Evening star., 1951-07-05

The tert OF President Tru-
n1an's address last night at the
Washington Monument follotDs:.
This is very special occasion
Here in Washington tonight, il
Philadelphia. and throughout 0ul
whole country, we are celebrating
an anniversary Of great impor
Atance. On this day, ITS years ago
the representatives of the Ameri.
& can people declared the independ'
ence of the United States.
4 Our forefatherS in Philadelphia
& not only established new natior
they established a nation baSeC
{ on new idea. They said that al
men were created equal. They
based the whole idea of govern.
ment on this God-given equality O
men. They said that the people
Z had the right to govern them
selves. They said the purpose o.
government was to protect the un'
alienable right Of man to life, lib.
erty, and the pursuit of happiness
These were sensational propoS.
ais. In 1776, a nation based or
such new and radical ideas did moi
appear to have much chance oi
success. In those days. power cen.
tered in Europe. Monarchy wa!
the prevailing form of government
The divine right Of kings was still
widely accepted.
The new Nation was small, re.
mote, poor, and, in 1776, appar.
emily friendless. Europe did no
for a moment believe this new
kind of government would work
and, to tell the truth. fully thirc
of our own people did not believe
1t either.
1t Took Courage and Faith.
We can hardly imagine tht
courage and the faith it took tt
issue the Declaration Of Inde'
pendence in those circumstances
Today, we can see that tn,
members of the Continental Con.
gress were right. Less than two
centuries later, the Nation borr
that day, instead Of being small
stretches across a whole continent
Instead of being poor, the United
States is weather. than any othel
nation in the world. Instead o
being friendless, we have strons
and steadfast Allies.
The Transformation durinl
these ITS years seems to be com
plete; but it is not. Some thing
have not changed at all sine
1776.
For one thing, freedom is still
expensive. 1t costs money. It still
cost blood. It still calls for courag,
and endurance, not only in sol
diers, but in every man and woman
who is free and is determined
to remain free. Freedom must b,
fought for today, just as our IA
theirs had to fight for freedom
when the Nation was born.
For another thing, the ideas OF
which our Government Is founded
s the ideas of equality, of God
given rights, of self-government-
are still revolutionary. Since 1776
they have spread around tn,
world. In France in 1889, in Latin
America in the early 1800's, il
many parts Of Europe in the mid
nineteenth century, these idea
produced new governments ant
new nations. Now In the twentieth
century, these ideas have stirre,
jthe peoples in many countries o
the Middle East and Asia to Great
: free governments, dedicated to tn
welfare of the people. The idea
4 of the American Revolution ar
still on the march.
# Engaged Now In New Idea.
4 There is another way in whicI
sour situation today is much lik
that Of the Americans Of 177l
Now. once more, we are engage
2in launching new idea-one tha
has been talked about for cen
%turies. but never successfully pu
I into effect. In those earlier day,
we were launching a new kind G
national government. This time W
are creating a new kind of inter
national organization. We hav
Joined in setting up the Unite
Nations to prevent war and t
safeguard peace and freedom.
We believe in the United Ma
tionS. We believe it is based o.
the right ideas, as our own coun
try is. We believe it can grow t
be strong, and accomplish 1t
high purposes.
But the United Nations face
q stern, determined opposition. Thi
4 Is an old story. The Declaration Q
Independence was also met by de
termined opposition. A spokesman
for the British King called tn
Declaration "absurb", visionary
and "Subversive". The ideas Q
freedom and equality and self
government were fiercely oppose
in every country by the vested in
terests and the reactionaries. To
day, the idea Of an Information
organization to keep the peace
being attacked and undermine
and fought by reactionary force
everywhere-and particularly b
the forces of Soviet communism.
d. The United Nations will not sue
ceed without struggle, just as th
Declaration of Independence did nc
succeed without a struggle. But tn
American people are not afraid. w
have taken our stand beside otht
free men, because we have know
for ITS years that free men mu.
stand together. We have joined
the defense of freedom without hes
tation and without fear, because "
have known for ITS years that free
dom must be defended.
Stand Has Cost Lives.
This determined stand has CO
us much in the past year. I do NJ
intend to dwell upon the money CO
on the Fourth of July, the day c
which we dedicated "our fortune!
as well as "our lives and our sacre
honor" to the cause of freedom.
am much more deeply concerne
that our stand has cost the lives I
brave men. I report it with sorro'
but with boundless pride in viii
they have done-for the men WI
have fallen in the service of tt
United States during the past We;