Evening star., 1946-10-11
By the Assoeio,.d Press

LONDON, Oct. u.-The tert
of Prime Minister Attlee's speech
to the House OF Commons on the
Roosevelt memorial bill:
rise to move the second reading
of this bill, which will, hope and
believe, receive the unanimous sup
port of the House. Early in 1915,
soon after the grievous news of the
death of President Roosevelt was
received, the present leader Of the
opposition winston ChurchilD pro-
posed the erection of a memorial to
him in this country. Mr.. Churchill
was not only the Prime Minister of
the United Kingdom, but had been
the close friend of the President for
many years, and everybody knows
what inestimable advantage ac-
crued to this country and the Allied
cause from the intimate comrade-
ship of the two leaders OF their
people.
The measure now before the
House is designed to enable the pro-
posal then made to be given tangible
form. I am glad to know it has
the approval of Mr.. Churchill and
that he will be speaking in sup
port of the motion. Here in London
we already have statues in honor
of the memories Of two great Amer
lean Presidents, George Washing
ton and Abraham Lincoln, and it is
fitting we should pay similar tribute
to Franklin Roosevelt.
He we desire to honor was first
and foremost a great American in
peace. In the dark days of trade
depression and unemployment, he
initiated and carried through bold
and original policies of reconstruc-
ton. In war, he was the leader and
inspirer of great nation, fighting
in defense OF the principles on which
it was founded. He was also a
great international statesman who
saw his own country, not in isola-
ton, but as leading actor on the
stage of world affairs.
Defined Freedoms.
He realized that the great position
attained by the United States among
nations brought with it great respon-
sibility. A month before America
was in the war, he defined the five
(sic) freedoms which set before
the common people of the world the
aims to be realized when peace had
been attained. In August, 1941, while
America was still at peace, he with
Mr.. Churchill drew up the Atlantic
Charter, the text of which I had
the privilege of reading to the British
people over the wireless.
Perhaps the greatest example of
his foresight and wisdom was the
arrangement he made that the rep
lresentatives of the United Nations
should meet at San Francisco while
the war was still raging in order
to lay the foundations of a new
organization for the prevention of
wars in the future.
This action illustrates two of his
outstanding qualities-courage and
faith. The same courage which
enabled him to overcome the Grip
pling effects of serious illness
enabled him to reach bold decisions
in world affairs. His political
philosophy was simple and straight
forward, based on the principles of
liberty and social justice which are
the foundation stones of o,1r civil
lization.
He opposed aggression, whether of
individuals or state, and devoted
himself to serving the common man.
He died at his post before final
victory had been achieved, but not
before he had the certitude that the
cause for which he worked would be
triumphant. Here in this house we
think of him mainly as q great
leader of freedom and democracy, as
a loyal and true friend to this
country. No one more clearly than
he realized that our fight against