Evening star., 1945-09-02
Halls End Of Conflict
And Urges Patience
In Tasks for Peace


The folloaUing is the tert OF
President Truman's broadcast
announcing the signing OF the
surrender and vi Day.
My fellow Americans:
The thoughts and hopes of all
America-indeed, of all the civil
llzed world-are centered tonight
on the battleship Missouri. There.
on that small piece of American
soil anchored in Tokyo Harbor,
the Japanese have just officially
laid down their arms. They have
signed terms of unconditional
surrender.
Four years ago the thoughts
and fears of the whole civilized
world were centered on another
piece of American soil-Pearl
'Harbor. The mighty threat to
civilization which began there is
now laid at rest. It was long
road to Tokyo-and a bloody one.
We shall not forget Pearl Har-
Dor.
The japanese militarists will
not forget the USS Missouri.
The evil done by the Japanese
war lords can never be repaired
or forgotten. But their power to
destroy and kill has been taken
from them. Their armies and
what is left of their navy are
now impotent.
God Given Thanks.
To all of us there comes first
a sense of gratitude to Almighty
God, who sustained us and our
Allies in the dark days of grave
danger, Who made us to grow
from weakness into the strongest
fighting force in history, and
Who now has seen us overcome
the forces of tyranny that sought
to destroy His civilization.
God grant that In our pride
of the hour We may not forget
the hard tasks that are still be-
fore us; that we may approach
these with the same courage, zeal
and patience with which we
faced the trials and problems of
the past four years.
Our first thoughts, of course
thoughts of gratefulness and
deep obligation-go out to those
Of our loved ones who have been
killed or manned In this terrible
war. On land and sea and in
the air American men and wom-
en- have given their lives so that
this day of ultimate victory
might come and assure the sur
vival of a civilized world. No
victory can make good their loss.
We think of those whom death
In this war has hurt, taking from
them husbands, sons, brothers
and sisters whom they loved. No
victory can bring back the faces
they longed to see.
Responsibility Stressed.
Only the knowledge that the
victory, which these sacrifices
have made possible, will be wise
ly used, can give them any COM
fort. 1t is our responsibility
ours, the living-to see to it that
this victory shall be a monu-
ment worthy of the dead who
died to win it.
We think of all the millions of
men and women in our armed
forces and merchant marine all
over the world who, after years
of sacrifice and hardship and
peril, have been spared by Prov
idence from harm.
We think of all the men and
women and children who during
these years have carried on at
home, in lonesomeness and
anxiety and fear.
Our thoughts go out to the
millions of American workers
and businessmen, to our farmers
and miners to all those who
have built up this country's
fighting strength, and who have
shipped to our Allies the means
to resist and overcome the
enemy.
Our thoughts 60 out to our
civil servants and to the thou
sands of Americans who, at per-
sonal sacrifice, have come to
serve in our Government during
these trying years; to the mem
bers of the Selective Service
Boards and Ration Boards; to
the civilian defense and Red
Cross workers; to the men and
women in the USO and in the
entertainment world - to all
those who have helped in this
cooperative struggle to preserve
liberty and decency in the world.
Roosevelt Praised.
We think Of our departed gall
liant leader, Franklin D. Roose-
welt, defender of democracy,
architect of world peace and CO.
operation.
And our thoughts go out to our
gallant Allies in this war; to
those who resisted the invaders;
to those who were not strong
enough to hold out, but who nev-
ertheless kept the fires of resist
onnc alive within tho soiI1s 0f