Evening star., 1941-05-01

The radio address OF President
RooSepelt last night in connec-
ton tUith the opening OF the de-
tense SaUingS campaign tollolUs:
One thought is uppermost in
my mind as make grateful ac-
Acknowledgement of this dual honor.
1t is that in reServing the first
Defense savings bond and the
first Defense postal savings
stamps in the name OF the Presl-
dent, the Secretary of the Treas
ury and the Postmaster General
have given emphasis to the ma
tional character of the Defense
Savings Campaign. This char
acter of the campaign is national
in the best sense of the word
for it is going to reach down, we
hope, to the individual and the
family in every community, ana
on every farm, in every State and
every possession of the United
States.
1t is national and honey at
the same time. For example 1
am buying not one stamp but
10 stamps to go into little books
for each of my 10 grandchildren.
And the first Defense savings
bond is being made out, In the
name of Mrs. Roosevelt as oene-
ficiary.
1t is fitting that the President
In his purchases should be the
symbol of the determination OF
all the people to save and sacrl-
fee in defense of democracy.
Evidence of Partnership.
In the larger sense, this first
Defense bond and these first De-
fense stamps reserved to the
President, constitute tangible evl-
dence of partnerships partner
ship between all of the people
and their Government-entered
into to safeguard and to perpetu-
ate all those precious freedoms
which government guarantees. In
this time of national peril what
we all must realize is that the
United States Government is you
and I and all the other families
next door all the way across the
country and back again. 1t is
one great partnership.
This evening we are giving
thought to the financial struc-
ture of our partnership. We are
engaged in an all-out effort to
perpetuate democracy in the New
World by aiding embattled de-
mocracy in the Old World. From
the Atlantic to the Pacific, Amer
lea is in full beauty of glorious
springtime. And we have eyes
to see the beauty of our country
this spring as We never saw 1t
In any spring before.
For a great many people are
sppreciating our blessings the
more when they realize what
blessings so many other millions
of people have lost this spring
and last spring-so many mil
lions of people who hoped and
prayed and even assumed-tak-
ing it for granted that fate would
let them live on as they had al
ways lived.
Strength From Support.
In the few words which I am
speaking to my fellow country
men tonight, I desire above all
else to emphasize the thought
that in just such measure as we
support our Government will it
be strong. effective and safe.
Defenses that were adequate
10 years ago are today a broken
reed. New machines in the air,
on the land and on the sea have
created a revolution in the con-
duct of offensive war and de-
fensive war.
Nations and lands safe 10
years ago by virtue of the mere
fact Of distance away from pos
sible aggression have today been
overrun by mechanical con-
querors. Distance is no longer a
guarantee of safety.
Your Government, therefore, is
arming, factories spring up, pro-
duction multiplies-a country
wide unanimous effort of plan
ming and of work.
Not Sacrifice but Privilege.
At this time we add another
Gala frank and clear appeal
for financial support to pay for
our arming and to pay for the
American existence of later gen.
erations.
With jobs more plentiful and
wages higher, slight sacrifice
here, the omission of a few luxu-
ries there will swell the Golfers
of our Federal Treasury. The
outward and visible tokens of
partnership through sacrifice
will be the possession of those
Defense bonds and Defense saw
ings stamps, which are, at the
same time, a guarantee of our
future security.
Your Government asks that
you make this sacrifice. But is
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