State Of National Emergency. Declared In U.S. Roosevelt Tells Nation Must Fight For Freedom

Northern Advocate, 28 May 1941, Page 2

State Of National Emergency. Declared In U.S. Roosevelt Tells Nation Must Fight For Freedom

k PROCLAMATION THAT A STATE OF NATIONAL R EMERGENCY EXISTS IN THE UNITED STATES WAS TODAY ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENT, MR. ROOSEVELT. A solemn announcement to this effect was made by President Roosevelt in culminating the broadcast, for which the world has been waiting with tense expectancy, and which he delivered at Washington this afternoon. Under this proclamation, the President made it clear that authority in the prosecution of defence measures would be armed to its extreme limits. “We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honour,” said the President at the conclusion of his address. Earlier Mr. Roosevelt had declared that the United States would not hesitate to meet any challenge thrown down by the Axis terror. “As President of a united and determined people,” he said, “I reaffirm the ancient American doctrine of freedom of the seas and solidarity of the 21 American Republics, and of the Dominion of Canada. We have pledged economic support to the other democracies, and our pledge must, can and will be fulfilled. “We will decide whether, when and where our interests are threatened or attacked. “Already our arms are being placed in strategic positions. “We will not hesitate to use them if necessary to maintain, cur freedom, tolerance and right to worship God in. the way we think fit.”

Self-interest Admitted

Beginning his address, President Roosevelt described the war as one for world domination. “In what we have done already to keep the dictators away from our hemisphere we have made no pretence about our own selfinterest,” he said. “Great Britain understands that, and so does Nazi Germany. “Cur supplies to Britain will not fail, but will increase.” President Roosevelt dealt scathingly with those who talked of the possibility of a negotiated peace with a Hitler who. with bold and honeyed words, would promise, as lie had done at Munich and elsewhere, that this would be positively his last territorial readjustment.

Strangle U.S. and Canada

Hitler planned to treat the LatinAmerican countries as he was now treating the Balkans planned to strangle the United States and Canada.

American labour would compete with slave labour on standards fixed by Hitler. The farmer would get what

Hitler wanted him to get. There would be complete regimentation, and a Nazi wall to “keep us in.” Freedom of trade was essential to the economic life of the Americans. "The Nazis did not regard any God except Hitler. Will Not be Permitted “We do not accept, and will not permit, the Nazi shape of things to come,” the President declared in ringing tones. “Nazi domination will not be forced upon us if we have the courage and determination of our forefathers.” Speaking of Britain’s heroic holding' of the gate, Mr. Roosevelt referred to the campaign in the East, and said that the Indian Ocean, Hitler’s next goal, was but the gateway to the further East.

He was plotting, too, to occupy Spain and Portugal, and his threat extended to the Atlantic, to Dakar, and the outpost islands of the New World. The Cape Verde Islands were only seven hours’ distant from Brazil by bomber plane. The war was ap proaching the Western Hemisphere; coming closer to home.

Britain’s Epic Resistance

The epic resistance of Britain and her navy so far was frustrating Germany’s plan for complete domination, and the Nazis would never achieve world conquest unless they controlled the sea. To do that it would be necessary for them to capture Great Britain.

Occupied and enslaved peoples, when the war was stabilised to land fighting, would be a prime force in rising to destroy and shatter the Nazi structure.

Freedom of the Seas

All freedom depended upon the freedom of the seas, the President reiterated.

Explaining reasons why convoys were not so effective as in the last War, Mr Roosevelt spoke of the alarming and increasing number of sinkings, many of which were occurring in the waters of the Western Hemisphere.

Shipping losses recently were three times as high as the capacity of Blit-

ish building yards and more than twice the combined output of American and British yards. By speeding up production and by taking steps to reduce the losses this menace could be met and overcome. Call for Realism Creation of German bases at the Azores and Cape Verde Islands would be a springboard against the whole of the Americas. American armed force was being assembled only for the purposes of defence, but use of the word “defence” should be realistic, and defence measures should not await the dropping of bombs in the streets of New York or San Francisco. An attack on the United States could begin from any base menacing her security. Our Bunker’s Hill may be several thousand miles from Boston, Massachusetts. We cannot be content to wait until the enemy is in our front yard, the President said. He revealed that the North and South Atlantic patrols were being steadily added to in planes and ships. The time had come to realise that the safety of American homes bore a definite relationship to the safety of homes in Canada, Cuba or Brazil. United Country He appealed to Latin America to disregard those few United States citizens who spoke of their country as being disunited and unable to act. Those were only the timid ones and a few fifth columnists. Democracy had never been lost by fighting a successful war to defend it. “Our freedom has shown the ability to survive war; it would not survive surrender. The only thing we have to fear fear itself. The country has a right to expect all citizens to take a loyal part in its defence preparedness. “We choose the way of human freedon —the Christian ideal. We will not accept a Hitler dominated world or the post-war world of the 1920’s in which the seeds of Hitlerism can be implanted and allowed to grow.