Evening star., 1949-06-12
BY the Assecioted Press

BY the Assseioted Press
LITTLE ROCK. Ark, June
11.-The tert of President TYu-
mans address today at the
dedication of the World War
Memorial Park in Little Rock
tolloWs::
We are here to dedicate this
beautiful park to the memory OF
the dead of two World Wars.
The brave men who lost their
lives in those wars would approve
of the way you have chosen to
honor them. This park will be
a place of rest and recreation
It is fitting that war memorial
should be something that can be
used and enjoyed by the people
Nothing could be more appropriate
than to devote a war memorial
to those values of human life which
our soldiers died to preserve-the
values of freedom and peace.
We are not a niilitaristic country
We do not glorify the military way
of life. Some nations have taken
greater pride in their military VIC
tories than in any other national
achievements, but it has never been
so with us. When we think of war
1t is with a prayer that the sac
rifices our dead have made will
never have to be repeated.
Resolutions Not Enough.
After every war we have solemnly
resolved to prevent future wars.
We have learned, however, that 1t
is not enough to make resolutions
1t is not enough to utter them
in speeches or to engrave them on
monuments. We have learned that
we must devote the best efforts Of
our whole Nation to make those
resolutions come true.
We entered the First World War
to restore peace and To preserve
human freedom; but when that war
was finished, we turned aside from
the task we had begun. We turned
our backs upon the League OF
Nations-the international organ1-
zation which was established to
maintain peace. We ignored the
economic problems of the world,
and adopted a tariff policy which
only made them worse. We let
our domestic affairs fall into the
hands of selfish interests.
We failed to join with others
to take the steps which might have
prevented a Second World War.
This time we are fully aware Of
the mistakes htat were made in the
past. We are on guard against
the indifference and isolationism
which can only lead to the tragedy
of war. This time We will not let
our decisions be made for us by
a little group Of men who are con-
cerned only with their own special
interests.
Measures Taken for Peace.
This time we have taken vigorous
and far-seeing measures to pre-
serve peace and restore prosperity
throughout the world. We have
assumed the responsibility that !
believe God intended this great
republic to assume after the First
World War. We have shouldered
the enormous responsibilities that
20 with our tremendous strength.
We have been fortunate in having
many public servants OF ability ana
vision who have devoted themselves
to the problems of foreign affairs
and national defense. We have able
leaders in the Congress, who have
mastered the complex details OF our
relations with other nations. They
have made themselves familiar with
the effects of our policies in all
parts of the globe. They have
labored painstakingly to enact a
body of legislation to carry out the
responsibilities we have assumed.
Most significant Of all, the people
of this country understand the
supreme Importance Of our foreign
policy and the great objectives
toward which we are moving.
Public debate has threshed out
the basic questions Of our foreign
policy. The people have made up
their minds. They have supported
and will continue to support, the
measures necessary to maintain
peace.
Have Turned the Tide.
We have had to work for peace
In the face of troubled conditions
and against Communist pressures.
But because we have been united
in our determination to use our
strength and our substance, we have
already turned the tide in favor
of freedom and peace. The disin-
tergration of the democracies OF
Europe has been halted. Free
peoples in many parts of the world
have been given new hope and
new confidence. The restoration OF
a system of world trade has begun,
and all this has been accomplished
without closing the door to peaceful
negotiation of the differences be-
tween the free nations and the
Soviet Union.
But we are only midway In carry
ing out our policy. We have q long
way to 20 before we can make the
free world secure against the social
and political evils on which COM
munism thrives. The cause of peace
and freedom is still threatened.
Yet there are some who have
grown weary of the effort we are
making. There are voices which
claim that because oalr policy has
been successful so far, we can now
afford to relax. There are some
who want to slash the aid we are
giving to the. economic recovery OF
other nations; there are some who
want to reject the measures that
are necessary for defense against
aggression; there are some who wish
to abandon our efforts toward the
revival of world trade. These are
the same voices that misled us
in the 1920s. They are misguided
by short-run considerations. They
refuse to face the plain facts. They
try to convince us that We cannot
afford to pay the price of peace.
will Not be Misled.
But the people of the United
States will not be misled second
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