Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-31
Baltimore Speech Assaiing Theory Of Indispensab|ity

about some recent employment
in armament work.
Will you keep an administra-
ton whose only cure for unem-
ployment is the manufacture of
armament, which its candidate
himself has called a house of
cards?
Away with them. Away with
them.
I want to talk to you tonight
about the protection Of America
protection in a violent and
war-tOrn world.
The duty of the President Is
to protect the interests of the
United States. These interests
come first. All of my policies
will start with this question:
What is best for the United
States?
In protecting America, the
maintenance of peace in the
Western Hemisphere will be my
objective. The President must
be dedicated to the objective of
peace in our part of the world.
Aid to Britain to the limits OF
prudence for our own safety Is
essential to that objective.
The Peace Plank Pledge
And q Previous Pledge.
I have given you my pledge
many times over: I will work for
peace. We are against sending
our boys into any war other than
the defense of our own country.
The third-term candidate has
also pledged himself to peace.
Some nights ago he said-and I
quote-"I repeat again that I
stand on the platform of our
party: That we 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 attack"
That is his pledge.
And now, let me read you
something more he said. I quote:
II reafflrmed my attitude on this
question. The thing has been
said, therefore, in plain English
three times in my speeches. 1t Is
stated without qualification in
the platform and I have an
nounced my unqualified accept
ance of that platform.
80 much for that misrepre-
sentation."
That's what he said.
This second paragraph I just
quoted from the third-term can
didate is a strong pledge. 1t is
just as strong as the first pledge.
They both pledge him to Demo-
cratic platform planks.. But the
second one was not made about
peace. 1t was made in 1882
about sound money.
And in April, 1888, five months
after the third-term candidate
had pledged himself to sound
money with those strong words,
he abandoned sound money, de-
valued the dollar. And he still
retains in his own hands power
to devalue it further.
I ask you whether his pledge
for peace is going to last any
longer than his pledge for sound
money?
On the basis OF his past per-
Torrance with pledges to the
people, why shouldn't we expect
to be at war by April, 1941, if he
is elected?
That is the first requirement
for the protection of America
pledge to work for peace and
good faith In that pledge-and
another requirement has to do
with our relationship with other
nations. This Is the field. of
diplomacy.
A nation cannot have an effec-
tive diplomacy unless it Is a
strong and effective nation. But
however strong we are, our diplo-
macy should be circumspect, wise
and consistent. During the last
eight years, the third-term can
didate has made reckless fights
into the field of diplomacy.
These flights were made entirely
on his own initiative And they
have contributed to the confu-
sion of the world.
Statements of the third term
candidate made in 1889 led Brit
ish observers to publish opinions
that the United States would
participate in European war.
These statements of the third
term candidate were probably
made with good motives. But
they had that misleading effect.
Startled the World With
Stab in Back" Phrase.
The interests of the United
States would have been better
served if the third term candi-
date had been outspokenly for
peace and non-participation at
that time-instead of waiting to
pledge it in an election.
Even as late as June 10, 1910,
he startled the world. He de-
clared of Italy that the hand
that held the dagger "has struck
it into the back of its neighbor"
In the capitals of Europe this
bit of oratory was not taken as
move to keep the United States
at peace
On October 5, 1887, the third
term candidate called for the
quarantine of aggressors. But his
policy with regard to aggressors
has really tended to strengthen
rather than to quarantine them.
For instance We have CON-