Evening star., 1946-04-15

American Union today:
I have long looked forward to thi
opportunity to meet with the mem
bers of the Governing Board of tn
Pan American Union.
/ No one can address a meeting o
the representatives of the republic
OF the western Hemisphere withou
thinking of the men who did s.
much to strengthen the bonds q
friendship and cooperation amoni
them-my predecessor. Franklin o
Roosevelt, and his great Secretar,
of State, Cordell Hull. The name
of President Roosevelt and Mr.. HUI
will be revered in history for man,
accomplishments. A long line o
inter-American conferences ant
inter-American agreements show
how successful has been their goot
neighbor policy.
Cites Roosevelt Record.
History will also record Presiden
Roosevelt's many efforts before 1873!
toward preventing war and spread
ing his good neighbor policy to tn,
rest Of the world. He was thwartet
by the madness and desire fo
world conquest on the part of tn,
Axis dictators and aggressors.
But even while the United Nations
waged war to defeat the Nazis ant
Fascists. the United States begaY
to lay the solid foundations for f..
good neighbor policy for the Who'll,
world. need not repeat to you th'
steps which were taken by our Gov
ernment under Roosevelt's lead
ership. You are familiar with them
and you know how solidly the foun'
dations were laid.
Based on those foundations tn,
United Nations has now beer
launched on its career. I know tina
it will succeed. 1t must succeed.
Before us now lies a new era IL
which the power of atomic energ,
has been released. That age viii
either be one of complete devasta
ton, or one in which new source
OF power will tighten the labors O
mankind and increase standards O
living all over the world.
Face Great Adventure.
1t is great and dangerous ad
venture which we face. In it tn.
people of all the American repub.
lies will have to play their specia
part. During the s1930s the specia
part which the American republic.
played in world history was to per.
feet and strengthen their methods O.
consultation and cooperation. They
did this primarily to meet the grow.
ing threat of war from overseas
And when war finally came, ths
weight of the Americas was over.
whelmingly on the side of the force!
which defeated the Axis powers.
In the years that lie ahead. it viii
be the task of the American re.
publics to do their part in creating
and maintaining a system of worle
peace which will eliminate the feal
OF war and establish in its place q
rule of justice and world co-opera-
ton.
To maintain lasting peace, the
peoples of the world have now shown
their willingness to use force, il
necessary, to prevent aggression OF
the threat of aggression.
Born of Poverty.
We all realize, however, that thu
1exercise of this kind of force, while
it may hold aggressors in check, il
will not Of itself eliminate the deer
causes of unrest such as those re.
sponsible for World War II. Under.
meath the Nazi madness were tht
material distress and spiritual star.
vation born OF poverty and despair
These evil forces were seized upor
by evil men to launch their pro.
gram OF tyranny and aggression.
!. The danger of war will never bs
completely wiped out until thest
economic ills which constitute thu
roots of war are themselves elimi.
mated. To do that we must achieve
the kind of life-material, cultura
and spiritual-to which the peoples
of this world are entitled. To that
objective we must all dedicate ouI
energies and resources.
I know of no one word which
more fully embodies this objective
than the word democracy" 1t was
the symbol and the hope of democ.
racy which liberated the world from
Nazl and japanese slavery. Democ.
racy Was the objective which gave
strength to the brave men ano
women OF the underground in the
enslaved countries of Europe ane
Asia. Democracy is the rallying or,
today for free men everywhere il
their struggle for a better human
life.
Carries Different Meanings.
We all appreciate that this wor,
democracy" carries different mean
lngs in different languages. In diff
terent parts OF the world 1t will hav
different connotations. It Is fortu
nate that we of the Pan American
nations do have certain common
fundamental understandings of wha
the word democracy" means. De
spite our differences in Language
and culture, we do have in common
love of liberty, a recognition of tn
dignity of man and a desire to i'm
prove the material and spiritua
well-being of our citizens.
Time and again the American re
publics have met to reafirm thei
devotion to those ideals of democ
racy. They have done this in tn
face of constant propaganda TO
Nazi and Fascist doctrines. And II
the postwar world I am sure thes
American republics will reaffirm tn
bold stand for democracy with whicl
they have resisted the forces of re
action from abroad during the las
decade.
Only recently, at the Inter r-Ameri
can Conference on problems Of wa
and peace at Mexico City, they re
peated their feryent adherence t.
democratic principles, which the,
consider essential for the peace o
the Americas"
Certain Rights Fundamental.
Certain political rights are fun
damental to freedom-free speech
a free press, the right Of peaceabl,
assembly, freedom of conscience an,