The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-03-02
Text Of President Roosevelts Report On The u

- ~
EDITORS NOTE: The fol-
lowing test is taken from the
original manuscript as draft
ed for presentation by Mr..
Roosevelt to Congress and
does not include the last min
ute interpretations that he MADE
in is deiivery.)
WASHINGTON, March l ~
The text of President Roosevelt
report to Congress on the Yalta
Congerenee:
1t is good to be home.
Speaking in all frankness, the
question of whether it is to be
entirely fruitful or not lies to a
great extent in your hands. For
unless you here in the halls OF the
American Congress-With the sup
port of the American people-con-
cur in the decisions reached at
Yalta, and give them your active
support, the meeting will not have
produced lasting results.
That is why l come before you at
the earliest hour after my return.
I want to make a personal report
to you-and, at the same time, to
the people Of the country. Many
months of earnest work are ahead
Of us all, and I should like to feel
that when the last stone is laid on
the structure of international peace
it will be an achievement for
which all OF us in America have
worked steadfastly and unseltlsh-
altogether.
return from this trip-Whlch
took me as far as 1000 miles from
the White House-refreshed and in
spired. The Roosevelts are not, as
you may suspect, averse to travel.
We thrive on it!
Far away as was, I was kept
constantly informed Of affairs in
the United States. The modern
miracle Of rapid communication
has made this world very small;
and we must always bear that in
mind, when we think or speak of
international relations. I received
a steady stream of messages from
Washington, and except where ra-
do silence was necessary for Sc
curity purposes, I could continu-
ously send messages any place in
the world. And of coure, in a
grave emergency, we could even
have risked breaking the security
rule.
come from the Crimean Con-
ference, my fellow Americans, with
4 firm belief that we have made
a good start on the road to a world
of peace.
There were two main purposes
at the Crimean conference. The
first was to bring defeat to Ger
many with the greatest possible
speed and with the smallest pos
sible loss of Allied men. The pur-
pose is now being carried out in
great force. The German army,
and the German people, are feeling
the ever-increasing might of our
fighting men and Of the Allied Ar
mics. Every hour gives us added
pride in the heroic advance of our
troops over German soil toward a
meeting with the gallant Red Ar
my.
The second purpose was to con-
tinue to build the foundation for an
international accord which would
bring order and security after the
chaos of war, and which would give
some assurance of lasting peace
among the nations of the world.
Toward that goal also, a ire
mendous stride was made.
At Tehran, over year ago,
there were long-range military
plans laid by the chiefs of staff of
the three most powerful nations.
Among the civilian leaders at Teh-
ran, however, there were only ex-
changes of views and expressions
Of opinion. No political agreements
were made-and none was attempt
ed.
At the Crimean conference, how
ever, the time had come for get
ting down to specific cases in the
political field.
There was on all sides at this
conference an enthusiastic effort to
reach agreement. Since the time
of the Tehran conference, there
had developed among all Of us a
greater facility in negotiating with
each other, which augurs well for
the future peace Of the world.
I have never for an instant wav-
cred in my belief that an agree
ment to insure world peace and
security can be reached.
Tn lapse of time between Teh-
ran and Yalta without conferences
Of civilian representatives OF the
three major powers has proved to
be too long-fourteen months. Dur
ing this long period, local problems
were permitted to become acute in
places like Poland and Greece and
Italy and Yugoslavia.
The people who decided at Yal-
h that, even if circumstances
made it impossible for the heads
q the three governments to meet
more often in the future, we would
make sure that there would be
more frequent personal contacts
for exchange Of views.
Accordingly, we arranged for pc
1iodic meetings Of the foreign sec.
retaries Of Great Britain, Russia
and the United States at intervals
Of three or four months. I feel