Evening star., 1933-03-05
RoosEvELTs in
- augural address follows in
full:

DREs1DENT RoosEvELTs in
- augural address follows in
full:
am certain that my fel-
low Americans expect that On
my induction into the presidency I
will address them with q candor and
a decision which the present situa-
tion of our Nation impels. This Is
pre-eminently the time to speak the
truth, the whole truth, frankly and
boldly. Nor need we shirk from
honestly facing conditions In our
country today. This great Nation
will endure as 1t has endured, viii
revive and will prosper.
So, first Of all, let me assert my
firm belief that the only thing We
have to fear IS fear itself, name
less. unreasoning, unjustified terror
which paralyzes needed efforts to
convert retreat into advance. In
every dark hour of our national life
the leadership Of frankness and
vigor has met with that understand
ing and support Of the people them
selves which II essential to victory.
am convinced that you will again
give that support to leadership In
these critical days.
In such Z spirit on my part and
on yours We face our common DIM
culties. They concern, thank God,
only material things. Values have
shrunken to fantastic levels: taxes
have risen; our ability to pay has
fallen; government Of all kinds =
faced by serious curtailment Of in.
come; the means of exchange are
frozen in the currents Of trade; the
withered leaves Of industrial enter
prise lie on every side; farmers find
no markets for their produce; the
savings Of many years in thousands
Of families are gone.
More important, q host of unem-
ployed citizens face the grim prob
lem of existence, and an equally
great number toll with little return.
Only . foolish optimist can deny
the dark realities Of the moment.
Yet our distress comes from no
failure Of substance. We are stricken
by no plague Of locusts. Compared
with the perils which our fore
fathers conquered because they be-
neved and were not afraid, We have
still much to be thankful for. Nature
still offers her bounty and human
efforts have multiplied 1t. Plenty
Is at our doorstep, but . generous
use Of It languishes in the very sight
Of the supply. Primarily, this is be-
cause the rulers Of the exchange Of
mankinds goods have failed through
theiy own stubbornness and their
own incompetence. have admitted
their failure and abdicated. Pfac-
tices of the unscrupulous money
changers stand indicted in the court
Of public opinion, rejected BY the
hearts and minds Of men.
True, they have tried. but their
efforts have been cast in the pattern
Of an outworn tradition. Faced by
failure Of credit they have proposed
only the lending Of more money.
Stripped of the lure Of profit by
which to induce our people to follow
their false leadership they have re-
sorted to exhortations, pleading tear
fully for restored confidence. They
know only the rules Of . generation
of self-seekers. They have no vision,
and when there Is no vision the peo-
pie perish.
The money changers have fled
from their high seats in the tenn
ple Of our civilization. We may
now restore that temple TO the an
cient truths. Tho measure Of the
restoration lies In the extent to
which we apply social values more
noble than mere monetary profit.
Happiness lies not In the mere
possession Of money: 1t lies in the
iov of achievement, In the thrill OF
creative effort. The Joy and moral
stimulation Of work no longer
must be forgotten in the mad chase
of evanescent profits. These dark
days will be worth all they cost US
If they teach us that OUT true des-
tiny is not to be ministered unto
but to minister to ourselves and TO
our fellowmen.
Recognition Of the falsity OF mate
rial wealth as tho standard OF sue
cess goes hand in hand with the
abandonment Of the false belief
that public office and high political
position are to be valued only by
the standards Of pride Of place and
personal profit; and there must be
an end to a conduct in banking and
In business which too often has given
to q sacred trust the likeness OF
callous and selfish wrongdoing.
Small wonder that confidence Ian
puishes, for it thrives only on hon.
esty, on honor, on the sacredness
of obligations, on faithful protec-
ton. on unselfsh performance:
Without them It cannot live.
Restoration calls, however. not for
changes in ethics alone. This Nation
asks for action, and action now.
Our greatest primary task IS to
put people to work. This is no un-
solvable problem If we face 1t wisely
and courageously. 1t can be &C
.z,~oY1ehad ", mart nv direct recruit