Evening star., 1939-03-04
Roosevelt Warns Dictotors
u. S. Will Not Remain Passive
About Religious Prosecutions
Tells Congress All
Peaceful Means
Will Be Used
(FuH tert OF Presidents speech
on page ABB
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt served notice
today that the United States would
not be passive and silent about the
persecution of religion in lands
where democracy had been snuffed
out.
Instead, he told Congress and a
host of representatives of foreign
powers, this Nation would seek "by
every peaceful means" to keep re-
ligious and personal freedom alive.
Addressing a joint session of the
Senate and House in commemora-
ton of the first session of Congress
$50 years ago. Mr.. Roosevelt de-
nounced the return to the world in
recent years "of forms of govern
ment which for 1000 years have
proved their tyranny and their in
stability"
Personal Rule Disfavored.
The United States, with many
other democracies. would never ap-
provingly watch this return to per
sonal rule" the President declared,
continuing:
Where democracy is snuffed out
there, too, the right to worship God
In ones own way is circumscribed or
abrogated Shall we by our passive
ness. by our silence. by assuming the
attitude of the Levite who pulled his
skirts together and passed by on the
other side, lend encouragement to
those who today persecute religion
or deny it?
"The answer to that is No just
as in the days of the First Congress
Of the United States it was No
Not for freedom of religion alone
does this Nation contend by every
peaceful means. We believe in the
other freedoms of the Bill of Rights,
the other freedoms that are in
herent in the right of free choice
by free men and women
Assemblage Hears Hughes.
Justices of the Supreme Court,
many high officials of the Govern
ment, diplomatic representatives of
foreign governments and members
of Congress listened to the speech
in the House chamber, while mil
lions more heard it by radio.
Before the President spoke, the
assamblage had heard Chief Justice
Hughes, Speaker Bankhead and
Senator Pittman of Nevada, Presi-
dent Pro Tempore of the Senate.
Miss Gladys Swarthout and John
Charles Thomas, Metropolitan Opera
stars, sang.
Returning to the Capital this
morning on the sixth anniversary
of his first inaugural, the President
was tanned and apparently rested
from a Caribbean cruise that en-
abled him to watch the United
States Fleet engage in mock attack
and defense off the Atlantic Coast.
In his speech he called on the
Government to "act as whole" for
the good of the country. And, with
another of his reminders that this
was not the horse and buggy age"
he said modern transportation and
communication left Ito no citizen an
excuse for sectionalism, for delay in
the execution of the public business
or for a failure to maintain a full
understanding of the acceleration Of
the processes of civilization"
Members of Congress who had cA-
pected him to refer directly to the
administrations current drive to re-
assure and encourage business were
disappointed.
Refers to Revolutionary War.
Without mentioning the difficulties
he has had with Congress recently,
the President recalled that there had
been constant friction between the
Continental Congress and the COM
mander in chief of the revolution
ary Armies and that inefficiency was
the rule during the long drawn out
war. There was grave doubt whether
independence would have been won
at all, he said, had not Great Britain
been confronted with other wars in
Europe.
Most of the speech was an exposi-
tion Of the rights and freedoms en-
ioyed under Democratic Govern
(See PRESIDENT, Page Abb