Evening star., 1942-10-07
Text Of WiI!!kie Statement
Defense in Military or Political Sense
Won't Win the War, He Declares
BY the Associated Press.

/
By the Associated Press.
tCHUNGKING, Oct. THE
tolloDing statement 1D1s issued
by Wendell Willkie::
I have Travelled through 13 coun-
tries. I have seen kingdoms, soviets,
republics, inundated areas, colonies
and dependencies. I have seen an
almost bewildering variety Of ways
of living and ways Of ruling and
being ruled.
But have found four things COM
mon to all the countries that have
visited and to all the ordinary peo-
pie in those countries with whom I
have talked:
First, they all want the United
Nations to win the war.
Second, they want the United Ma
tions to get on the offensive now.
Third, they all want chance at
the end of the war to live in liberty
and independence.
Fourth, they all doubt in varying
degrees the readiness of the leading
democracies of the world to stand
up and be counted upon for the free
dom OF others after the war is over.
This doubt kills their enthusiastic
participation on our side.
War for Mems Minds.
Now, without the real support of
these common people, the winning
of the war will be enormously difn-
cult. The winning of the peace will
be nearly impossible. This war is not
simply a technical problem for task
forces. 1t is also war for mems
minds. We must organize on our
side not simply the sympathies but
also the active, aggressive, offensive
spirit of nearly three -fourths of the
people Of the world who live in South
America, Africa, Eastern Europe and
Asia. We have not done this and, at
present, We are not doing this.
We have got to do it. First OF all,
everything have seen on this trip
has strengthened my conviction that
defense will not win the war. think
we have got to pin this idea In our
hats and look at it often-defense
will not win for us either in a mill
tary sense or a political sense.
1t Is my personal opinion that the
time has come for all-out armed
offensive everywhere by all United
Nations. We are ready to deliver
some knockout punches If can be-
lava what T hovo coa,, u,ifh INV ouyy,
eyes.
Production Figures.
We can start these punches at
home. but they have got to connect
If they are going to hurt the enemy.
In the United States we have
talked lot to the world about our
production figures. But some of our
Allies have seen very little of our
actual arms.
1t is only natural for them to won-
der where our boasted production
has gone. It is only natural for
some of them to wonder how much
longer they will have to eat, like
children, at the second table.
Some of the countries I have Wis
tied look on the map like the last
stop on the line. But in terms of the
blows they are delivering to our
enemies they should be the first
stops.
China and Russia have each con-
tributed to the defeat of the Axis
aggressors some 100000 of their
finest men in casualties. Each has
engaged and held with heroic te-
nacity powerful and ruthless enemies.
1t is just and wise for us to see
to it that they secure an equitable
share of our arms production.
However, men need more than
arms to fight and win this kind of
war. They need enthusiasm for the
future and a conviction that the
flags they fight under are in bright,
clean colors. The truth is that we
as Nation have not made up our
minds as to what kind of a world
we want to speak for when victory
comes.
People Want Freedom.
LoROSAoAly 4IClC AL ASAd, GilC COIll~
mon people feel that we've asked
them to join us for no better reason
than that japanese rule would be
even worse than western imperial
ism. This is continent where the
record of the western democracies
has been long and mixed, but where
the people-and remember there are
a billion of them-are determined
no longer to live under foreign
control
Freedom and opportunity are the
words which have modern magic for
the people of Asia and we have let
the Japanese-the most cruel inn
perialists the modern world has
known-steal these words from us
and corrupt them to their own uses.
Most of the people in Asia have
never known democracy. They may