravity of the situation which confronts the world today necessitates my appearance
両院合同会議before a joint session of the Congress. The foreign policy and the national security of thiscountry are involved. One aspect of the present situation, which I present to you at this timefor your consideration and decision, concerns Greece and Turkey. The United States hasreceived from the Greek Government an urgent appeal for financial and economic
仮の経済使節団

assistance. Preliminary reports from the American Economic Mission now in Greece and大使

裏付ける

reports from the American Ambassador in Greece corroborate the statement of the Greek
Government that assistance is imperative if Greece is to survive as a free nation.
耳を貸さないI do not believe that the American people and the Congress wish to turn a deaf ear to theappeal of the Greek Government. Greece is not a rich country. Lack of sufficient natural
何とか生活をやりくりしていく

resources has always forced the Greek people to work hard to make both ends meet .
Since 1940, this industrious, peace loving country has suffered invasion, four years of cruel内乱

enemy occupation, and bitter internal strife.
撤退する

When forces of liberation entered Greece they found that the retreating Germans had
港湾

施設

全保有

destroyed virtually all the railways, roads, port facilities, communications, and merchant
商船marine. More than a thousand villages had been burned. Eighty-five percent of the children
結核

家畜

家禽

役畜

were tubercular . Livestock, poultry, and draft animals had almost disappeared. Inflation
had wiped out practically all savings. As a result of these tragic conditions, a militant
悪用するminority, exploiting human want and misery, was able to create political chaos which, until
now, has made economic recovery impossible.
輸入品

Greece is today without funds to finance the importation
生活of those goods which areに要する最低限のもの

essential to bare subsistence . Under these circumstances, the people of Greece cannot
make progress in solving their problems of reconstruction. Greece is in desperate need offinancial and economic assistance to enable it to resume purchases of food, clothing, fuel,
不可欠な獲得できるand seeds. These are indispensable for the subsistence of its people and are obtainable
only from abroad. Greece must have help to import the goods necessary to restore internal
order and security, so essential for economic and political recovery. The Greek GovernmentI"The Truman Doctrine"
経験豊富なhas also asked for the assistance of experienced American administrators, economists, andtechnicians to insure that the financial and other aid given to Greece shall be used
持続可能な行政effectively in creating a stable and self- sustaining economy and in improving its public
administration.
The very existence of the Greek state is today threatened by the terrorist activities of several
軽視する

thousand armed men, led by Communists, who defy

the government's authority at anumber of points, particularly along the northern boundaries. A Commission appointed by
国連

安保理

動乱のthe United Nations Security Council is at present investigating disturbed conditions in
疑わしい

northern Greece and alleged border violations along the frontiers between Greece on theone hand and Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia on the other.
Meanwhile, the Greek Government is unable to cope with the situation. The Greek army is装備

small and poorly equipped. It needs supplies and equipment if it is to restore authority of
the government throughout Greek territory. Greece must have assistance if it is to become aself-supporting and self-respecting democracy. The United States must supply thisassistance. We have already extended to Greece certain types of relief and economic aid.
目を向ける

But these are inadequate. There is no other country to which democratic Greece can turn .
No other nation is willing and able to provide the necessary support for a democratic Greek
government.
The British Government, which has been helping Greece, can give no further financial or
economic aid after March 31st. Great Britain finds itself under the necessity of reducing or
清算する

liquidating its commitments in several parts of the world, including Greece.
We have considered how the United Nations might assist in this crisis. But the situation isan urgent one, requiring immediate action, and the United Nations and its relatedorganizations are not in a position to extend help of the kind that is required.
It is important to note that the Greek Government has asked for our aid in utilizing
effectively the financial and other assistance we may give to Greece, and in improving its
public administration. It is of the utmost importance that we supervise the use of any funds
made available to Greece in such a manner that each dollar spent will count toward making
Greece self-supporting, and will help to build an economy in which a healthy democracy
栄えるcan flourish.
No government is perfect. One of the chief virtues of a democracy, however, is that its

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欠陥defects are always visible and under democratic processes can be pointed out and corrected.
The Government of Greece is not perfect. Nevertheless it represents eighty-five percent of
国会the members of the Greek Parliament who were chosen in an election last year. Foreignobservers, including 692 Americans, considered this election to be a fair expression of theviews of the Greek people.
過激主義

The Greek Government has been operating in an atmosphere of chaos and extremism . It
has made mistakes. The extension of aid by this country does not mean that the United
大目に見るStates condone s everything that the Greek Government has done or will do. We have
咎める

condemned in the past, and we condemn now, extremist measures of the right or the left.
寛容

We have in the past advised tolerance, and we advise tolerance now.
値する

Greek's [sic] neighbor, Turkey, also deserves our attention. The future of Turkey, as anindependent and economically sound state, is clearly no less important to thefreedom-loving peoples of the world than the future of Greece. The circumstances in whichTurkey finds itself today are considerably different from those of Greece. Turkey has been取り巻く

spared the disasters that have beset Greece. And during the war, the United States andGreat Britain furnished Turkey with material aid.
Nevertheless, Turkey now needs our support. Since the war, Turkey has sought additional
financial assistance from Great Britain and the United States for the purpose of effecting
統合that modernization necessary for the maintenance of its national integrity. That integrity isessential to the preservation of order in the Middle East. The British government has～ためにinformed us that, owing

to its own difficulties, it can no longer extend financial or

economic aid to Turkey. As in the case of Greece, if Turkey is to have the assistance it needs,
the United States must supply it. We are the only country able to provide that help.
関連する物事I am fully aware of the broad implications involved if the United States extends assistanceto Greece and Turkey, and I shall discuss these implications with you at this time. One ofthe primary objectives of the foreign policy of the United States is the creation of conditions
抑圧in which we and other nations will be able to work out a way of life free from coercion. This
was a fundamental issue in the war with Germany and Japan. Our victory was won overcountries which sought to impose their will, and their way of life, upon other nations.
To ensure the peaceful development of nations, free from coercion, the United States hastaken a leading part in establishing the United Nations. The United Nations is designed tomake possible lasting freedom and independence for all its members. We shall not realize

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"The Truman Doctrine"
our objectives, however, unless we are willing to help free peoples to maintain their freeinstitutions and their national integrity against aggressive movements that seek to impose
全体主義的な体制

upon them totalitarian regimes. This is no more than a frank recognition that totalitarian
損なう

regimes imposed upon free peoples, by direct or indirect aggression, undermine

thefoundations of international peace, and hence the security of the United States.
The peoples of a number of countries of the world have recently had totalitarian regimes
forced upon them against their will. The Government of the United States has made威嚇

frequent protests against coercion and intimidation in violation of the Yalta agreement in
Poland, Rumania, and Bulgaria. I must also state that in a number of other countries there
事態の進展

have been similar developments.
At the present moment in world history nearly every nation must choose between
alternative ways of life. The choice is too often not a free one. One way of life is based upon
特徴付ける

代表政府

the will of the majority, and is distinguishedby free institutions, representative

government, free elections, [and] guarantees of individual liberty, freedom of speech andreligion, and freedom from political oppression. The second way of life is based upon thewill of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority. It relies upon terror and oppression,抑圧

a controlled press and radio, fixed elections, and the suppression of personal freedoms.
I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are
征服

resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.
I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.
I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which isessential to economic stability and orderly political processes.
現状The world is not static, and the status quo is not sacred. But we cannot allow changes in
国連憲章

the status quo in violation of the Charter of the United Nations by such methods as口実

浸透coercion, or by such subterfuges as political infiltration. In helping free and independent
nations to maintain their freedom, the United States will be giving effect to the principles of
the Charter of the United Nations.
It is necessary only to glance at a map to realize that the survival and integrity of the Greek
nation are of grave importance in a much wider situation. If Greece should fall under theIV"The Truman Doctrine"
control of an armed minority, the effect upon its neighbor, Turkey, would be immediate and無秩序

serious. Confusion and disorder might well spread throughout the entire Middle East.
消失

深甚なMoreover, the disappearance of Greece as an independent state would have a profoundeffect upon those countries in Europe whose peoples are struggling against great difficulties
to maintain their freedoms and their independence while they repair the damages of war.
It would be an unspeakable tragedy if these countries, which have struggled so long against
不均等

overwhelming odds, should lose that victory for which they sacrificed so much. Collapse of
free institutions and loss of independence would be disastrous not only for them but for the挫折

運命world. Discouragement and possibly failure would quickly be the lot of neighboring
peoples striving to maintain their freedom and independence.
Should we fail to aid Greece and Turkey in this fateful hour, the effect will be far reaching tothe West as well as to the East.
断固としたWe must take immediate and resolute action. I therefore ask the Congress to provide
authority for assistance to Greece and Turkey in the amount of $400,000,000 for theperiod ending June 30, 1948. In requesting these funds, I have taken into consideration themaximum amount of relief assistance which would be furnished to Greece out of the$350,000,000 which I recently requested that the Congress authorize for the prevention of
荒廃した

starvation and suffering in countries devastated by the war.
In addition to funds, I ask the Congress to authorize the detail of American civilian and人員

military personnel to Greece and Turkey, at the request of those countries, to assist in thetasks of reconstruction, and for the purpose of supervising the use of such financial and当局

material assistance as may be furnished. I recommend that authority also be provided forthe instruction and training of selected Greek and Turkish personnel. Finally, I ask that theCongress provide authority which will permit the speediest and most effective use, in termsof needed commodities, supplies, and equipment, of such funds as may be authorized. Iffurther funds, or further authority, should be needed for the purposes indicated in thismessage, I shall not hesitate to bring the situation before the Congress. On this subject theExecutive and Legislative branches of the Government must work together.
乗り出したThis is a serious course upon which we embark. I would not recommend it except that thealternative is much more serious. The United States contributed $341,000,000,000 towardwinning World War II. This is an investment in world freedom and world peace. TheV"The Truman Doctrine"
assistance that I am recommending for Greece and Turkey amounts to little more than one
一パーセントの十分の一tentho f

one percent of this investment. It is only common sense that we shouldsafeguard this investment and make sure that it was not in vain. The seeds of totalitarian
育むregimes are nurtured by misery and want. They spread and grow in the evil soil of poverty
and strife. They reach their full growth when the hope of a people for a better life has died.
We must keep that hope alive.
The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining their freedoms. If weひるむ

falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world. And we shall surely
endanger the welfare of this nation.
Great responsibilities have been placed upon us by the swift movement of events.
I am confident that the Congress will face these responsibilities squarely.

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