Evening star., 1939-09-10
President Cancels
Party Radio Address
To Bar Partisanship
Talk to Democratic
Women Was Scheduled
For Saturday
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt has cancelled
radio address scheduled for next
Saturday, Democratic Women's
Day" because, he said, the present
time demands that all Americans
put aside partisan consideration
in the interest of patriotism and
national unity.
Mrs. Thomas F. McAllister, di-
rector of the women's division of
the Democratic National Commit
tee, made public last night letter
from Mr. Roosevelt Withdrawing
his acceptance of an invitation to
make the address
"A week ago" the letter said. II
might consistently have spoken
words primarily addressed to our
Democratic women. But the events
of the past few days render it i'm
perative that every utterance of
mine in these days of tension be
addressed to all of our citizens. re-
gardless of sex, age or political
affiliation
1--WE must all stand together in a
firm resolve to bear witness before
all nations to our unshaken pa
triotism.
And we shall not succeed in this
Herculean task if we approach it
in any spirit Of partisanship,'
Text Of the Letter.
The text of the Presidents letter,
dated September 7, follows:
MY dear Mrs McAllister:
The swift movement of events
which has shattered the peace of
Europe and imposed grave respon-
sibility upon the United States as
a Nation has, of course, completely
altered the conditions under which
l accepted your kind invitation to
address the Democratic women OF
the country.
The ramifications of the impact
in Europe are worldwide and it
becomes our plain duty as Amer
leans to bend all of our efforts to
promote national unity.
A week ago, might consistently
have spoken words primarily ad-
dressed to our Democratic women.
But the events of the past few days
render it imperative that every ut
terance of mine in these days OF
tension be addressed to all of our
citizens. regardless of sex, age or
political afiliation. We must all
stand together in Arm resolve TO
bear witness before all nations TO
our unshaken patriotism.
We Must Guard Our Children.
And we shall not succeed in this
Herculean task if we approach it
in any spirit of partisanship. Be-
cause l feel this way, must cancel
my acceptance of your invitation
to speak over a nationwide hookup
on the evening of September l6.
Our plain duty now is to fulfill our
obligation to the Nation regardless
of political or partisan considera-
tionS.
One essential duty which lies
especially within the power and in
fluence of our American women IS
maintenance of the American
ilOillC VIC IluSIy III LllcoC SA4t+Iui
times, maintain our old loyalties
and the old ways of life upon which
all of our happiness rests. To do
this. we must exercise Vgilant
guardianship over our children. We
must protect them from every evil
force which would shake their faith
in our fundamental institutions of
democracy.
To do this. We must teach them,
even in their tender years. TO ais
criminate between truth and false
hood, whether we apply our Ameri-
can standards to news Of the con-
flict now raging in Europe or to
those concerns which are para
mount in the preservation Of Our
traditions of freedom.
Although our women. as home
makers, have a special task, the
present duty of all of us-mes,
women and children-is to keep
this Nation safe and to throw all
of our weight into the cause Of
peace.