FULL REQUITAL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21808, 3 September 1945, Page 3

FULL REQUITAL

AMERICANS’ DAY PRESIDENT SPEAKS NEW ERA OF SECURITY GRATITUDE TO GOD i 9.30 am.) WASHINGTON, Sept. 2. President Truman, speaking following the signing ot the surrender, said: “The thoughts and hopes of all America —indeed, all the civilised world—are centred to-night on the battleship Missouri. There, on that small piece of American soil anchored in Tokio harbour, the Japanese have just officially laid down their arms. They have signed terms of unconditional surrender

“Four years ago the thoughts and fears of the whole civilised world were centred on another piece of American soil —Pearl Harbour. The mighty threat to civilisation which began there has now been laid at rest. It was a long road to Tokio and a bloody one We shall not forget Pearl Harbour. The Japanese militarists will n< t. forget the Missouri. The evil done by the Japanese war lords can never be taken from them. Their armies ar.J what is left of their navy are now impotent. “Sense of Gratitude” “To all of us comes first a sense of gratitude to Almig.ity God who nas sustained us and our Allies in the dark days of gr.ire danger, Who maae us grow from weakness into the strongest fighting force in history and Who now secs us overcome the forces of tyranny that sought to destroy His civilisation. God grant in our hour of pride we may not forget the hard tasks still before us and that we may approach these with the same courage, zeal, and patience with which we faced the trials and problems of the past four years Our first thoughts, of course, go to those of our loved ones who have been killed or maimed, in this terrible war on land, sea and air. American men and women have given their lives so that this day of ultimate victory might come and assure the survival of the civilised world. Nc4 victory can make good their loss. It is our responsibility to see this Victory shall be a monument worthy of the dead who died to win it.

Tribute to Roosevelt “We think of our departed gallant leader, President Roosevelt, defender of democracy and architect of world peace and co-operation. Our thoughts go out to our gallant Allies, to those who resisted the invaders, to those who were not strong enough to hold out but who, nevertheless, kept the fires of resistance alive within the souls of their people, and to those who stood up against great odds and held the lines until the United Nations together were able to supply the arms and men with which to overcome the forces of evil. “This is victory of more than arms alone—this is a victory of liberty over tyranny. It was the spirit of liberty which gave us our armed strength and which made our men invincible ’in battle. We now know that the spirit of liberty, freedom of the individual, and the dignity of man are the strongest, toughest, and most enduring forces ,in the world.

“Liberty does not make all men perfect nor all society secure, but it has provided more solid progress, happiness and decency for more people than any other philosopsy or Government in history. This day has shown again that it provides the greatest strength and the greatest power which man has ever reached. We .know that under it we can meet the nard problems of peace which come on us. Future Faced With Confidence “A free people with free allies who can develop the atomic bomb can use the same skill, energy and determination to overcome ail the difficulties ahead. Victory alway_ has burdens and responsibilities as well as rejoicing, but we face the future and all its dangers with great confidence and hope. America can build for itself a future of employment and security. With the United Nations, it can build a world of peace, founded on justice, fair dealing and tolerance.” “As President of the United States, I proclaim September 2 V.P.-Day. It is not yet the day for the formal proclamation of the war’s end or the cessation of hostilities, but it is a day which we Americans shall always remember as tiie day of retribution as we remember that other day of infamy. From this day. we move forward toward a new era of security at home. With the other United Nations we move forward toward a new and better world of peace, international goodwill and co-operation.”