Truman Holly Attacks Communism: ‘New Deal" For Peace

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22850, 21 January 1949, Page 5

Truman Holly Attacks Communism: ‘New Deal" For Peace

(11 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Jan. 20. Before a hushed crowd massed in front of the Capitol building,- President Truman, in his Presidential inaugural address today, made a fierce and bitter attack on the “false philosophy” of communism. He then laid down a four-point programme for its defeat and for world peace.

The programme to which he pledged the- United States was: 1. To give unfaltering support to the United Nations. 2. To continue programmes for world economic recovery. 3. To strengthen tiie “freedomloving nations against the dangers of aggression.” 4. To make the benefits of American scientific advances and industrial progress available for the improvement of underdeveloped areas.”

Basis oi Freedom and Happiness

"On the basis of these four major courses, we hope to help to create conditions that will lead eventually to personal freedom and happiness for all mankind,” he said.

President Truman's speech was the climax of the inauguration festivities celebrating his election to the nation’s highest office for the next four years. He took the solemn oath of office from Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson, turned to the assembled members of the Cabinet, Congress, Supreme Court and diplomatic corps and then, with very little preamble, launched his attack on communism.

“The American people desire and are determined to work for a world in which ail nations and all peoples are free to govern themselves as they see fit and to achieve a decent and satisfying life,” he declared. “Above all else, our people desire and are determined to work for peace on earth—a just and lasting peace based on genuine agreement, freely arrived at by equals.

“In pursuit of these aims, the United States and other like-minded nations find themselves directly opposed by a regime with contrary aims and a totally different concept of life. That regime adheres to a false philosophy which purports to offer freedom, security and greater opportunity to mankind. “Misled by this philosophy, many peoples have sacrificed their liberties only to learn to their sorrow that deceit and mockery, poverty and tyranny are their reward. “False Philosophy”

“That false philosophy is communism. Communism is based on the belief that man is so weak and inadequate that he is unable to govern himself and, therefore, requires the rule of strong masters. “Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity as well as the inalienable right to govern himself with reason and justice. Communism subjects the individual to arrest without lawful cause, punishment without., trial and labour is the chattel of the State.

“It decrees what information he shall receive, what art he shall produce, the leaders he shall follow and what thoughts he shall think. "Democracy maintains that government is established for the benefit of the individual and is charged with the responsibility of protecting the rights of the individual and his freedom in the exercise of his abilities. "Communism maintains that social wrongs can be corrected only by violence. “Democracy has proved that social justice can be achieved through a peaceful change. Threat To Free Nations "Communism holds that the world is so deeply divided into opposing classes that war is inevitable. “Democracy holds that the free nations can settle their differences justlv and maintain lasting peace. “These differences between communism and democracy do not concern the United States alone. People everywhere are coming to realise that what is involved is material well-being, human dignity and the right to believe in and worship God. “I state these differences not to draw issues of belief as such, but because the actions resulting from the Communist philosophy are a threat to the efforts of the free nations to bring about world recovery and lasting peace.”

Asserting that the initiative is ours. President Truman said: “We are ready to undertake new projects to strengthen the free world.” He outlined his four-point programme which, Reuter’s correspondent in Washington describes as “a New Deal for the world, backed diplomatically, militarily and economically by the United States.” President Truman’s statement on the programme in detail is:

“1. We will continue to gave unaltering support to the United Nations and related agencies and will continue to search for ways to strengthen their authority and increase their GflGCtivCllCSS. “We believe the United Nations will be strengthened by new nations which are being formed in lands now advancing toward self-government under democratic principles. 2. “We will continue our programmes for world recovery. This means first of all that we must keep our full weight behind the European recovery programme. “We are confident of the success of this major venture in world recovery. We believe that our partners in this effort will achieve the status of self-supporting nations once they carry.out our plans for reducing barriers to world trade and increasing its volume. Economic recovery and peace itself depend on increased world trade. Strengthen Free Countries 3. "We will strengthen the free-dom-loving nations against the dangers of aggression. We are now working out with a number of countries a joint agreement designed to strengthen the security of the North Atlantic area. “Such an agreement will take the form of a collective defence arrangement within the terms of the United Nations Charter,. We have already established such a defence pact for the Western Hemisphere by the treaty of Rio de Janeiro. “The primary purpose of these agreements is to provide unmistakeable proof of joint determination of the free countries to resist armed attack from any quarter. “Each country participating in these arrangements must contribute all it can to common defence. “If we can make it sufficiently clear in advance that any armed attack affecting our national security would be met with overwhelming force, the armed attack might never occur. “I hope soon to send to the Senate a treaty respecting the North Atlantic Security Plan. “In addition we will provide military advice and equipment to the free nations which will co-operate with us in the maintenance of peace and security. 4. “We must embark on a bold new programme for making the benefits of our scientific advances and industrial progress available for the improvement and growth of the under-developed areas.

"More than half the people of the world are living in conditions approaching misery. Their food is inadequate, they are victims of disease. Their economic life is primitive and stagnant. Their poverty is a handicap and a threat both to them and to the more prosperous areas. Co-operative Enterprise

“For the first time in history, humanity possesses the' knowledge and skill to relieve the suffering of these people. The United States is pre-eminent among nations in the development of industrial and scientific technique. Tha material resources which we can afford to use for the assistance of other people are limited, but our imponderable resources in technical knowledge are constantly growing and are inexhaustible. "I believe we should make available to the peace-loving peoples the benefits of our store of technical knowledge in order to help them realise their aspirations for a better life and, in co-operation with other nations, we should foster capital investment in areas needing development. “Our aim should be to help the free peoples of the world through their own efforts to produce more food, more clothing, more materials for housing and more mechanical power to lighten their burdens.

"We invite other countries to pool their technical resources in this undertaking. Their contributions will be warmly welcomed. This should be a co-opeartive enterprise wherein all nations work together through the United Nations and its specialised agencies, wherever practicable. It must be a world-wide effort for the achievement of peace, plenty and freedom. Old Imperialism Discarded “The old imperialism—exploitation for foreign profit—has no place in our plans. “What we envisage is a programme of development based on the concepts of democratic fair dealing. All countries, including our own, will greatly benefit from a constructive programme for the better use of the world’s human, and natural resources.

“Experience shows that our commerce, with other countries, expands as they progress industrially and economically. Greater production is the key to prosperity and peace and the key to greater productivity is the wider and more vigorous application of modern scientific and technical knowledge. "Only by helping the least fortunate of its members to help themselves can the human family achieve a decent satisfying life that is the right of all people. ' , . .. “Democracy alone can supply the vitalising force to stir the peoples of the world into triumphant action not only against their human oppressors hut also against their ancient enemies—hunger, misery and despair.” President Truman said that on the basis of those four courses of action, the United States hoped to build conditions that would lead eventually to personal freedom and happiness for all mankind.

Hunger For Righteousness

“Our allies are the millions who hunger and thirst after righteousness," he said. “In due time, as our stability becomes manifest and as more and more nations come to know the benefits of democracy and to participate in the growing abundance. I believe that those countries which now oppose us will abandon their delusions and join with the free nations of the world in a just settlement of international differences.” Concluding his speech, which Washington reporters are already branding as one of the most momentous since the Secretary of State, Mr. Marshall’s, famous Marshall Plan speech at Harvard University in 1947, President Truman solemnly declared:

“Events have brought our American democracy to a new influence and new responsibilities. They will test our courage, our devotion to dutv and our concept of liberty. But I say to all men, what we have achieved in liberty we will surpass in greater liberty. “Steadfast in our faith in the Almighty, we will advance towards a world where man’s freedom is secure. To that end we will devote our strength, our resources and our firmness of resolve. With God’s help, the future of mankind will be assured in a world of justice, harmony and peace.”