Evening star., 1949-04-05
Text of Trumon's Address

MS Address
herence of the United States to this
pact does not signify a lessening of
American concern for the security
and welfare of other areas. Such
as the Near East. The step we are
taking today should serve to reas-
sure peace-loving peoples every
where and pave the way for the
worldwide stability and peaceful
development which we all seek.
No Purpose of Aggression.
Twice in recent years, nations
have felt the sickening blow of un-
provoked aggression. Our peoples,
to whom our governments are re-
sponsible, demand that these things
shall not happen again.
We are determined that they shall
not happen again.
In takinr steps to prevent aggres-
sion against our own peoples, we
have no purpose of aggression
against others. To suggest the con-
trary is to slander our institutions
and defame our ideals and our
aspirations.
The nations represented here are
bound together by ties Of long stand
ing. We are Joined by a common
heritage of democracy, individual
liberty and the rule of law. These
are the ties of a peaceful way of
life. In this pact we merely give
them formal recognition.
With our common traditions We
face common problems. We are, to
large degree, industrial nations,
and we face the problem of master
ing the forces of modern technology
In the public interest.
To meet this problem successfully
we must have a world in which we
can exchange the products of our
labor not only among ourselves but
with other nations. We have come
together in a great cooperative
economic effort to establish this
kind of world.
We are determined to work to-
gether to provide better lives for
our people without sacrificing our
common ideals of justice and hu-
man worth.
Shield Against Aggression.
But we cannot succeed II our
people are haunted by the constant
fear of aggression. and burdened by
the cost of preparing their nations
individually against attack.
In this pact, we hope to create s
shield against aggression and the
fear of aggression-a bulwark which
will permit us to get on with the
real business of government and
society, the business of achieving a
fuller and happier life for our citi-
zens.
We shall, no doubt, go about this
business in different ways. There
are different kinds of governmental
and economic systems, just as there
are different languages and different
cultures. But these differences pre-
sent no real obstacle to the voluntary
association of free nations devoted
to the common cause of peace
We believe that 1t is possible for
nations to achieve unity on the
great principles of human freedom
and Justice, and at the same time
to permit, in other respects, the
greatest diversity of which the
human mind is capable.
Our faith in this kind of unity Is
borne out by our experience here In
the United States in creating one
nation out of the variety of Our con-
tinental resources and the peoples
of many lands.
Contrast TO Police State.
This method of organizing diverse
peoples and cultures Is In direct
contrast to the method of the police
state, which attempts to achieve
unity by imposing the same beliefs
and the same rule of force on every
one.
We believe that our method
of achieving international unity
through the voluntary association OF
different countries dedicated to a
common cause Is an effective step
toward bringing order to our
troubled world.
For us, war Is not inevitable. We
do not believe that there are blind
tides Of history which sweep men
one way or the other. In our own
time we have seen brave men over
come obstacles that seemed ins1r- :
mountable and forces that seemed
overwhelming. Men with courage
and vision can still determine their
own destiny. They can choose
slavery or freedom--war or peace.
I have no doubt which they win
choose. The treaty we are signing
here today Is evidence Of the path
they viii follow.
If there is anything certain today.
II there Is anything inevitable In
the future, it Is the will OF the peo-
pile of the world for freedom and
peace.