The Wilmington morning star., 1943-02-13

"And several people have floWr
over the water.
Two years ago-many months be
fore Pearl Harbor-I spoke to yo,
of the thought that was then up
permost in our minds-of the de
termination of America to become
the arsenal of democracy. Amos
all Americans had by that time
determined to play their full par
in helping to save civilization from
the barbarians. Even then, we
were in the midst of the historic
job of production-a job which the
American people have been per
forming with zest and skill and
above all, success.
Tonight, as l speak to you, an.
other thought is uppermost in ou1
minds: that is our determination
to fight this war through to the
finish-to the day when United Ma
tions forces march in triumph
through the streets of Berlin,
Rome, and Tokyo.
Last September I made tour
of inspection through this country.
/ saw war plants at work. l saw
Army and Navy training camps
and flying fields. saw American
men and women-management anc
labor a1ike-working to beat pro
duction schedules. I saw Ameri
can soldiers and sailors and fliers
doing the job Of training for the
fighting which lay ahead.
Now I have returned from one
of the fronts overseas, where the
production from American facto
ries and the training given il
American camps are being applied
in actual warfare against the en-
emy. I have seen our troops il
the field. I have inspected theil
superb equipment. I have talked
and laughed and eaten with them
I have seen our men-the ma
tion's men-in Trinidad, in Belen
and Natal in Brazil, in Liberia
in Gambia. In these places there
is no actual fighting; but there is
hard, dangerous, essential work
and there is tremendous strair
upon the endurance and spirit o1
our troops.
They are standing up magnifi'
Gently under that strain. I have
seen our men-and some of oul
American women-in North Afri'
ca. Out there is war. Those mer
know that before this war is over
many of them will have given theil
lives. But they know also thai
they are fighting to destroy the
power of the enemies of their coun
try-that they are fighting for E
peace which will be real and last
ing peace and a far better worle
for the future.
Our men in the field are worthy
of the great faith, the high hopes
we have placed in them. That ap
plies as well to the men Of oul
Navy, without whom no American
expeditiorary force cou d land
safely on foreign shores. And il
applies equally to the men of our
Merchant Marine who carry es-
sential munitions and supplies,
without which neither the United
States nor our Allies could co-1-
tinue the battle.
No American can look at these
men, soldiers or sailors, without
great emotion and great pride and
very deep sense of responsibility
to them.
Because Of the necessary secre-
cy of my trip, the men of our
armed forces in every place I WIS.,
tied were completely surprised.
The expression on their faces GER
tainly showed it.
I wish that I could pay similar
surprise visits to our men in the
other fields Of operation-the naval
bases, the islands Of the Pacific,
Australia, the mainland and is
lands of Alaska, the islands of the
Atlantic. the two Guianas, the Ca
nal Zone, Iceland, Britain, Central
Africa, the Middle East, In d i a,
Burma and China. I wish I could
tell them face to face that their
government and their people are
very proud of the great job they
are doing in helping to strengthen
the wise that is slowly but surely
squeezing the breath out of oul
enemies. r.
In every battalion and in every
ships crew you will find ever,
kind of American citizen repre-
senting every occupation, ever,
section, every origin, every relig
ion, every political viewpoint.
Ask them what they are fight
ing for, and everyone of them viii
say: IT am fighting for my coun
try" ASK them what they reall,
mean by that and you will ge
what, on the surface, may seen
to be wide variety of answers
One will say he is fighting fol
the right to say what he pleaseE
and to read and listen to what
he likes.
Another will say he is fighting
because ne never wants to see
the Nazi swastika flying over the
First Baptist church on Elm street
Another soldier will say he is
fighting for the right to work ane
earn three square meals dag
for himself and his folks.
A fourth soldier will say he is
fighting in this world war so that
his children and grandchildren viii
not have to go back to Europe OF
Afrioo -, -; - IL %L,s- ~.