Evening star., 1941-06-01
Presidents Talk Called Great
Because of Call to US. Destiny
No Glib Answer to Days Problems, 1t is Viewed
as Preparing for National Future
Many Do Not Yet See
By FeH1 Morley.

Toward the close of the President S
historic speech on Tuesday night came a
ringing declaration the sincerity of which
cannot be doubted.
1--WE will accept" said Mr.. Roosevelt,
"only a world consecrated to freedom of
speech and Xpression-freedom of every
person to worship God in his own way
freedom from want and freedom from
terrorism"
This solemn pledge will be heartening
to many who have with some reason
feared that contraction of domestic
freedom might even precede American
entry into the war.
In proclaiming a condition of ''unlim
tied national emergency" the President
of course, cannot be expected to guaran-
tee that every one will be able to speak
or act, or write as though these were
normal times. But he does say fatty
that major purpose of national policy
is to fortify and extend the fundamental
American liberties. The affirmation was
not supertiuouS since in many ways the
present tendency, even in this country, is
to apply RECOMMENDATION to individual
thought and expression.
All who really cherish American ideals
must therefore have been encouraged by
the Presidents fortnight reassertion of
abiding faith in the vitality of our
constitutional republic as a perpetual
home of freedom, of tolerance and of
devotion to the word of God"
Criticism Still Allowed.
These are not idle phrases. They are,
on the contrary, noble words, rich III dig
nifty and meaning, the embodiment of
ideals for which men have always been
willing to suffer persecution. Unques-
tionably this appeal for freedom toler-
ance and religious devotion was spoken
by the President with wholesouled fer
vor. And his resolute leadership in this
matter will be followed, even though for
some this may occasionally involve
pointing out fallacies in the Presidents
reasoning in other fields.
AS Mr.. Roosevelt implies, a chief dis
tinction between the American and the
Nazi systems is that with us criticism of
the popular leader is not merely toler-
ated, but welcomed as potentially help
full by the leader himself No national
emergency can be so grave as to oblit-
crate that all-important difference
There are doubtless some Americans
who, in their hearts and by their actions,
will resent the Presidents insistence
upon tolerance at this critical time.
Those who are themselves somewhat
Nazi-minded find it easy to argue that
Nazi methods must be employed to
counter NaZi techniques.
There are other Americans who will
disagree with the pointed intimation that
to defend itself the United States must
be prepared to wage war overseas. They
will be more disturbed than convinced
by the statement that: Our Bunker Hill
OF tomorrow may be several thousand
miles from Boston" The transition in
thinking will be hard to make for the
large numbers who readily accept the
soothing slogan of measures short of
war"
No "Fireside Chat"
But varying reactions to varying
aspects of this momentous speech are of
little value in determining its actual
significance as a milestone in American
history 1t could have been said in
advance that the speech would be well
coined in London and denounced in
Berlin These foreordained foreign re-
actions, like much domestic editorial
comment, tell very little of the inner
meaning of the stand taken by the
President on Tuesday night.
Yet every one is vaguely conscious that
this week permanent landmark on the
road of American destiny was set up.
Subject to correction, it may be sug-
gested that one reason for blurred inter-
probation is the high emotional tension
of the times. Most Americans are think
ing, speaking and writing of the present
crisis either with a view to getting the
United States into the actual fighting, or
keeping it out. And it is from this di-
rect-action psychology that the Presi-
dents message is interpreted. Therefore
some think it splendid because what was
said may seem to bring us closer to
shooting war" And others, for the