MR. ROOSEVELT DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN U.S.A.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 124, 29 May 1941, Page 5

MR. ROOSEVELT DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN U.S.A.

AXIS MUST BE STOPPED

WHOLE WORLD IS IN DANGER HITLER, WITHOUT CONTROL OF THE SEA, CANNOT WIN EXTENSION OF NAVAL PATROLS TO ENSURE HELP FOR BRITAIN London, May 29. Speaking al While House. Washington, President Ivoosevelt, m a nation-wide broadcast, declared a state of emergency in the L'nitcd States, and warned the nation that it could not accept any so-called peace negotiated by Hitler. Without control of the sea Hitler could not win, i he President said, and that was •why the Nazis were trying 10 break through to gain the seas.

(Recd. 9.40 p.m.i Washington, May 27. “Now. as never before, the unity of American people is of supreme importance to each and every one of us. and to the cause of freedom throughout the world. The pressing problems that confront us are military problems,” President Roosevelt said. “We cannot afford to approach them from the point of view of wishful thinking or as sentimentalists. The fundamental fact is that what started as the European War has developed, as the Nazis always intended it should develop, into a world war for world domination. It is unmistakably apparent to all of us that, unless the advance of Hitlerism is forcibly cheeked now. the Western Hemisphere will be in range of Nazi weapons of destruction.”

The President went on to review rhe necessary measures already undertaken for the defence of the linked States, and the aid given the democracies, culminating in the passage of the Lend and Lease Act. ‘'Our whole programme of aid for the democracies has been based on hard-headed concern for our own security and for the kind of safe, civilised world in which we wish to live,” he said. “Every dollar of material we send helps to keep the dictators away from our own hemisphere. Every day they are held off gives us time to build more guns, tanks, planes and ships. Made No Pretence. "We have made no pretence about our own self-interest in this aid. Britain understands it; so does Germany. We have doubled and redoubled our vast production. We are increasing month by month the material to supply the tools of war for ourselves, Britain and China eventually, all th- * „_v.es. The supply u£ tnese tools will not fail. It will increase with augmented strength. Your Government knows what terms Hitler, if victorious, would impose. They are indeed the only terms on which he would accept a socalled negotiated peace. Germany would literally parcel out the world, hoisting the swastika over vast territories and populations, and setting up a puppet Government of her own choosing, wholly subject to the will of the conqueror.” Nazis Plan ta Strangle T'.S.A. “Quislings would be found to subvert the Governments in our Republics, and the Nazis would back fifth columns with invasion if necessary. The Nazis plan to treat Latin American nations as they are now treating the Balkans.

“They plan to strangle the United States of America and Canada, American labour would have to compete with slave labour in the rest of the world on minimum wages and maximum hours. The dignity, power and standard of the American worker and farmer would be gone. Trade unions would become historical relics, and a collective bargaining joke. The American farmer would < get for his products exactly what Hitler wanted to give. He would face obvious disaster and complete regimentation. “Tariff walls would be futile. Freedom of ’rade is essential to our economic life. The whole fabric of working life as we know it—business, manufacturing, mining, agriculture—all would be mangled and crippled under such a system. Yet to maintain even that crippled independence would require permanent conscription of our manpower. We would be pouring our resources into armaments and year in and year out standing watch against the deslruction of our cities. “We do not accept, and will not permit, this Nazi shape of things to come if we act in this present crisis with the wisdom and courage which has distinguished our country in all the crises of the past. Control of the Seas “Axis power can never achieve the objective of world domination unless they first obtain control of the seas. This is their supreme purpose to-day and to achieve it they must capture Britain, but it they fail to gain control of the the seas they will certainly be defeated. Their dreams of world domination will then go by the board and the criminal leaders will suiter inevitable disaster. That is why they are risking everything in desperate attempts to break through to command the sass. “Once they are limited to continuing a land war their cruel forces in occupation will be unable to keep their heel on the necks of millions of Innocent and oppressed peoples on the

Continent of Europe, and, in the e.'.d, their whole structure will break into little pieces. Even those Italians and Germans, who, themselves, have been enslaved, will prove to be a powerful force in disrupting the Nazi system. Battle of the Atlantic "The Battle of the Atlantic now extends from the icy waters of the North Pole to the frozen continent of the Antarctic. Throughout this huge area there have been sinkings of merchant ships in alarming and increasing numbers by Nazi raiders or submarines. “The blunt truth’ is, and I reveal this with the full knowledge of the British Government, the present rate of Nazi sinkings of merchant ships is more uian three times as higli as the capacity of the British shipyards to replace them. It is more than twice the combined British and American output of merchant Ships. Two Ways of Meeting the Issue. ■■To-'t->- can answer this peri; „ simultaneous measures. The first by speeding up and increasing our great shipbuilding programme. The second is by helping to cut down losses on high seas attacks on shipping off the very shores we are determined to protect—the present actual military danger to the Americas. That danger recently has been heavily underlined by the presence in Western Hemisphere waters of Nazi battleships of great striking power. Most of the supplies for Britain go by the northerly route, which comes close to Greenland and Iceland. Germany’s heaviest attack is on that route. Nazi occupation of Iceland or bases in Greenland would bring the j war close to our continental shores | because they are stepping stones to I Labrador, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia : and the northern United States, in- i eluding the great industrial centres of the north-east and middle-west. Equally, the Azores and Cape Verde Islands, if occupied or controlled by Germany, wvuld directly endanger th» freedom of the Atlantic and our own physical safety, Under German domination they would become bases for submarines, warships and aeroplanes raiding waters which lie immediately off our own coast, and attacking shipping in the South Atlantic. They would provide the springboard for an actual attack against the integrity and independence of Brazil and her neighbouring republics.

Forces Mustered for Defence, "I said on many occasions that the ’ United States is mustering men and I resources only for the purpose of de- I fence and only to repel attack. I re-1 peat that statement now, but we must [ oe realistic when we use the word ; attack. We have to relate it to the i lightning speed of modern warfare ■ Some people seem to think we are I not attacked until bombs actually i drop on New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, or Chicago, but they are simply shutting their eyes to the les- I son we must learn from the fate of j every nation that the Nazis have conquered. The attack on Czechoslovakia began with the conquest of Austria; the attack on Norway began with the occupation of Denmark; the attack on Greece began with the occupation of Albania and Bulgaria; the attack on the Suez Canal began with the invasions of the Balkans and North Africa; the attack on the United States can begin with the domination of any base which menaces our security, north or south. “Nobody can foretell just when the acts of the dictators will ripen into an attack on this hemisphere ana us; but we know enough by now to realise it would be suicide to wait until they are in our front yard. “When your enemy comes at i you, in tank or bombing plane, if you hold your fire until you see, the whites of his eyes, you will never know what hit you. “Our Bunker Hill of to-day may be several thousand miles from Boston. Anyone with an atlas, and a reasonable knowledge of the sudden striking force of modern war, knows tlfat it is stupid to want until a probable enemy has gained a foothold from.

I which to attack. Old-fashioned common sense calls for the use of strategy, which will prevent such an enemy i from gaining a foothold in the first place. Patrols Extended. "We have, accordingly, extended our patrol in north and south Atlantic waters and are steadily adding more and more ships and planes to that patrol. It is well to know that the strength of the Atlantic fleet has been | greatly increased during the past Iyear, and is constantly being built up These ships and planes wain of th-? presence of attacking raiders on th’. sea, under the sea, and above the |sea. The danger from these raiders is ■ greatly lessened if their location '■<• definitely known. We are thus being 'forewarned, and shall be on guard against efforts to establish Nazi bases I closer to our hemisphere. The deadly Ifacts of fear compel nations, for self. I preservation, to make stern choices, [and if we believe in the independence land integrity of the. Americas we I must be willing to fight to defend ■ them, just as much as we would I fight for the safety of our own homes

"Our national policy to-day, therefore, is: Firstly, we shall actively resist, wherever necessary, with all our resources, every attempt by Hitler to extend his Nazi domination over'the Western Hemisphere. "Secondly, we shall actively resist his every attempt to gain control of the seas. We insist on keeping Hit--ierism away from any point in the world which could, and would, be used as a base for attack against the Americas.

“Thirdly, we shall give every possible assistance to Britain and ali who, with Britain, are resisting Hitlerism, or its equivalent, with forces of arms. Our patrols are helping now to ensure the delivery of needed sup plies to Britain. All the additional measures necessary to deliver the goods will be taken and all further methods, or combination of methods, which can, or should, be utilised are being devised by our military and naval technicians, who, with me, will work out and put into effect such new additional safeguards as may be needed.

“Delivery of needed supplies to Britain is imperative and this can, and will, be done.

"We must not be defeated by fear of the very dangers we are preparing to resist. Our freedom has shown its ability to survive the war, but it would never survive surrender, rhe only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Mr. Roosevelt said there was a small group of patriotic men whose passion for peace had blinded them to realities. They were embarrassed by the support from Bundists, Fascists and Communists.

“It is no coincidence that arguments by these enemies of democracy are mere shoes of Axis propaganda,” he said. “I recently set up machinery for civilian defence. It will rabidly organise locality by locality. It will depend on the organised effort of men and women everywhere. All will have responsibilities to fulfil. “The actual production and transportation machinery of defence must ont. be interrupted by disputes between Capital and Labour. Facilities for conciliation mediation in industrial disputes has been set up. They must be used promptly. Collective bargaining will be retained and the American people will expect that impartial recommendations of our Government services will be followed both by Capital and Labour. This Government is determined to use all power to express the will of the people and prevent interference with production of materials essential to the nation’s security.” Freedom to Worship.

"To-day, the world is divided between human slavery and human freedom, between Pagan brutality and Christian ideals. We will not accept a Hitler-dominated world. We will accept only a world consecrated to the freedom of speech and an expression of the freedom of every person to worship God in his own way. We will not hesitate to take every single measure necessary to maintain our American liberties.

"Our Government will not her* tate to meet the challenge of Hitlerism. We reassert the ancient American doctrine of freedom of the seas. We reassert the solidarity of flic 21 American republics and the Dominion of Canada, in the preservation of the independence of the hemisphere. We have pledget! material support to other | democracies and we shall fulfil that pledge. We, in the Americas, shall decide for ourselves whether, when and where our American interests are. attacked and our security threatened. Wo are placing forces in strategic military positions and we will not hesitate to use our armed forces to repel attack. “With a profound consciousness of my responsibilities to my countrymen and my country’s cause, I to-night issued a proclamation that an unlimited national emergency exists and requires the strengthening of our defences to the extreme limit of our national power and authority. The nation expects all individuals and groups to play full parts without stint and without selfishness.” The Proclamation. The proclamation, summarised, calls upon the loyal State and loyal leaders and officials to co-operate with civilian defence agencies to assure internal security against foreign-directed. subversion, and put every community in order for a maximum productive effort and a minimum of waste, and unnecessary friction. It appeals to all citizens to place the nation’s needs first, in mind and action. "To that end we may mobilise and have ready for instant and defensive use all the physical powers, moral strength and material resources of the nation.” It enjoins workmen and employers to merge their lesser differences in a larger effort to ensure the survival of the only kind of government which recognises rights of Labour and Capital.