Evening star., 1947-09-02
Text of Truman Address at Inter- American Conference
BY the Assoeioted Press

and Security, ladies and gentle
men: ;.
1t is a distinguished privilege to
address the final session of this his
toric conference. You are assem-
bled here as the representatives OF
the nations of this hemisphere,
which have been banded together
for over half a century in the inter-
American system. You have sue
cessfully accomplished the task OF
putting into permanent form the
commitments made in the act OF
Chapultepec. You have made 1t
clear to any possible aggressor that
the American republics are deter
mined to support one another
against attacks.
Our nations have provided an ex-
ample of good neighborliness and
international amity to the rest of
the world, and in our association
together we have strengthened the
fabric of the United Nations. You
! can be justly proud Of the achieve
ments of this conference and
commend the noble spirit which has
inspired your efforts.
The cordial and gracious invita-
ton of President Dutra to visit
this beautiful land has allowed me
to fulfill a desire have long cher
ished. I consider it most fortunate
that am enabled also to meet with
the Foreign Ministers and other
leaders of the American republics.
Thus, in a sense, I am visiting not
only Brazil, but I am visiting all OF
your countries, since each OF you
carries his country in his heart.
U. S. Realizes Obligation.
While we are assembled here to-
pether, wish to discuss with you
the responsibilities which our ma
tions share as result of the recent
war. For our part, the United
States is deeply conscious OF its po-
sition in world affairs. We recognize
that we have an obligation and that
we share this obligation with other
nations of the Western Hemisphere.
Therefore, I take this occasion to
give you a frank picture of our
view of our responsibility and how
we are trying to meet 1t.
The people of the United States
engaged in the recent war in the
deep faith that we were opening
the way to a free world, and that
out of the terrible suffering caused
bv the war something better would
emerge than the world had known
before.
The postwar era, however, has
brought us bitter disappointment
and deep concern.
We find that number OF nations
are still sujected to type OF foreign
domino zion which we fought to
overcome. Many of the remaining
peoples of Europe and Asia live
under the shadow Of armed aggres-
sion.
No agreement has been reached
among the Allies on the main out
lines of a peace settlement. In
consequence, we are obliged to con-
template a prolonged military occu-
patton of enemy territories. This
is profoundly distasteful to our
people.
Recovery Tagging in Europe.
Almost everywhere in Europe eco
nomic recovery has Jagged. Great
urban and industrial areas have
been left in state of dependence
on our economy which is as painful
to us as it is to them. Much OF
this economic distress is due to the
paralysis of political fear and un-
certainty in addition to the devas-
tation caused by war.
This situation has impeded the
return to normal economic condl-
tions everywhere in the world and
has hampered seriously our efforts
to develop useful forms of economic
llaboration with our friends IN
other areas.
We did not fully anticipate these
developments. Our people did not
conceive, when we were fighting the
war. that we would be faced with
a situation of this nature when
hostilities ceased. Our planning for
peace presupposed a community OF
nations sobered and brought to-
gether by frightful suffering ano
staggering losses, more than ever
appreciative of the need for mutual
tolerance and consideration, and
dedicated to the task of peaceful
reconstruction.
.f q l.
tions which now prevail, we have
faced some difficult problems Of ad-
justment in our foreign policy. I
would not say that we have made
no mistakes. But I think that the
elements of the policy we have
evolved thus far are sound and
justifiable.
| u. S. Wants World Peace.
The fundamental basis of the pol
icy of the United States is the desire
for permanent world peace.
We are determined that, In the
company of our friends, we shall
achieve that peace.
We are determined because OF the
belief of our people in the principle
that there are basic human rights
which all men everywhere should
enjoy. Men can enjoy these rights
the right to life itself, and the
right to share fully in the bounties
of modern civilization-only when
the threat of war has been ended
! forever.
| The attainment. of worldwide re-
spect for essential human rights Is
synonymous with the attainment of
world peace. The peoples OF the
earth want a peaceful world, a
prosperous world, and free world,
and when the basic rights of men
everywhere are observed and re-
spected, there will be such world.
We know that in the hearts Of
common people everywhere there is
a deep longing for stability and
for settled conditions in which men
can attain personal security and a
decent livelihood for themselves and
their children. We know that there
are aspirations for better and a
finer life which are common to all
humanity. We knoW-and the