Evening star., 1939-06-12
Roosevelt Speech to Cadets
Declares Kings Visit Is Recognition
Of Good Will Between Nations
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
WEST POINT, N. Y, June 12.-
The text of President Roosevelt s
address today at graduation ex-
erciSes of the United States Military
Academy.
Mr.. superintendent, fellow officers
I take pleasure in greeting you as
colleagues in the service of the
United States. You will find, as ]
have, that that service never ends
IN the sense that it engages the best
OF your ability and the best of your
imagination in the endless adventure
OF keeping the United States safe
strong and at peace.
You will find that the technique
you acquired can be used in MANY
ways, for the Army of the United
States has record of achievement
IN peace as we'll as in war. 1t is a
httle-appreciated fact that its con-
structive activities have saved more
lives through its peace time work
ana have created more wealth and
Well-being through it's technical op-
erations than it has destroyed during
Its wars, hard-fought and victorious
though they have been.
With us the Army does not stand
for aggression, domination, or fear
1t has become a corps d'elite of
highly trained men whose talent
Is great technical skill, whose train
Ing is highly cooperative, and whose
capacity is used to defend the coun-
try with force when affairs REQUIRE
that force be used.
New Problems Arise.
But 1t has also been made avail
aole TO organize, to assist and to
construct, when battles have to be
Waged against the more impersonal
Toes OF disaster, disease or distress
This is sound Army work; for the
military strength of a country car
be no greater than its internal eco
nomlc and moral solidarity, and the
task OF national defense must con-
Germ itself with civilian problems
at home, quite as much as with
armed forces in the field.
The alteration of economic life
IN the past generation has almost
completely changed the task which
you assume today. Your prede-
ceSSorS, commissioned second lieu.
tenants as short a time back as 1C
years ago, would find many of your
problems unfamiliar.
Technical developments have
transformed methods of warfare
They have required revision of table:
OF organization of armies as avia-
ton, motorization and mechaniZa-
ton became the military neceSsitie.
OF the day. The individual fghtine
plane OF yesterday has been sup.
plated by the cohesive squadron
the motor vehicle rumbles where
once trod the weary feet of march.
ing men; the infantry tank anc
cavalry combat car clatter Wher,
formerly the dismounted soldier en-.
gagged in personal combat.
Establishments MOdernized.
The machine age has laid its iror
grip upon the worlds armies, ane
technical developments have de.
manded the modernization of ou
military establishments, program
which has been prosecuted vigorous
| ly during the past six years. Dur
ing recent months internationa
political considerations have re
quired still greater emphasis upor
the vitalization of our defense, TO
we have had dramatic illustration
of the fate of undefended nations
We seek peace by honorable ant
pacific conduct of our internationa
relations, but that desire for peac
| must never be mistaken for weak
ness.
Yet experts tell us that though
technical change has TRANSFORMED
modern warfare, the coming of tn
machine does not mean that we shal
ever have a robot war from whicl
the primary human elements, cour
age, heroism, intelligence and moral
will have departed. So far from
submerging men, the modern de
velopments emphasize their respon
sibilitieS.
Recent conflicts in Europe, tn
Far East and Africa bear witness t.
the fact that the individual soldie
remains the controlling factor. TIL
tactics Of the future intensity, rathe
than diminish, the necessity for higl
qualities of individual Leadership
The object of developing aviation
motorization, and mechanization
to attain the highest possible degre
of mobility.
For us, this is essential; the vas
eXpanse of territory of a nation q
large as the United States render
economically impracticable tn
maintenance of fixed defensive in
stallations at all vital strategic cen
ters, even were these desirable as
matter of policy. Yet this create
mobility in turn means that unit!
whether platoon, regiment, or divi
sion, may be widely dispersed-th
units being broken down to tn
point where the individual is ION hi
own
Day of Leader Still Young.
During campaigns units are in
creasingly scattered; IN actual bat
| tie, they may be widely apart. Th