The Wilmington morning star., 1943-02-13
Text Of FDR's Address
Before Correspondents

respondents
one neighborhood. That is why this
war. which had its beginnings in
seemingly remote areas, h
spread to every continent and most
of the islands of the sea, involv-
ing the lives and the liberties OF
the entire. human. race. And un-
less the peace that follows recog-
nizes tha. the whole world is one
neighborhood and does justice to
the whole human race, the germs
of another world war will remain
as constant threat. to mankind.
I talked with many people in
the armed forces along the coast
and through the islands OF tn
Western hemisphere and UP the
coast of West Africa. Many OF
our soldiersa1 sailors were con-
cerned about the state of the home
front. They receive all kinds of
exaggerated reports and rumors
that there is too much complain
ing here at home and too little
recognition Of the realities of war;
that selfish labor leaders are
threatening to call strikes which
would greatly curtail the output of
our war industries; that some farm
groups are trying to profiteer on
prices and are letting us down on
food production, that many people
are bitter over the hardships of
rationing and priorities; and es-
pecially that there are serious par
tisan political quarrels over h e
petty things of life here in Wash
ington.
I told them that most of these
reports are just gross exaggera-
tions; that the people as a whole
in the United States are in this
war to see it through with heart
and body and soul; and that our
population is willing and glad to
give up some of their shoes and
sugar, and coffee and automobile
riding-and privileges and profits
for the sake of the common
cause.
I could not deny to our troops
that few chiselers, a few poll
ticians and few publicists-for-
tunately very few-have placed
their personal ambition or greed
above the nations interests.
Our troops know that the Nazis
and Fascists and Japanese are try
ing hard to sell the untruths of pro-
paganda to certain types of Ameri-
cans. But our troops also know
that even if you pile lot of mole
hills on deception one on top ofthe
otner, you still cannot make
mountain big enough or solid
enough to fool many people, or try
tc block the road to victory and
to an effective peace.
4. fundamental of an effective
peace is the assurance to these
men who are fighting our battles.
that when they come home they
Wll find country with an econo-
my firm enough and fair enough
to provide jobs for all those who
are willing to work..
l am certain that private enter
PRISE will be able to provide the
vast majority of those jobs-and,
in those cases where this cannot be
accomplished, that the Congress
will pass the legislation which will
make good the assurance of jobs.
There are still a few who say
we cannot achieve this and other
honorable, reasonable aims for the
postwar world. In speaking Of
these professional skeptics-these
men Of little faith-there comes to
my mind an old word in our Ian
guage-the pettifoggers.
The formal, dictionary definition
and derivation of the word are
neither here nor there. To most of
us it brings to mind a man who
is small and mean and tricky and
picayune and-in a word-petty.
1t is the type of man who is al
ways seeking to create a smoke
screen, or fog, for the purpose Of
obscuring the plain truth.
Today, the pettifoggers are at
tempting to obscure essential
truths of this war. They are seek
ing to befog the present and the
future and the clear purposes and
high principles for which the free
world now maintains the promise
Of undimmed victory.
In North Africa we are now mass
ing armies-British, French and
American-for one of the major
battles of this war.
The enemy's purpose in the cat
tie of Tunisia is to hold at all costs
their last bridgehead in Africa, to
prevent us from gaining access to
the straits that lead to Nazi-dorni-
mated Europe.
Our prime purpose in this battle
Of Tunisia is to drive our enemies
into the sea.
The British First Army in this
battle, commanded by General
Anderson, contains many veterans
OF Flanders and Dunkirk. These
men have score to settle with
| the Nazis.
The British Eighth Army, COM
manded by General Montgomery,
has to it's eternal credit the smash
| ing defeat of Marshal Rommeps