Evening star., 1941-03-09
Roosevelt Says U. 5.
Can't Escape World
Responsibility
Survival of Democracy
Elsewhere Vital Here,
Formers Are Told
Tert OF President RoosepeIts
address on Page Ali.

Tert OF President RoosepeIts
address on Page Ali.
By the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt told farmers |
celebrating the eighth birthday an
niversary of the A. A. A. last night |
that if democracy should be extin-
guished from the rest of the world |
neither their farm programs nor the
democratic way OF life could hope |
to survive.
Then saying that democracy over |
large areas of the Old World is |
threatened with extinction, the |
Chief Executive declared:
I'VE cannot escape our collective |
responsibility for the kind of life |
that is going to emerge from the |
ordeal through which the world is
passing today.
I'VE may discharge that response
bility unwisely, but we cannot
escape the consequences of our
choice. We would have it world
in which we may live in peace, free
dom and security-the kind Of
world our farmer forefathers
dreamed of and worked for as they
settled the Atlantic seaboard and
pushed their way to the West.
Il am confident" he added. that !
the farmers of 1941 want this kind
of world to survive"
5000 Dinner Gatherings.
The President spoke from his
White House study into radio micro
phones which carried his words to
thousands of farmers gathered at
rural dinners held throughout the
country to celebrate the day in
1888 that he summoned farm
leaders to Washington to draft the
agricultural adjustment legislation.
At his side were Vice President
Wallace, who was then Secretary of
Agriculture, and Claude A. Wickard,
the present secretary, both of whom
followed him on the broadcast.
Agriculture Department officials
said reports from field representa-
tives indicated that arrangements
had been made for about 5000 din
ner gatherings at rural school,
houses courthouses, other public
buildings and in farm homes. They
estimated that more than 100000
farmers attended these gatherings.
American agriculture" the chief
executive said, lis in a splendid
condition to play its full part in the
program of national defense. Our
granaries are full. Our stores of
food and fiber are adequate to meet
our own needs at home-yes. and
the needs of our friends in other
lands now fighting for their exist
ence-flghting in behalf of all DEM
ocratic forms of government. fight
ing against world control by die
tatorships."
"Pacifism Road to Slavery"
This agricultural preparedness,
Mr.. Roosevelt said, could be cred
tied to achievements of farmers
under the A. A. A. farm programs
programs which he said we're con-
ceived by the farmers and admin
istrated by farmers"
Vice President Wallace. describ-
ing President Roosevelt as the best
friend" agriculture ever has had in
the White House, told the farmers
that the Chief Executive, like them,
loved peace.
He is working to keep war away
from these shores" Mr.. Wallace
said. But refusing to help other
democracies does not guarantee
peace. At this stage in the worlds
history the pacifism of the appeasers
is the road to war or slavery. Pre-
paredness and a strong interna-
tional policy are the only possible
roads to peace"
Mr. Wallace said that on the basis
of self-interest, American farmers
/ had tremendous stake" in the
1 triumph of democracy.
Millions of Americans are d.
rectly dependent upon our foreign
trade If the NaziS win. there is
little future for that trade"
NCkdTu LauuS fTeSluent.
An ardent advocate of stronger
ties with neighboring countries to
the South, Mr.. Wallace said he
hoped American farmers were de-
| termined to help make relations
with those nations satisfactory. He
said the United States must not
let Nazi triumphs lead to Nazi con-
troll in Latin America.
Joining Mr.. Wallace in praising
the Presidents efforts in behalf of
| agriculture. Secretary Wickard de-
clared that without A. A. A. farm
programs agriculture would be "as
helpless as in 1882"
Il know" he said. that the Pres
ident and Vice President want agri-
culture to have equality with other
groups. They have proved that
many times. And let me assure
President Roosevelt that the over
whelming majority of farmers are
behind his efforts to defend democ-
racy. American farmers have never
goose-stepped and they never will"