Evening star., 1940-12-30
~ the Associated Press.


Editorial comment on President
Roosevelt's broadcast follows:
New York Herald Tribune. Re-
publican: "The Presidents address
- was one of the greatest ef-
forts of his career, superb in
Its directness, its realism, its cour-
age and its purpose. .
Here Is q high call to action,
and this newspaper Is convinced
that II the President can imple-
ment leadership Of this quality with
the practical steps necessary to
translate 1t into action. he will
find the people OF the United States
unanimous in support of every step
he may take to fulfill these great
ends"
New York Times, independent
Democrat: by bluntly announcing
that he regards the anti-aggression
pact signed by Germany, italy and
Japan as directed specifically
against the United States, the
President has put all three coun-
tries on notice that he regards
them as potential If not actual enc
mics. Such a notice will be futile
unless 1t is supported by unmistak-
able acceleration of our defense
program, This has now become the
Nations central task
Richmond (va) Times-Dispatch,
Observation-Disclosures: Never un-
til last night has responsible Of
flcial of our Government defined the
issues of this war so unmistakably,
and spoken out so categorically in
denunciation OF the totalitsrians.
And Mr.. Roosevelt did so without
saying anything or recommending
anything which the axis can point
to as a belligerent act some
will wish, perhaps, that Mr.. Roose-
welt had drawn attention to the
specific methods by which the
United States can greatly increase
its aid to Britain presumably
that will come in his message to
Congress this week"
The Raleigh IN. CO News and
Observer:
THE speech of the President con-
tanned no new policy for this Nation.
But it was ringing statement of
policies to which the overwhelm-
ing majority of the American people
are already committed. and 1t con-
tanned assurance for the world that
those policies will be pursued Wig
orously. The response of the people
will be the unity of action and
unity of purpose for which the
President appealed"
Philadelphia Inquirer, Indepen-
dent:
President Roosevelt's fireside chat
was ''' rousing summons TO
industry, to labor and to all of us
TO work. sacrifice and help to pro-
duce as quickly as possible the
planes. ships. guns and other equip
ment imperatively needed to pro-
tect our own shores and to aid
the beleaguered British. s.s If we
are to make ourselves the great
arsenal of democracy, we must take
care, first. that the arsenal doesn't
get us into actual war and, second.
that We don't strip our own country
OF needed defense equipment. We
should go all-out in help for Eng
land. But don't let US forget that
we must prepare, at the same time,
to protect our homeland against
any threat in the Pacific or else
where.
Baltimore Sun, independent Demo-
cratic: Mr.. Roosevelt did right in
using all his remarkable powers of
persuasion to win the people of the
country over to support of the policy
which he must adopt ." Rational
people throughout the country will
indorse every indication which Mr..
Roosevelt gave last night of the
course he believes the country should
follow. They will await impatiently