AMERICA’S DETERMINATION

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21372, 17 March 1941, Page 7

AMERICA’S DETERMINATION

MR ROOSEVELT’S STIRRING SPEECH TO BECOME ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY GONE INTO ACTION TO FIGHT AGGRESSION (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) ASHINGTON, March 15 “ The big news story of this week is this—the world has been told that we as a united nation realise the danger which confronts us, and that to meet that danger our democracy has gone into action,” said President Roosevelt in his speech at the dinner of the White House Correspondents’ Association, which was broadcast in 14 different languages. “ We know that, although Prussian autocracy was bad enough, Nazism is far worse,” said Mr Roosevelt. “The Nazi forces are not seeking mere modifications of colonial maps or in minor European boundaries—they openly seek the destruction of all elective systems of government on every continent, including our own. They seek to establish systems of government based on the regimentation of all human beings by a handful of individual rulers who have seized power by force. “ These modern tyrants find it necessary to their plans to eliminate all democracies —eliminate them one by one. The nations of Europe, and indeed we ourselves, did not appreciate that purpose. We do now. “ The process of elimination of European nations proceeded according to plan through 1939 and 1940, until the schedule was shot to pieces by the unbeatable defenders of Britain.

Enemies of Democracy The enemies of democracy were wrong in their calculations, for a verj simple reason—they were wrong because they believed that democracy could not adjust itself to the terrible reality of a world at war. They believed that democracy, because of its profound respect for the rights of men, would never arm itself to fight. They believed that democracy, because of its wili to live at peace, could not mobilise its energies, even in its own defence. They know now that democracy can still remain democracy, speak, reach conclusions, and arm itself adequately for defence. “ From the bureaus of propaganda of the Axis Powers came the confident prophecy that the conquest of our country would be an inside job—a job accomplished not by overpowering invasion from without, but by disrupting confusion and disunion and moral disintegration from within. Those who believed that did not know our history. America is not a country which can be confounded by appeasers, defeatists and backstairs manufacturers of panic. It is a country which talks out its problems in the open. “ We have just now been engaged in a great debate. It was not limited to the halls of Congress—it was argued in every newspaper, on every wave-length, and over every crackerbarrel in the land. It was finally settled and decided by the American people themselves. “ Decisions of democracy may be slowly arrived at, but when a decision is made it is proclaimed, not with the voice of any one man, but with the voice of one hundred and thirty millions. It is binding on all of us, and the world is no longer left in doubt. End of Appeasement “ This decision is the end of attempts at appeasement in our land, the end of urging us to get along with the dictators, the end of compromise with tyranny and the forces of oppression. “ The urgency is now. We believe firmly that, when our production output is in full swing, the democracies of the world will be able to prove that the dictatorships cannot win. But now the time element is of supreme importance. Every aeroplane and every other instrument of war, old and new, which we can spare now, we will send overseas. That is com-mon-sense strategy. “ The great task of this day, the deep duty which rests upon us, is to move the products from the assembly lines of our factories to the battle lines of democracy—now. “ Today, at last, ours is not a partial effort—it is a total effort, and that is the only way to guarantee ultimate safety. Beginning a year ago, we started the erection of hundreds of plants and started training millions of men. Then, at the moment the Aid to Democracies Bill was passed, we were ready to recommand a seven-billion-dollar appropriation on the basis of capacity production as now planned. The articles themselves cover the whole range of munitions of war and facilities for transporting them. 44 The Bill was agreed to by both Houses of Congress last Tuesday afternoon. I signed it one half-hour later. Five minutes later I approved a list of articles for immediate shipment. Many of them are on their way. On Wednesday I recommended an approDiiation for new material to the extent of 7.000.000.000 dollars, and Congress is making patriotic speed in making the appropriation available. “ Here in Washington we are thinking in terms of speed, and speed now, and I hope that that watchword will find its way into every home in the nation. We shall have to make sacrifices, every one of us. The final extent of those sacrifices will depend upon the speed with which we act now. Need for Sacrifices “I must tell you to-night in plain language what this undertaking means to you. and to your daily life. Whether you are in the armed services, whether you are a steel worker or a stevedore, a machinist or a housewife, a farmer or a banker, a storekeeper or a manufacturer—to all of you it will mean sacrifice in behalf the country and your liberties. “You will feel the impact of this gigantic effort in your daily lives. You will feel it in a way which will cause many inconveniences. You will have to be content with lower profits from business, because it is obvious that your taxes will be higher. You will have to work longer at your bench or your plough or your machine. “Let me make it clear that the nation is calling for the sacrifice of some privileges, but not for the sacrifice of fundamental rights. Most of

us will do that willingly. That kind of sacrifice is for common national protection and welfare, for our defence against the most ruthless brutality in history, for the ultimate victory of the way of life now so violently menaced.

“Half-hearted effort on our par ; will lead to failure. This is no part time job. The concepts of ‘busines as usual’ and ‘normalcy’ must b forgotten until the task is finished This is an all-out effort. Nothin short of an all-out effort will win. “We are now dedicated from here on a constantly increasing: tempo of production, a production greater than we now know or have ever known before, a production that does not stop and should not pause; and so to-night I am appealing to heart and mind of every man and every woman within our borders who loves liberty. I ask you to consider the needs of our nation at this hour and to put aside all personal differences until our victory is won. Must Be Kept Burning “The light of democracy must b< kept burning. To the perpetuatioi of this light each must do his owr share. The single effort of one indi vidual may seem very small, bu there are 130,000,000 individuals ove: here. There are many more million: in Britain and elsewhere bravely shielding the great flame of democracy from the blackout «?f barbarism. It is not enough for Us merely to trim the wick or polish the glass the time has come when we musprovide fuel in ever-increasinf amounts to keep the flame alight. “There will be no divisions o: party or section or race or nationality or religion. There is not ont among us who does not have a stake in the outcome of the effort in whict we are now engaged. A few weeks ago I spoke of our freedoms—the freedom of speech and expression the freedom of every person to worship God in his own way, freedorr from want, freedom from fear. Thej are the ultimate stake. “They may not be immediately attainable throughout the world, bul humanity does move toward those ideals through democratic processes, If we fail, if democracy is superseded by slavery, then those four freedoms, or even mention of them, will become forbidden things. Centuries will pass before they can be revived. By winning now we strengthen their meaning, we increase the stature of mankind and the dignity of human life. “Dollars alone will not win this war—let us not delude ourselves as to that. To-day nearly a million and a-half American citizens are hard at work in our armed forces. The spirit and determination of these men of our Army and Navy are worthy of the highest traditions of our country. No better men ever served under Washington, or John Paul Jones, or Grant or Lee or Pershing. That is a boast, I admit, but it is not an idle one. Aid for Other Nations “ Upon the national will to sacrifice and to work depends the output of our industry and our agriculture. Upon that will depend the survival of the vital bridge across the ocean —the bridge of ships which carry arms and food for those who are fighting the good light. “ Upon that will depends our ability to aid other nations which may determine to offer resistance. Upon that will may depend practical assistance to people now living m nations which have been overrun, and I hope a day will soon come when they will find an opportunity to strike back in an effort to regain their liberties. “ This will of the American people will not be frustrated either by threats from powerful enemies abroad or by small selfish groups or individuals at home. - The determination of America must not be obstructed by war profiteering. It must not be obstructed by unnecessary strikes of workers, by short-sighted management, or by deliberate sabotage. For. unless we win, there will be no freedom for either management or labour. Wise labour leaders and wise business managers will realise how necessary it is to their own existence to make a common sacrifice for this great common cause. “ There is no longer the slightest question of the present situation. That is why they have demanded, and got, a policy of unqualified, immediate and all aid for Britain, Greece. China, and for all the Governments in exile wnose homelands are temporarily occupied by aggressors. From now on that aid will be increased, and yet again increased.

until total victory has been won. Britain Stronger Than Ever “ The British are stranger than ever in the magnificent morale which has enabled them to endure all the dark days and shattered nights of the past ten months. They have the full support and help of Canada and the other Dominions, of the rest of their Empire and non-British people throughout the world who still think in terms of the great freedoms. The British people are braced for invasion whenever the attempt may come—tomorrow, next week or next month. “ In this historic crisis Britain is blessed with a brilliant and great leader in Winston Churchill, but no ane knows better than Mr Churchill himself that it is not alone his stirring words and valiant deeds which give the British their superb morale. The essence of that morale is in the masses of plain people who are completely clear in their minds' about the non-essential fact that they would rather die as free men than live as slaves. These plain people—civilians as well as soldiers and sailors and airmen, women and girls as well as men and boys—arc fighting in the front line of civilisation, and they are holding that line with fortitude which will forever be the pride and inspiration of all free men cm every continent and on every island of the sea.

“ The British people and their Grecian allies need ships from America. They will get the ships from America. They need aeroplanes from America. They will get aeroplanes. They need food from America. They will get the food. They need tanks and guns and ammunition and supplies of all kinds from America. They will get the tanks and guns and ammunition and supplies of all kinds.

“ China likewise expresses the . magnificent will of millions of plain people to resist the dismemberment j of their nation. Chi'na, thruugh Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, asks our help. America has said that China shall have our help.