Evening star., 1940-11-02


attainment of these objectives.
For only then can the Nation
appreciate the magnitude of the
problems involved and vigOr-
ously support the steps necessary
for it's protection.
The peoples of other peaceful
countries failed to recognize soon
enough and fully enough the
dangers which confronted them.
Many of them are now under
the subsection and barbarous rule
of conquering nations which had
long prepared. Each step in con-
quest has been the destruction
of a nation. Each step has been
used to prepare the next-the
subjected people, the area gained,
the resources seized have imme-
diately been used to support
further advances.
These invaders are equipped
with powerful ornaments. They
bring into play every weapon of
deceit, corruption, subversion and
assault. They are restrained by
no consideration of generally
recognized law or principles of
morality. They have fixed no
limits for their program of con-
quest. They are desperately
struggling to seize control of the
oceans as an essential means of
achieving and maintaining their
conquest of the other continents.
Should they succeed in this, can
anyone believe that they would
be content to leave us and the
other nations of this hemisphere
at peace-unless we, too, should
become subservient to their will?
American Countries Offer
Even a Richer Prize.
This country and the other
American countries are in no way
different in the eyes of the would
be conquerors from those which
they have already overrun and
are daily overrunning - except
that we would offer, were they
to conquer us, richer prize.
Already they have conquered
countries which have colonial
possessions in this hemisphere.
Should they attempt to exercise
jurisdiction or control over these
possessions, or any of them, the
menace to the United States
and to every American country
would be only too obvious.
The most peaceful nations can
not hope for security unless they
have in their hands means of
adequate defense. The creation
of such defense is our country's
first and foremost task today.
Adequate defense requires a
sufficiency of weapons and a
suff1ciency of men trained to
WELD the weapons. Adequate de-
fense calls for willing acceptance
by our people of whatever sacri-
fees of time, effort and substance
may be needed to make certain
that our Nation, our institutions
and our freedom will be pre-
served. Adequate defense re-
quires that we as people dis
sipate every shred of COM
placency--that most fatal of
weaknesses-and face our diff
cult tasks with complete deter
mination, with iron will, with
undivided loyalty.
I am firmly convinced that an
overwhelming majority of our
people are determined that our
national life and our foreign
policy shall be ordered in accord
ance with these basic and es-
sential considerations of ade-
quate defense.
U. S. Must Have a Government
With the Asset of Experience.
For that determination to
be translated into realities of
national safety and well-being,
this country must have a Gov
ernment which clearly recognizes
the dangers and difficulties
which confront us; which dares
to tell the country that they
exist and what they are; which
makes adequate provision to
meet them; which is steadfast
in purpose and persistent in
action; which has the invaluable
asset of experience.
Under the leadership of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, this country has
such a government. Its record is
an open book. There are no
secret commitments and no en-
tanglementS in the quarrels of
foreign countries.
In recent weeks, this record of
service has been subjected to all
sorts Of petty attacks by those
who are asking the Nation to
switch to them for leadership.
The attacks have not been di-
rected against the basic princi-
Piles and objectives of our for
eign policy. They could not be
for the reason that the vast ma
jority of our people support the
policies which this administra-
ton has followed with regard to
developments abroad and ma
tional defense at home. Unable
to find any real and fundamental
issues in this field, the opposition
has concentrated on trivial and
captious objections to some of
the ways in which the principles
have been carried into effect,
and particularly on lmpunglng
the good faith and sincerity of
the President.
In the absence of even shred
of tenable arguments, resort is
being made more and more, day
and night, to unsound, contra
dictory and inconsistent state
ments, plainly designed to create
fear, prejudice and suspicion, and
to produce general confusion. In
pursuing these tactics, the po-
ltical orators of the opposition
are more and more contradict