Evening star., 1941-09-12
BY the Associated Press.

! RoOSeVelt'S speech last night follows:
New York Times independent
| Democrat)-We believe that the
| course which the President has
| chosen to follow will have the
support of a great majority of the
/ people of the United States For
/ we believe that this great majority,
now recognizing clearly that we
shall have no peace and no security,
no respite from alarms and no re-
turn to normal life until Nazi Ger
many is defeated, is prepared to
accept any necessary risk to accom-
plish that defeat.
New York Herald Tribune unde-
pendent Repubhcan)-There will be
- no doubt about the overwhelm-
ing relief, the new confidence, the
new purpose and unity with which
the people of the United States will
see the evasions thus cleared away,
the plain facts announced, the sit
uation crystallized as it actually
exists and their Nations policy
placed upon that firm foundation
which is the best-the only possible
answer to the horror and menace
into which Hitlerism has plunged
our world.
Syracuse IN. " Post Standard
(Republican>-A step of incalcula-
BILE aid to Britain was announced
last night by President Roosevelt.
It is stated in these few words in
his speech "* Our patrolllng
vessels and planes will protect all
merchant ships-not only American
ships but ships of any flag-engaged
in commerce in our defensive
waters" The lines can be in
terpreted in only one way. Presi-
dent Roosevelt said he had no illu-
sions about the gravity of this step
It is, in truth, one of the most
serious the Nation has ever taken
Douglas (Ariz) Daily Dispatch
CRepublican)-The American people
will support firmly and gladly the
policy President Roosevelt has
enunciated of protecting our ships,
even by shooting first as should
have been the rule. earlier. The great
majority of loyal Americans will say
Amen" to the policy the President
has enunciated. We are for it.
Idaho Daily Statesman CRepub-
lican)-The subtle phrases with
which Mr.. Roosevelt drove home
some points Immediately arouses
I speculation as to the full meaning.
/ Hitler. not we, should puzzle and
/ fret over the answers. We may stand
assured that the American Navy
knows them and will act accordingly
/ Our commander in chief has issued
! his forces a determined order. Our
| duty. as Americans, is to stand by
! the commander in chief.
Los Angeles Times CRepublican)-
Many. not all of them iSolatlonlSts,
will say the Presidents address
amounts to a declaration of war on
Germany and Italy, so far as 1t lies
within the Executive power to de-
clare war. 1t does not. 1t is dec
laration of intent to defend ''+ our
safety and our rights against a
proven and already undertaken pro-
gram of wanton assault upon both
*** A show of righteous force more
often than not tends to discourage
gangster bullets. ] y-s e.
Portland Oregonian independent
Republican-If Hitler's warcraft,
wherever they are found, are agents
of piracy, and if the British navy
must be supported in order to pre-
vent these pirates from ultimately
overpoWering us, then our defensive
zone properly extends to the ends
of the oceans. 1t remains for the
President to say whether he still
feels our defensive zone stops at a
pencil mark down from Iceland.
Cleveland Plain Dealer independ-
ent Democrat)-This rather halting
step falls short of what the
Nation had a right to expect. .
The menace to supplies going tC
DIlidIIl 10 llOU III lIIC ]liiiCAASoAl NAC
fensive zones but in the stretch
from Iceland to the British Isles
The President may still ask fol
repeal of the Neutrality Act when
the House of Representatives re-
convenes next Monday. 1t would be
the logical folloW-up on this address
and one which the President would
be fully justified in requesting.
Newark IN. J) Star-Ledger Gn-
dependent-Clearly, the President
is not looking for war. Just as
clearly, he is unwilling to subscribe
to the doctrine that Hitler is en-
titled to deprive us of freedom OF
the seas merely because he cannot
win the war without doing so. II
we are on the way to war it is be-
cause we were placed in the path
of war the very moment that Hitler
acquired power in Germany and
turned the resources of that ag-
g1essive country on the road to
world conquest.
Rochester IN. " Democrat and
Chronicle Republican) 1t must be
said that the Presidents order fol-
lows logically on the declaration OF
the wide defensive zone, on the oc-
cupation of Iceland and Greenland
/ 70 foracta1l tbrootc tn that zone