Evening star., 1942-10-27
Reservoir Of Good Will Toward United States Leaking DANGEROUSLY
Through Thousand Holes of Our Own Mokinq Wke Declares
By the Associated Press.

mOugH n(
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Oct. 27.-The
tert OF Wendell WILKES speech
last night on his recent globe
circling trip tolloUs.:
Several months ago it occurred to
me that perhaps I could make a
contribution to the war by visiting
the worlds people who have a stake
In it. wanted to see them. I
wanted to talk to them at thier
fighting fronts. I also wanted frank
discussion with both leaders and
people in countries which have not
yet decided on their course of ac-
ton.
Naturally, in time of war, it is
Impossible to leave this country
without permission. So 1 applied to
the President for permission to visit
the Middle East, Russia and China.
wanted to go as a private citizen,
as I had gone to England when she
alone was so courageously holding
the free worlds battle line against
Hitler. The President agreed to my
trip, and asked that I perform Ger
tain specific tasks for him, which I
was happy to undertake.
Went as Free Agent.
It was clearly understood be-
tween him and me that apart from
the specific matters handled for
him, I should 60 as free agent
was at liberty to express my opin-
ion while abroad and equally so
when returned.
I have talked to literally hun
dreds and hundreds of people
around the world in the last two
months. Everywhere I made it
crystal clear that I was present as
a free citizen of a free country,
member of different party from
the President Sin fact, the candi-
date who opposed him in 1910.
travelled in four -engined Con-
solidated bomber, which had been
converted for transport service, and
which was operated and navigated
With extraordinary skill by Ameri-
can Army officers. All my personal
expenses I paid myself. If 1 have
occasion to write articles, reporting
en- my journey at greater length,
any proceeds will be paid at my di-
rection to various war relief agen-
cies that are supporting our COM
mon cause.
Reports to Citizens.
make these points clear be-
cause the citizens of a democracy
have the right to know them. And
tonight I am reporting to you, and
summarizing my conclusions, as an
American, interested only in the |
welfare of my country and proud |
that 1 am accountable only to my |
fellow citizens.
If ever had any doubt. that
tine world has become small and |
completely nter-dependent, this
Eip would have dispelled them al
together. I travelled total of 3D.
COO miles, which sounds very far.
The net impression of my trip, how
Gver, is not one of distance from
other peoples, but OF closeness to
them.
Now the extraordinary fact is that
to cover these apparently enormous
distances, we were in the air a to-
tai of only 160 hours. We usually
few from 8 to 10 hours a day
when we were on the move, which
means that, out of the 49 days I
allotted to the trip, 1 Rad about
20 days on the ground for the ac-
complishment of the purposes on
hand.
The new world that has been
opened up by modern inventions
was never more vividly illustrated,
J think, than on our last lap home.
We left Chengtu on October 9,
Travelled almost 1000 miles in China,
crossed the vast expanse of the
Cobb Desert and the Mongolian
Republic, crossed thousands of miles
Of Siberia, crossed the Bering Sea,
the full length of Alaska and the
full width of Canada and arrived
IN the United States four days later
on October 13.
Thinking Must Be Gl0baI.
I say to you: There are no dis
tant points in the world any longer.
The myriad millions of human be-
lngs of the Far East are as close
10 us as Los Angeles is to New York |
by the fastest railroad trains. I
cannot escape the conviction that |
In the future what concerns them
must concern us, almost as much !
as the problems of the people of
California concern the people of
New York.
Our thinking and planning in the
future must be global.
Now this world we live in has be-
some small not only on the map
but also in the minds of men. All
sround the world, there are some
IDEAS which millions and millions of
men hold in common, almost as
much as if they lived in the same
town. One of these ideas, and one
which I can report without hesita-
Ion, has tremendous significance
For us in America, 1t is the mixture
of respect and hope with which the
rorld looks to this country.
Whether l was talking to resi-
dent of Belem or Natal in Brazil. or
enc toting his burden on his head
in Nigeria, or a prime minister or
king in Egypt, or veiled woman in
ancient Bagdad, or a shah or
weaver of carpets in legendary Per-
sia, now known as Iran, or fol-
lower of Attaturk in those streets of
Ankara, which look so like the
streets of our Middle Western cities,
or to a strong -limbed, resolute fac
tory worker in Russia, or to Stain
himself, or the enchanting wife of
the great Generalissimo of China,
or Chinese soldier at the front, or
q fur-capped hunter on the edge of
the trackless forests of Siberia
whether 1 was talking to any of
these people, or to any others, I
found that they all have one COM
mon bond. and that is their deep
friendship for the United States.