The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1939-09-07

Radio Talk

Radio Talk
Washington, Sept. 4EHere is the
text of President Roosevelt's radio
address:
Tonight my single duty is to
speak to the whole America.
Until 4:30 this morning had
hoped against hope that some mir
acle would prevent a devastating
war in Europe and bring to an end
the invasion Of Poland by Germany.
For four long years a succession
of actual wars and constant crisis
have shaken the entire world and
have threatened in each case to
bring on the gigantic conflict which
is today unhappily fact.
It is right that should recall to
your minds the consistent and at
times successful efforts of your gov
eminent in these crises to throw
the full weight of the United States
into the cause of peace. In spite
of spreading wars I think that we
have every right and every reason
to maintain as a national policy
the fundamental moralities, the
teachings of religion and the con-
tinuation of efforts to restore peace
for some day, though the time
may be distant, we can be of even
greater help to a crippled human
ity.
1t is right, too, to point out that
the unfortunate events of these rec
ent years have been based on the
use of force or the threat of force.
And it seems to me clear, even at
the outbreak of this great war,
that the influence of America
should be consistent in seeking for
humanity final peace which will
eliminate, as far as it is possible
to do SO, the continued use of force
between nations.
1t is, of course, impossible to pre-
dict the future. have my constant
stream of information from Amer
lean representatives and other
sources throughout the world. You,
the people of this country, are re-
ceiving news through your radios
and your newspapers at every hour
of the day.
You are, believe, the most en-
lightened and the best informed
people in all the world at this NOM
ent. You are subjected to no CEN
sorship of news, and I want to add
that your government has no in
formation which it has any thought
of withholding from you.
At the same time, as told my
press conference on Friday, it is
of the highest Importance that the
press and the radio use the utmost
caution to discriminate between
actual verified fact on the one
hand, and mere rumor on the other.
I can add to that by saying that
I hope the people of this country
will also discriminate most care
fully between news and rumor. Do
not believe of necessity everything
you hear or read. Check up on
it first.
You must master at the outset
simple but unalterable fact in
modern foreign relations. When
peace has been broken anywhere,
peace of all countries everywhere is
in danger.
1t is easy for you and me to
shrug our shoulders and say that
conflicts taking place thousands of
miles from the continental United
States, and, indeed, the whole
American hemisphere, do not SER
iously affect the Americas-and
that all the United States has to
do is to ignore them and go about
our own business. Passionately
though we may desire detachment,
we are forced to realize that every
word that comes through the air,
every ship that sails the sea, every
battle that is fought does affect
the American future.
Let no man or woman thought
lessly or falsely talk of America
sending it's armies to European
fields. At this moment there is
being prepared a proclamation of
American neutrality. This would
have been done even If there had
been no neutrality statute on the
books, for this proclamation is in
accordance with international law
and with American policy.
This will be followed by a pro-
clamation required by the existing
neutrality act. I trust that in the
days to come our neutrality can be
made a true neutrality.
1t is of the utmost Importance
that the people of this country,
with the best information in the
world, think things through. The
most dangerous enemies of Ameri-
can peace are those who, without
well-rounded information on the
whole broad subject Of the past,
the present and the future, under
take to speak with authority, to
talk in terms of glittering general
ties, to give to the nation assur-
ances or prophecies which are of
little present or future value.
myself cannot and do not prop
hesy the course of events abroad
and the reason is that because /
have of necessity such a complete
picture of what is going on in
every part of the world, do not
desire to do so. And the other
reason is that I think 1t Is honest