Evening star., 1940-10-24
Roosevelt Text
Free-Swin9ing
Fjoht Indicated
Continued From Page B-12)

affect any single group more than
any other, that group would be the
young men and women OF America.
1t may be hard for some OF you
younger people to remember the
dismal kind of world which the
youth of America faced in 1882.
The tragedy of those days has
passed. There is today in the youth
of the Nation a new spirit, new
energy, new conviction that a
sounder and more stable economy
is being built for them.
In 1910 this generation of Ameri-
can youth can truly feel that they
have a real stake in their country
Through the Civilian Conserva-
ton Corps and the National Youth
Administration. millions of youth
have benefited by training, and by
education, and by jobs.
We propose in the interests of
Justice and in the interests OF ma
tional defense to broaden the work
and extend the benefits of both these
agencies. For they are part Of the
lines of defense behind the first
lines-training men and women for
essential defense industries and for
other industries; educating them to
self lf-reliance-to moral resistance
against that way Of life which
ignores the individual.
The one thing which must be eX-
tended if We would help the young
men and women of the Nation is to
give them the opportunity to work.
We have recognized that to the
right to vote, to learn, to speak. to
worship, we. your Government, add
the right to work.
We have that definite goal toward
which we are aiming. We believe
that if boys or girls on reaching en-
ployment age have been unable to
get a job in private industry. the
Government owes them the duty of
furnishing them with the necessary
training to equip them for employ
ment. We are determined during the
next four years to make our objec-
tive-work for every young man and
woman in America-a living fact.
Tonight there is one more false
charge - one outrageously false
charge-rnade to strike terror into
the hearts of our citizens. 1t is a
charge that offends every political
and religious conviction that I hold
dear. 1t is the charge that this ad-
ministration wishes to lead this
country into war.
Every Act and Every Thought
Directed Toward Peace.
This charge is contrary to every
fact, every purpose of the past eight
years. Throughout these years my
every act and every thought has
been directed to the end of preserv-
Ing the peace of the world, and more
particularly the peace of the United
States-the peace of the Western
Hemisphere.
AS I saw the war coming I used
every ounce of the prestige OF the
Office of President of the United
States to prevent its onset.
When war came, I used every
ounce of the prestige of the Office to
prevent its spread to other nations.
When that effort failed. called
upon Congress and called upon
the Nation to build the strong de-
fenses that would be our best guar
antee of peace and security in this
hemisphere.
To Republicans and Democrats,
to every man, woman and child In
the Nation I say-your President
and your great Secretary of State
are following the road to peace.
We are arming ourselves not for
any foreign war.
We are arming ourselves not for
any purposes of conquest or inter-
vention in foreign disputes. repeat
again that I stand on the platform
of our party: I'VE will not partici-
pate in foreign wars and we will not
send our Army. naval or air forces
to fight in foreign lands outside OF
the Americas except in case of at
tack"
1t is for peace I have labored.
and it is for peace I shall labor all
the days of my life.