Evening star., 1931-06-16


They demand that we produce II right
now. presume the plan" idea Il an
infection from the slogan Of the
"5-year-plan" through which Russia 10
struggling to redeem herself from the
10 years Of starvation and misery.
am able TO propose an American plan
TO you. We plan to take care Of 100000
900 increase in population In the next
30 years. We plan to build for them
1000, 900 new and better homes, thou
sands Of new and still more beautiful
city buildings, Thousands Of factories; TO
increase the capacity of our railways:
to add thousands of miles Of highways
and waterways; to install $4,000 900
electrical horsepower; to grow 20 per
cent more farm products.
We plan to provide new parks, schools,
colleges and churches for this 10000 900
people. We plan more leisure for men
and women and better opportunities for
its enjoyment. We not only plan to
provide for all the new generation, bun
we shall, by scientific research and In
vention, lift the standard Of living and
security of life to the whole people.
We plan TO secure greater diffusion
Of wealth, a decrease in poverty and a
great reduction in crime. And this plan
will be carried out II We just keep on
giving the American people chance.
Its impulsive force Is In the character
and spirit of our people. They have
already done better job for 120, 900, 900
people than any other nation in all
history.
Some groups believe this plan can
only be carried out by fundamental, a
revolutionary change Of method. Other
groups believe that any system must be
the outgrowth OF the character OF our
race, natural outgrowth Of our tradi-
tons; that we have established certain
ideals over $50 years upon which we
must build rather than destroy.
II we, analyZe the ideas which have
been put forward for handling our
great national plan, they fall into two
groups. The first is whether we shall
go on with our American system which
holds that the major purpose Of
State Is to protect the people and TO
give them equality Of opportunity, that
the basis Of all happiness Is in devel-
opment of the individual, that the sum
OF progress can only be gauged by the
progress Of the individual, that we
should steadily build up cooperation
among the people themselves to these
ends. The other idea Is that we shall
directly or indirectly regiment the pop
ulation into bureaucracy to serve the
of cooperation In plans and thereby
direct every man as to what he may
or may not do.
These ideas present themselves In
practical questions which we have TO
meet. Shall We abandon the philosophy
and creed OF our people for $50 years
by turning to q creed foreign to our
people? Shall we establish a dole from
the Federal Treasury Shall We under
take Federal ownership and operation
Of public utilities instead Of the rigor-
Gus regulation Of them to prevent i'm
position? Shall we protect our people
from the lower standards of living Of
Foreign countries? Shall the Govern
ment, except in temporary national
emergencies. enter upon business proc
esses in competition with It's citizens?
Shall we regiment our people by an
extension of the arm of bureaucracy
into multitude of affairs? 1.
The future welfare Of our country,
so dear to you and to me for ourselves
and our children, depends upon the
answer given.
Policies Outlined.
Our immediate and paramount task
as q people Is to rout the forces Of
economic disruption and pesSimiSm
that have swept upon us. The exact
ing duty Of Government in these times
Is by use of its agencies and its infiu-
ence to strengthen our economic inSti-
tutions; by inspiring cooperation in
the community to sustain good will
and TO keep our country free Of dis
order and conflict; by cooperation
with the people to assure that the de-
serving shall not suffer; and by the
conduct of Government to strengthen
the foundations Of better and strong
er national life. These have been the
detectives of my administration. in deal
ing with this. the greatest crisis the
world has ever known. shall adhere
to them.
II, as many believe, We have passed
the worst of this storm, future months
will not be dificult. If we shall be
called upon to endure more of this
period, we must grid ourselves to stead
fast effort, to fail at no point where
humanity calls or American ideals are
in jeopardy.
Our transcendent momentary need Is
q much larger degree Of confidence
among our business agencies and that
more than words. If our people viii
go forth with the confidence and enter
prise which our country justifes. many
Of the mistS of this depression will fade
away.
In conclusion, whatever the immedi-
ate difficulties may be. we know they
are transitory in our lives and in the
life of the Nation. We should have full
faith and confidence in those mighty
resources. those intellectual and spirit
ual forces, which have impelled this
Nation to a success never before known
in the history Of the world. Far from
being impaired, these forces were never
stronger than at this moment. Under
the guidance Of Divine Providence they
will return to us greater and more
wholesome prosperity than we have
ever known.