America Becomes Dynamo For Democracies

Northern Advocate, 17 March 1941, Page 6

America Becomes Dynamo For Democracies

Realising Its Danger, United Nation Goes Into Action

Roosevelt’s Pledge To “Give Us The Tools”

(Received 10.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, 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 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. Britain Uiabeafafiile “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. “The enemies of democracy were wrong in their calculations, for a very simple reason —they were wrong because they believed that democracy could not adjust itself to the terrible reality of a world 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 will to live at peace, could not mobilise its energies, even its own defence.

“They now know that democracy can still remain democracy, speak, reach conclusions, and arm itself adequately for defence,

“Prom the bureau of propaganda of fhe 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, hut 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 cracker-barrel in the land.

“It was finally settled and decided by the American people themselves.

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“Decisions of ou* 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 130 millions. It is binding on all of us, and the world is no longer left in doubt. “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 wax’, old and new, which we can spare now, we will send overseas. That is commonsense sti’ategy. Total Effort, “The great task of this day, the deep duty which rests upon us, is to

meve 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 recommend 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. 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 appropriation for new material to the extent of 7,000,000,000 dollars, and Congress is making patriotic speed in making the appropriation available.

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“Here in Washington we are thinking in terms of speed, and speed now, and I hope that that watchword will find its way into evex-y 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.

ultimate victory of the way of life now so violently menaced.

Dedicated to Produce.

“Half-hearted effort on our part will lead to failure. This is no part-time job.

“The concepts of ‘business as usual’ and ‘normalcy’ must be forgotten until the task is finished. This is an all-cut effort. Nothing short of an all-cut effort will win. “We are now dedicating from here on to 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 tonight I am appealing to the heart 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. “The light of.democracy must be kept burning. To the perpetuation of this light each must do its own share. The single effort of one individual may seem very small, but there are 130,000,000 individuals over here. “There are many more millions in Britain and elsewhere bravely shielding the great flame of from the blackout of barbarism.

“I must tell you tonight 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 on behalf of 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 pr 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

“It is not enough for us merely tc trim the wick or polish the glass; the time has come when we must provide fuel in evei’-increasing amounts to keep the flame alight.