The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-24
Text OF President Roosevelts
Address In Philadelphia Hall

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Oct. 23.-
M-Following is the prepared tex
of President R~oosevelt's address
tonight in convention hall.
Last July I stated the plain Oh
vious fact to the national conven'
ton of my party. That the pres.
sure of national defense work ano
the conduct of foreign affairs would
not allow me to conduct any cam
paign in the accepted definition OF
that term.
Since July, hardly a day or night
has passed when some crisis, or
some possibility Of crisis In Worlo
affairs, has not called for my per
sonal conference with the secre-
tary of state or other officials OF
the government.
With every passing day has come
some urgent problem in connection
with our swift production for de-
tense, and our mastering OF the re-
sources of the nation.
Therefore, it is essential to ad-
here to the rule never to be more
than twelve hours distant f. o m
Washington. "
But last July l also said this to
the Chicago conventions: II shall
never be loath to call the atten-
ton of the nation to deliberate or
unwilling falsifications of f c t,
which are sometimes made by poll
teal candidates..
The time has come for me to do
just that.
This night and four other nights.
I am taking time to point out to
the American people what tn e
more fantastic misstatements of,
this campaign have been. l en-
phasize the words more fantas-
tic," because it would take three
hundred and sixty five nights to
discuss all of them.
All of these misstatements can
not possibly be what I called last
July, unwilling falsifications" of
fact.
The young people who are at
tending dinners in every state of
the union tonight know that they
r already a part of the whole
economic and social life of the
nation. I am particularly glad to
discuss with them and with you
these misstatements, and the facts
which refute them
Truth Essential
Truthful campaign discussion of
public issues is essential to the
American form of government;
but wilful Misrepresentation of fact
has no place during election time
or at any other time. For example
there a be no objection to any
party or any candidate urging that
the undeveloped water power of
this nation should be harnessed by
private. utility companies r a t h e r
than by the government itself; or
that the Social Security law should
be repealed, OF that the truth-in-
securities act should be abro-
gated.
But it is entirely a different
thing for any party or any candi-
date to state, for example that
he President of the United States
'elephoned to Mussolini and Hitler
% sell Czechoslovakia down the
river; Or that the unfortunate un-
employed of the nation are going
to be driven into concentration
camps; or that the social security
funds of the nation will not be in
existence when the workers of to-
day become old enough to apply
for them; or that the election of
the present government means the
end of American democracy within
four years. They know, that all
OF these, statements are false.
Certain techniques of propagan-
da, created and developed in dicta-
tor countries have been imported
Into this campaign. 1t is the very
simple technique Of repeating and
repeating falsehoods, with the idea
that by constant repetition and
with no contradiction, the misstate.