The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-01-08
The Presidents Message


OF all his calls for all-out mobilization Tor
war, President Roosevelts message to con-
gress Saturday was the strongest clearest IN
its appeal to the American people to back up
their loved ones overseas to the limit
His theme was in perfect keeping with the
times
We may as well be perfectly frank and ad-
init that, in no period since Pearl Harbor,
have our fortunes of war seemed as low We
have received a tremendous setback on the
Western Front. It has cost thousands of men,
millions in material 1t has smashed our time
table for victory.
Now, what going to do about it?
The President pointed toward the answer
He gave us our course for the coming year
and, to us, this may be the most serious year
of the war
Why?
I'VE have reached the most critical stage
of the war. Everything we are and have is at
stake" Those are President Roosevelts words.
That, simply is the situation.
How will we meet it?
First, tull support of the National Service
law he requested of congress. That means,
more than any other, is the direct route to
total mobilization of our human resources"
His call for full utilization of the nations
1000, 900 AT men in the war effort should
have been made months ago.
This is everyones war; everyone must do
his share in jobs directly connected with the
effort to achieve victory. The time for SQUAD
bling over National service legislation is past
because, to put it buntly we simply are not
winning as easily and as fast we antici
pated The German offensive turned the trend
from a reasonably early victory over Hitler
to one offering all the possibilities of long,
drawn-out struggle. That means more and
more casualties, greater drains on our ma
terial resources so that when finally it is all
over we will be nation depleted in men and
materials. It will take decades to regain these
losses.
When the government drafts a nian it, in
effect, tells him: II want you. Here, take this
gun and learn to use it. Then, go out and kill
as many of the enemy as you can In doing
this, it may be sending him to his death but
this is fundamentally the only way nation
can defend itself
If the government can do that then why
can't it go to that mans brother and say: Il
want you. If you are on job that's helping
win this war, then stay there. If you are not
then get one and stay on it.
Frankly, we can see no difference in the
two comparisons other than the first man is
risking his life the second isn't.
There will be opposition to National Service
legislation. One group has announced contin-
ued opposition to compulsory service" 9th
ers have or will take similar attitude. But
do the men dying today in Europe have any
special group to look after their ''interests?"
They do not
This is not going to be good year for pres
sure groups.
Why?
Because the American people, the men and
women who are receiving casualty messages
by the hundreds daily, are getting tired of all
this pressure" business, fed up with
small well-organized groups yapping their
heads off, squalling like babies until they get
their way. There's been too much pressure
between us; not enough against the enemy.
overseas "all the support of which this great
nation is capable until he is blue in the face
but unless the American people make up their
minds to back him to the limit, it will mean
nothing. He predict victory in Europe in
1945 but it is up to to that it is achieved.
In summarizing his message to congress,
President Roosevelt quoted this passage from
the Army newspaper Stars and Stripes;
For the Holy love of God, let's listen to
the dead. Let's learn from the living. Let's
join the ranks against the foe. The bugles OF
battle are heard again above the bickering."
THAT" the President said, 'is the demand
for our fighting men. We cannot fail to heed
it,
Those words sum up the situat lion. Much
more could be written but to the thinking
American that is unnecessary. These are grave
days, let's treat them as such with every
ounce of energy If we fail to do so, then
victory, after more than three years of fight
ing, is still very far away.
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