Evening star., 1942-04-29
The tert OF President Roose-
oelts address last night toIloUs:

we were attacked at Pearl Har-
Dor. For the two years prior to
that attack this country had
been gearing itself up to a high
level of production of munitions.
Yet our war efforts had done
little to dislocate the normal
lives of most of us.
Since then we have dispatched
strong forces of our Army and
Navy-several hundred thousands
Of them-to bases and battle
fronts thousands of miles from
home. We have stepped up our
war production on a scale that is
testing our industrial power and
our engineering genius and our
economic structure to the ut
most. We have had no illusions
about the fact that. this would
be a tough job-and long one.
American warships are now in
combat in the North and South
Atlantic, in the Arctic. in the
Mediterranean, and in the North
and South Pacific. American
troops have taken stations in
South America, Greenland, Ice
land, the British Isles, the Near
East, the Middle East, the Far
East, the continent of Australia,
and many islands of the Pacific.
American war planes, manned
by Americans, are flying in actual
combat over all the continents
and all the oceans.
Russians So Far Outdoing
United Nations in Destruction.
On the European front the
most important development OF
the past year has been the crush
ing offensive on the part Of the
great armies Of Russia against
the powerful German army.
These Russian forces have de-
stroyed and are destroying more
armed power Of our enemies
troops, planes, tanks and guns
than all the other United Ma
tions put together.
In the Mediterranean area,
matters remain, on the surface,
much as they were. But the situ-
alton there is receiving very care
ful attention.
Recently we have received news
Of a change In government in
what we used to know as the
Republic of Franco name dear
to the hearts Of all lovers Of
liberty-a name and an institu-
ton which we hope will soon be
restored to full dignity.
Throughout the Nazi occupa-
ton Of France. we have hoped
for the maintenance of French
government which would strive
to regain independence, to re-
establish the principles OF Lib
erty, Equality and Fraternity"
and to restore the historic cul-
ture Of France. Our policy has
been consistent from the very
beginning. However, we are now
concerned lest those who have
recently come to power may seek
to force the brave French people
to submission to NaZi despotism.
The United Nations will take
measures, If necessary, to pre-
vent the use of French territory
In any part of the world for mill
tary purposes by the Axis powers.
The good people of France will
readily understand that such
action is essential for the United
Nations to prevent assistance to
the armies or navies or air forces
!. Of Germany, Italy and Japan.
I The overwhelming majority of
the French people understand
!. that the fight of the United Ma
tions Is fundamentally their
fight, that our victory means the
restoration of free and inde-
], pendent France-and the saw
ing of France from the. slavery
which would be imposed upon
her by her external enemies and
her internal traitors.
s We know how the French peo-
: pie really feel. We know that q
deep-seated determination to OBJ
struct every step in the Axis
plan extends from occupied
France through Vichy France to
the people of their colonies in
every ocean and on every conti-
nent.
Flying Fortresses Soon
To Fight to Liberate Europe.
Our planes are helping in the
: defense of French colonies today,
5 and soon American flying for
! tresses will be fighting for the
: liberation of the darkened conti-
nent Of Europe.
5 In. all the occupied countries
there are men, women and even
!. little children who have never
s stopped fighting, never stopped
resisting, never stopped proving
: to the Nazis that their so-called
> New order" can never be en-
forced upon free peoples.
In the German and Italian
peoples themselves there is
growing conviction that the cause
of Naziism and Fascism is hope
less that their political and
military leaders have led them
along the bitter road which leads
not TO world conquest but to final
defeat. They cannot fail to con-
trast the present frantic speeches
OF these leaders with their ar
rogant boastings of year ago,
and two years ago.
On the other side of the world,
In the Far East, we have passed
through a phase of serious
losses.
We have inevitably lost control
of large portion of the Philip
pine Islands. But this whole Ma
tion pays tribute to the Filipino
and American officers and men
who held out SO long on Bataan
Peninsula, to those grim and gall
liant fighters who still hold Cor
regidor, and to the forces which
are still striking effectively at
the enemy on Mindanao and
other islands.
The Malayan Peninsula and
Singapore are in the hands of
the enemy; the Netherlands East
Indies are almost entirely occu-
pied, though resistance there