Evening star., 1934-10-20
Text of Roosevelt's Speeches
"A. P. Photo.

BY the Associated Press.
ROANOKE, Va, october 20.-The
text of President Roosevelt's address
at the dedication of the new veterans
hospital near here yesterday follows:
In coming to Roanoke to take part
in the dedication of the latest addition
to our chain of veterans hospitals,
do not seek to enumerate or to cata-
logue the many steps which have been
taken by your Federal Government 70
care for its veterans of many wars.
Most of you in this great audience
are from this neighborhood, and IN
the years to come the men who Will
occupy this hospital will be your
friends and your neighbors. COM
mend them to your care.
You see before you today a monu-
ment which is representative OF the
national policy that the Government
Is seeking to give aid not only to vet
Grams, but also to hundreds OF thou
sands of other citizens-men, women
and children, who, handicapped by en-
vironment or circumstances, lack to-
essentials of modern civilization.
For many years we have seen a
constantly growing realization OF the
fact that any large or small group
which lacks the elementary necessi-
ties of proper food, Of decent hous-
ing, Of adequate medical attention, OF
essential education, drags down the
level Of the country as whole ano
retards its progress.
Forgotten People Helped.
In one sense these men and women
and children are not forgotten people
for the very good reason that We have
known of their existence and appre.
ciated their plight for many years
In another sense, however, they have
been forgotten, for it is only in recent
years that Government has under
taken to help them on q nationa
scale.
The further we 60 in our survey
to find out who these people are anc
where they live, the more appalled,
am by the magnitude Of our task
Most Of US know in general terms ol
the slum conditions which exist ir
many of our cities. Most of us know
from hearsay, at least, Of people wh(
have lived for generations in bacl
eddies remote from the active stream
of life. But We have failed to realize
the existence OF the under privileged
who are present and largely forgot.
ten in practically every one of thu
mere than 5000 counties Of the Al
States of the Union.
The improvement of their hard lo
Is a definite obligation on all of oul
citizens and I am confident that tn,
veterans of our American wars viii
be among the first to recognize thi.
| fact.
Immediate Help.
The improvement of their hard 10
compels our immediate exertions, no
only because Of the individual human
beings who suffer today, but, ever
| more important to the future OF
America, because future generation
Of American citizens win become tn,
descendants of those who are now IL
need. In this thought also the vet
Grams of our wars will 60 along.
Let it be well remembered that th'
hundreds of thousands of men ant
| women and children to whom hav'
referred, scattered throughout ou
Nation, have no splendid hospitals TO
their care, have no medical attention
such as We will provide here. have N
good food and decent rairnent such a
will be provided in this veterans home
have no opportunities for adequat
education, and can but suffer the i'll
Of their lives according to their owl
individual circumstances.
You have heard it said that we mus
restore prosperity. You have hear
some kind people say that the coun
try Is distinctly better of from a ma
| terial point of view than it was las
| year. I am inclined. to agree witt
them. Other people, who fail to thin
things through, forget that one caus
Of the depression which we are be
| ginning to leave behind, was the yer
existence Of hundreds of thousand