Evening star., 1948-07-25
Text of Wallace Speech Accepting Party Nomination

today, we are told, there is enjoyed
peace with Justice"
This so-called just peace is not
Just. 1t Is a peace which rebuilds
the war-making potential OF Ger
man industry In the western zone.
i This Justice is being dispensed by
local judges, Of whom TO per cent
are former Nazi officials. German
war industry is on the rise again
and its managers are the same
Krupp and I. G. Farben men who
made Germany into Iitlerland.
There is no peace. no justice-for
either Allies or former enemies in
our German policy. It is child
born of lust for power and profit.
With a Germany groomed and
muscled as the easternmost outpost
Of another war, we cannot make q
peace. Nor can the world which
watches helplessly.
Door Slammed on Invitation.
/ I repeat. II I were President,
there would be no crisis in Berlin.
Do you remember when-only two
months ago-our Ambassador to-
Moscow sent a note to the Kremlin?
1t was note which seemed to be
an invitation to sit around the table
of reason-an invitation to talk
over the problems which have Gre
sted this continued state of crisis.
Do you remember how the Russians
responded with what seemed like
real eagerness? You remember that
day.
1t was as If somebody had sud-
denly declared peace. Sit down and
talk it over, we said--that's the way
But what happened9
| Within twenty-four hours, our ad.
ministration, having consulted its
carbon-copy opposite party, slammed
the door 1t had itself swung open.
On that day, addressed an open
letter to Premier Stain. I detailed
a program which would have safe
guarded the interests of both ma
tions and preserved the peace. Ten
days later, when Stain responded to
that open letter, the get tough" boys
slammed the door again. Since that
time. there have been no more ap-
proaches-except toward conflict !.
There are two sides to every curtain.
And so. Germany still testers at
the heart Of all peace making
yet, by closing the door to peace
talks with Russian leaders, nothing
remains but the fruitless discus
sions of minor of1icials in Berlin.
I say the peace Of the world is
far too fragile to be shuttled back
and forth through d narrow air
corridor in freighter planes.
Lives Too Precious.
say the lives of our children,
and our children's parents, are far
too precious to be left to the tenn
pers OF second lieutenants at road
barriers where zone meets zone
or to the generals who are quoted
calmly as favoring a show of
strength"
I say that if reasonable men, men
without special interests, peace-lov-
ing men-if Franklin Roosevelt were
in Washington todAy-there would
be no crisis in Berlin. Long before
this. the leaders of both nations
would have rooted out the causes
for conflict.
We hear 1t said that we should
have showdown at Berlin. But
what is the showdown about? What
is the American public interest
which will be served by q show
down? There may be some private
interests some interests of
Dillon, Read and international
bankers. But there Is no public in
terest. Dillon. Reads distinguished
alumni. Secretary Forrestal and
Gen. Draper and Deweys Wall
Street lawyer. John F. Dulles, are
major advisers on this issue, but
I have yet to meet the American
In shop or field or college or in
dependent business who wants to
give up his life to defend Dillon,
Read.
1 think we should look coldly at
some of the facts which confront us
If the cold war developed into a
hot war;
There is not a single nation on
the European continent prepared to
put an army into the field to de-
fend Anglo-Saxon, that Is, British
and American policies.
Armies Can't Be Bought.
We can buy generals with dollars,
but we can't buy wartime armies
These generals won't die in battle.
Soldiers would. We can support
and we are upporting-armies dur
ing this time OF cold war But we
can't purchase suicide. We can
buy governments, but we can't buy
people.
1t is said that we must have a
showdown or lose prestige. Truman
may lose prestige. Dulles may lose
prestige. But the American people
won't lose prestige by demanding
fundamental discussions looking to
peace. Our prestige in Germany
went sinking when we divided Ger
many and established the Western
sector as an American and British
Puerto Rico-as a colony. When we
did that we gave up Berlin politi-
cally and we can't lose anything by
giving it up militarily in a search
for peace.
We who are met here tonight
who are met here at time of crisis
ARE talking to the people of the
United States and the world on be.
half of the everlasting principles of
the founding fathers Of our country.
We who are gathered here tonight
recall the crisis Of $50 years ago
when Thomas Jefferson WAS at.
tackled here in the city Of Philadel-
phia--attacked because he spoke
courageously for the peaceful settle.
ment Of alleged differences between
the United States and France.
1t was time Of terror unsur.
passed till now
/ Thomas Jefferson was slandered
as the tool of French revolutionaries
bought with French gold.
Death Of a Party.
One hundred and fifty years ago
Thomas Jefferson took leadership in
forming a new party-a successful
new party which overcame the odds
of a hostile press. of wealth and