Evening star., 1943-04-21

MONTERREY, MericO April
21.-The tert OF President RoOSe-
pelt's speech here last night tol-
lo1Ds.:
Your excellency's friendly and
cordial expressions add to the very
great pleasure which I feel at being
here on Mexican soil.
1t is an amazing thing to have
to realize that nearly "a years have
passed since Chief Executives of our
two nations have met face to face.
[ hope that in the days to come
every Mexican and every American
President will feel at liberty to visit
each other just as neighborS visit
each other-just as neighbors talk
things over and get to know each
other better.
Our two countries owe their inde-
pendence to the fact that your
ancestors and mine held the same
truths to be worth fighting for and
dying for. Hidalgo and Juarez were
men of the same stamp as Wash
ington and Jefferson. 1t was. there
fore, inevitable that our two coun-
tries should find themselves aligned
together in the great struggle which
is being fought today to determine
whether this shall be a free or
slave world.
The attacks of the Axis powers
during the past few years against
our common heritage as free men
eliminated in the unspeakable and
unprovoked aggressions of Decem-
Der 7, 194l, and May IA. 1912. and
the shedding of blood on those
dates of citizens of the United States
and of Mexico alike.
(On May IA Mexico Indignantly
announced loss of her first ship
to an Axis submarine. the tanker
Potrero del LLano, and sent a
strong note to Germany. Italy
and Japan demanding complete
satisfaction" Fourteen men, in
Guiding the captain and deck Of
hcerS, died as the tanker burst
into flames off Miami Beach,
There was an immediate popular
oN'SiS AoI wal WlllCll MGAlCO
declared May 28)
Those attacks did not find the
western Hemisphere unprepared.
The 2l free republics of the Ameri-
cas- during the past 10 years have
devised system of international CO.
operation which has become a great
bulWark in the defense of our heri-
tage and our future. That system.
whose strength is now evident to
the most Skeptical. is based pri-
narlly upon a remuneration of the
use OF force and the enshrining of
international justice and mutual re-
Spect as the governing rule of con-
duct by all nations.
Mexico Had Outstanding Role
In Forging New Policy.
In the forging of that new inter-
national policy the role of Mexico
has been outstanding. Mexican
Presidents and Foreign Ministers
have appreciated the nature of the
struggle with which we are now con-
tronted at a time when many ma
tlons much closer to the focus of
infection were blind.
The wisdom of the measures which
the statesmen of Mexico and the
United States and of the other
American republics have adopted at
lnter-American gatherings during
recent years has been amply DEM
onStrated. They have succeeded be-
cause they have been placed in ef-
tect not only by Mexico and the
United States. but by all except one
of the other American republics.
You and I, Mr.. President. as
commanders in chief of our respec-
tive armed forces, have been able
to concert measures for common
defense. The harmony and mutual
confidence which has prevailed be-
tween our armies and navies is
beyond praise Brotherhood in arms
has been established.
The determination Of the Mexican
people and of their leaders has led
to production on an all-out basis
Of strategic and vital materials so
necessary to the forging of the
weapons destined to compass the
final overthrow of our common foe.
In this great city of Monterey 1
have been most impressed with the
slngle-minded purpose with which
all the forces of production are
joined together in the war effort.
And Mexican farm workers,
brought to the United States in &C
cordance with an agreement be-