Evening star., 1944-11-07
President Declares Task Is Unity
On Domestic and Bottle Fronts

| President Declares
On Domestic and
BY the Associated Press.
HYDE PARK, N. Y, Nop. p
FOLLOWING is the tert OF Presi-
dent RooseDelt,s radio speech
last night:
AS We sit quietly this evening
in our home at Hyde Park. our
thoughts, like those of millions of
other Americans, are most deeply
concerned with the well-being of
Eall our American fighting men We
are thinking of our own sons all
of them far away from home-and
of our neighbcls' sons and the sons
of our friends.
That concern rises above all
others in this critical period of our
national life.
In great contrast to the quiet
which is ours here in America in
our own secure homes is the knowl-
edge that most of those fighting
men of ours have no quiet times
and little leisure at this hour to
reflect on the significance of our
American election day. tomorrow.
Some are standing at battle sta
tions on shipboard, tense in the
excitement of action some lie in
wet foXholes, or trLdge doggedly
through the sticky mud, firing as
they go. Still others are high above
the earth, fighting Messerschmidts
or Zeros.
Giving Everything.
All Of them are giving everything
they have got to defeat our enemies,
and uppermost in all their minds is
the one thought: To win the war
as soon as possible, so that they may
return to the quiet and peace Of
their homes.
But in the midst of fighting-in
the presence of our brutal enemies
our soldiers and sailors and air
men will not forget election day
back home.
Millions of these men have al
ready cast their own ballots, end
they will be wondering about the
outcome of the election, and that
it will mean to them in their future
lives. And sooner or later all of
them will be asking questions as to
whether the folks back home looked
after their interests, their liberties,
their Government, their country
while they themselves were eff at
war.
Our boys are counting on us to
show the rest of the world that our
kind of government is the best in
the world-and the kind we propose
to keep And so when our people
turn out at the polls tomorrow-and
I sincerely hope that it will De So
million strong-the world will re-
spect our democracy, and the grand
old Stars and Stripes will wave
more proudly than ever before.
Enemies on Both Sides.
These brave fighters of ours have
taken on enemies on both sides of
our world, enemies who were nu-
tured since childhood in militar-
ism. These boys of ours, wisely led,
and using the matchless weapons
which you here at home have sent
to them, have outfought these ruth
less enemies, outfought them on the
land, outfought them on the sea,
outfought them in the skies. They
are winning the victory for all of
us. Many are giving life itself. And
it is for us to make certain that we
win for them-the living and the
dead-a lasting peace.
There is nothing adequate which
any one in any place can say to
those who are entitled to display
the Gold Star in their windows. But
each night as the people of the
United States rest in their homes
which have been safe from violence
during all these years of the most
violent war in all history-I am sure
that all of them silently give thought
to their feelings of deep gratitude
to the brave departed and to their
families for the immeasurable sac
riflce that they have made for the
cause of decency and freedom and
civilization.
Political Battle Finished.
do not want to talk to you to-
night Of partisan politics. The DO
litical battle is finished. Our task
now Is to face the future as mill
tant and a united people-united
here at home as well as on the
battle fronts.
Twice in Is years our people have
had to put on brave, smiling front
as they have suffered the anxiety
and the agony of war.
No one wants to endure that suf-
fering again.
When we think Of the speed and
long distance possibilities Of air
travel to the remotest corners OF
the earth, we must consider the
devastation wrought on the people
of England by the new long range
bombs. Another war would be
bound to bring even more dcvilish
and powerful instruments Of de-
struction to wipe out civilian popu-
lations. No coastal defenses, how
ever strong, could prevent these
silent missiles OF death. fred PER-
haps from planes or ships at sea,
from crashing deep within the
United States.
This time, this time, we must be
certain that the peace-loving ra-
ltions Of the world band together =
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