Transcripts For CSPAN3 The 20240704

Fear is fear itself. And the longest serving and the longest serving president in u. S. History is subject this week on our special series, speeches that defined a presidency. Well see that first inaugural address in its entirety, and as the Great Depression gave way to world war ii, he delivers 30 plus. And declares december 7th, 1941, as a day of infamy. Fdr doesnt live long enough to see the wars and. Dying just a few months before. We will conclude this episode of speeches that to the presidency with Harry Trumans announcement of the dropping of the atomic bomb on hiroshima, japan, in august of 1945. This is cspans American History tv a special series, speeches that to find a presidency. Here it is, the creation of a new chief executive. According to the retiring president , and the president elect ride together from the white house with congressional escorts down pennsylvania avenue to the capitol. Where roosevelt enthusiasm is at its height. Never was there such a joyful inauguration. Roosevelt is the nations idol here today. Thousands americans are here to cheer the beginning of a new era. A new era, which is supposed to pull the country out of its chaos. The host of democracy are here, to celebrate the greatest Party Victory of all time. And now everything is ready for the big moment. Chief justice of the United States Supreme Court prepares to administer the oval office to franklin v. Roosevelt. [applause] do you Franklin Roosevelt solemnly swear, that you will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States . And well, to the best of your ability, preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States. So help you god . I Franklin Roosevelt do solemnly swear, that i will face it faithfully execute the office of president of the United States. And i will to the best of my ability, reserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States, so help me god. [applause] [inaudible] my friends, this is a day of national. I am certain that on this day, my fellow americans expect that on my induction into the presidency i will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our people impel. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our National Life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days. In such a spirit on my part and on yours we face our common difficulties. They concern, thank god, only material things. Values have shrunken to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen; government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income; the means of exchange are frozen in the currents of trade; the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of families are gone. More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment. Yet our distress comes from no failure of substance. We are stricken by no plague of locusts. Compared with the perils which our forefathers conquered because they believed and were not afraid, we have still much to be thankful for. Nature still offers her bounty and human efforts have multiplied it. Plenty is at our doorstep, but a generous use of it languishes in the very sight of the supply. Primarily this is because the rulers of the exchange of mankinds goods have failed, through their own stubbornness and their own incompetence, have admitted their failure, and abdicated. Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men. True they have tried, but their efforts have been cast in the pattern of an outworn tradition. Faced by failure of credit they have proposed only the lending of more money. Stripped of the lure of profit by which to induce our people to follow their false leadership, they have resorted to exhortations, pleading tearfully for restored confidence. They know only the rules of a generation of selfseekers. They have no vision, and when there is no vision the people perish. Yes the money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization. We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths. [applause] the measure of the restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit. Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men. Recognition of the falsity of material wealth as the standard of success goes hand in hand with the abandonment of the false belief that Public Office and high political position are to be valued only by the standards of pride of place and personal profit; and there must be an end to a conduct in banking and in business which too often has given to a sacred trust the likeness of callous and selfish wrongdoing. Small wonder that confidence languishes, for it thrives only on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection, on unselfish performance; without them it cannot live. Restoration calls, however, not for changes in ethics alone. This nation asks for action, and action now. [applause] [applause] our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by the government itself, treating the task as we would treat the emergency of a war, but at the same time, through this employment, accomplishing greatly needed projects to stimulate and reorganize the use of our natural resources. Hand in hand with this we must frankly recognize the overbalance of population in our Industrial Centers and, by engaging on a National Scale in a redistribution, endeavor to provide a better use of the land for those best fitted for the land. The task can be helped by definite efforts to raise the values of Agricultural Products and with this the power to purchase the output of our cities. It can be helped by preventing realistically the tragedy of the growing loss through foreclosure of our small homes and our farms. It can be helped by insistence that the federal, state, and local governments act forthwith on the demand that their cost be drastically reduced. It can be helped by the unifying of relief activities which today are often scattered, uneconomical, and unequal. It can be helped by National Planning for and supervision of all forms of transportation and of communications and other utilities which have a definitely public character. There are many ways in which it can be helped, but it can never be helped merely by talking about it. We must act and act quickly. Finally, in our progress toward a resumption of work we require two safeguards against a return of the evils of the old order; there must be a strict supervision of all banking and credits and investments; there must be an end to speculation with other peoples money, and there must be provision for an adequate but sound currency. There are the lines of attack. I shall presently urge upon a new congress in special session detailed measures for their fulfillment, and i shall seek the immediate assistance of the several states. Through this program of action we address ourselves to putting our own National House in order and making income balance outgo. Our International Trade relations, though vastly important, are in point of time and necessity secondary to the establishment of a sound national economy. I favor as a practical policy the putting of first things first. I shall spare no effort to restore world trade by International Economic readjustment, but the emergency at home cannot wait on that accomplishment. The basic thought that guides these specific means of National Recovery is not narrowly nationalistic. It is the insistence, as a first consideration, upon the interdependence of the various elements in all parts of the United Statesaa recognition of the old and permanently important manifestation of the american spirit of the pioneer. It is the way to recovery. It is the immediate way. It is the strongest assurance that the recovery will endure. In the field of world policy i would dedicate this nation to the policy of the good neighbor. The neighbor who resolutely respects himself and, because he does so, respects the rights of others. The neighbor who respects his obligations and respects the sanctity of his agreements in and with a world of neighbors. If i read the temper of our people correctly, we now realize as we have never realized before our interdependence on each other; that we can not merely take but we must give as well; that if we are to go forward, we must move as a trained and loyal army willing to sacrifice for the good of a common discipline, because without such discipline no progress is made, no leadership becomes effective. We are, i know, ready and willing to submit our lives and property to such discipline, because it makes possible a leadership which aims at a larger good. This i propose to offer, pledging that the larger purposes will bind upon us all as a sacred obligation with a unity of duty hitherto evoked only in time of armed strife. With this pledge taken, i assume unhesitatingly the leadership of this great army of our people dedicated to a disciplined attack upon our common problems. Action in this image and to this end is feasible under the form of government which we have inherited from our ancestors. Our constitution is so simple and practical that it is possible always to meet extraordinary needs by changes in emphasis and arrangement without loss of essential form. That is why our constitutional system has proved itself the most superbly enduring political mechanism the modern world has produced. It has met every stress of vast expansion of territory, of foreign wars, of bitter internal strife, of world relations. It is to be hoped that the normal balance of executive and legislative authority may be wholly adequate to meet the unprecedented task before us. But it may be that an Unprecedented Demand and need for undelayed action may call for temporary departure from that normal balance of public procedure. I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world may require. These measures, or such other measures as the congress may build out of its experience and wisdom, i shall seek, within my constitutional authority, to bring to speedy adoption. But in the event that the Congress Shall fail to take one of these two courses, and in the event that the National Emergency is still critical, i shall not evade the clear course of duty that will then confront me. I shall ask the congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis, broad executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe. [applause] for the trust reposed in me i will return the courage and the devotion that befit the time. I can do no less. We face the arduous days that lie before us in the warm courage of the National Unity; with the clear consciousness of seeking old and precious moral values; with the clean satisfaction that comes from the stern performance of duty by old and young alike. We aim at the assurance of a rounded and permanent National Life. We do not distrust the future of essential democracy. The people of the United States have not failed. In their need they have registered a mandate that they want direct, vigorous action. They have asked for discipline and direction under leadership. They have made me the present instrument of their wishes. In the spirit of the gift i take it. In this dedication of a nation we humbly ask the blessing of god. May he protect each and every one of us. May he guide me in the days to come. My more power to you, president roosevelt, the entire country is behind. You reeling with hope and patriotism. My countrymen an my friends, tonight my single duty is to speak to the whole of america. Until 4 30 oclock this morning, i had hoped against hope that some miracle would prevent a devastating war in europe, and bring to an end the invasion of poland by germany. Before long years, succession of actual wars and constant crisis you have shaken the entire world and have threatened in each case to bring on this gigantic conflict, which is today unhappily a fact. It is right that i should we call to your minds the consistent and at times successful efforts of your government in these crises to throw the full weight of the United States into the cause of peace. In spite of spreading wars, i think we have every right and reason to maintain as a National Policy the fundamental morality, is the teaching of religion, the continuation of efforts to restore peachs. Because someday we can be of even greater help to a crippled humanity. It is right to point out the unfortunate events of the recent years have without question been based on the use of force, or the threat of force. It seems to me clear, even at the outbreak of this great war, the influence of america should be consistent and seeking humanity a final piece which would eliminate as far as possible to do so, the continued use of foce between nations. It is of course impossible to predict the future. I have my constant stream of information from american representatives and other sources throughout the world. You, the people of this country, are receiving new through your videos and newspapers at every hour of the day, you are, i believe, the most enlightened and best informed people in all the world at this moment. You are subjected to no censorship of nose and the government has no infomaon to withhold or has any thought of withholding from you at the same time as iolmy press conference on friday, it is of highest importance that the radio used the most utmost caution to discriminate against actual verified ac. On the one, hand and we are rumor on the other. I can add to that by saying that i hope the people of this country will also discriminate most carefully, if between news and rumor. Do not believe everything you hear or read. Check up on it first. You must master the outset, a simple but on author bull fact, when peace has been broken, anywhere, the piece of all countries, everywhere, is in danger. It is easy for you, and for me, to shrug your shoulders and say the conflict taking place thousands of miles from the continental United States and indeed, thousands of miles from the whole american hemisphere. Do not seriously affect the americans. And that all United States has to do is ignore and go about its own business. Passionately, though we may desire detachment, we are forced to realize that every word that comes through the air, every ship that sails the sea, every battle that is fought, does affect the american future. Let no man or woman thoughtlessly or falsely talk of america sending its armies to european fields. At this moment there is being prepared a proclamation of american neutrality. This would have been done even if there had been no neutrality statute on the books, for this proclamation is in accordance with International Law and in accordance with american policy. This will be followed by a proclamation required by the existing neutrality act. And i trust that in the days to come our neutrality can be made a true neutrality. It is of the utmost importance that the people of this country, with the best information in the world, think things through. The most dangerous enemies of American Peace are those who, without wellrounded information on the whole broad subject of the past, the present and the future, undertake to speak with assumed authority, to talk in terms of glittering generalities, to give to the nation assurances or prophesies which are of little present or future value. I myself cannot and do not prophesy the course of events abroad and the reason is that, because i have of necessity such a complete picture of what is going on in every part of the world, i do not dare to do so. And the other reason is that i think it is honest for me to be honest with the people of the United States. I cannot prophesy the immediate economic effect of this new war on our nation, but i do say that no american has the moral right to profiteer at the expense either of his fellow citizens or of the men, the women and the children who are living and dying in the midst of war in europe. Some things we do know. Most of us in the United States believe in spiritual values. Most of us, regardless of what church we belong to, believe in the spirit of the new testamentaa great teaching which opposes itself to the use of force, of armed force, of marching armies and falling bombs. The overwhelming masses of our people seek peaceapeace at home, and the kind of peace in other lands which will not jeopardize our peace at home. We have certain ideas and certain ideals of national safety, and we must act to preserve that safety today, and to preserve the safety of our children in future years. That safety is and will be bound up with the safety of the western hemisphere and of the seas adjacent thereto. We seek to keep war from our own firesides by keeping war from coming to the americas. For that we have historic precedent that goes back to the days of the administration of president george washington. It is serious enough and tragic enough to every American Family in every state in the union to live in a world that is torn by wars on other continents. Those wars today affect every american home. It is our National Duty to use every effort to keep them out of the americas. And at this time let me make the simple plea that partisanship and selfishness be adjourned; and that National Unity be the thought that underlies all others. This nation will remain a neutral nation, but i cannot ask that every american remain neutral in thought as well. Even a neutral has a right to take account of facts. Even a neutral cannot be asked to close his mind or his conscience. I have said not once, but many times, that i have seen war and that i hate war. I say that again and again. I hope the United States will keep out of this war. I believe that it will. And i give you assurance and reassurance that every effort of your government will be directed toward that endas long as it remains within my power to prevent, there will be no blackout of peace in the United States. Revent, there will be blackout of peace in. The United States. Senator representative, i have the distinguished honor of presenting president of the United States. [applause] mister Vice President , speaker, members of the senate, yesterday, december 7th in 1941 a day that will live in infamy, the United States of america was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval forces of the empire of japan. The United States was at peace with that nation, and after solicitation of japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor, looking towards the maintenance of the pacific. Indeed, one hour after japanese air squadrons commenced bombing on the american and island of oahu, the japanese ambassador of the United States and his colleague delivered to our secretary of state a formal reply to a recent american message. Its stated, that diplomatic negotiations. It contained no threat for hint of war it will be recorded that the distance of hawaii from japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned, many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused Severe Damage to American Naval and military forces. Yesterday, the japanese government also launched an attack against malaysia. Last night, Japanese Forces attacked hong kong. Last night, Japanese Forces attacked guam. Last night, Japanese Forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night, the japanese attack wake island. And this morning, the japanese attacked midway island. Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation. As commander in chief of the army and navy, i have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always well our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. [applause] no matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American People and their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. [applause] i believe that i interpret the will of the congress and the people when i assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the other most, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shell never again in dangerous. [applause] hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounded determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help us god. [applause] i ask that the congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by japan on sunday, december 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the japanese empire. Japanese [applause]. It is a gentleman, the president of United States. My fellow americans, washingtons birthday is the most appropriate occasion for us to talk to each other about things as they are today and things as we know they shall be in the future. General washington and his Continental Army was faced with on formidable odds and recurring defeat. Surprise equipment were lacking. Innocence, every winter was a battle. Throughout the 13 states, there existed selfish men, jealous men, who per claim that washingtons cause was hopeless, washingtons conduct in those hard times has provided the model for all americans ever since a moral, model of moral stamina. This has been charted in the declaration of independence, brave men who served with him, no man fortune was secure without freedom and secure institutions. Freedom of personal security of property anywhere in the world, defends upon the security of the rights of liberty and justice everywhere in the world. This war is a new kind of war, it is different from all other wars of the past. Not only methods and weapons, but in its geography. In terms of every contint, every island, every city, every lane in a world. That is the reason why im asked you to takeout, and spread before, u a map of the whole earth. To allow me in the references i will make the world circling battle lines of this war. Many questions i fear remain unanswered tonight. But i know you will realize that i cannot cover everything in one short response to the people. Theyve been heralded in the past and have become in this battlefields on which we are constantly being chalnged by our enemies. We must facthe hard facts of our job now, which is to fight at distances which extend all the way around the globe. We fight at these bass distances because that is where our enemies are. Until our flow of supplies gives us clear superiority we must keep on striking our enemies wherever and whenever we can meet them, even if, for a while, we have to yield ground. Actually, though, we are taking a heavy toll of the enemy every day that goes by. We must fight at these vast distances to protect our supply lines and our lines of communication with our alliesprotect these lines from the enemies who are bending very ounce of their strength, striving against time, to cut them. The object of the nazis and the japanese is to separate the United States, britain, china, and russia, and to isolate them one from another, so that each will be surrounded and cut off from sources of supplies and reinforcements. It is the old familiar axis policy of divide and conquer. There are those who still think in terms of the days of sailing ships. They advise us to pull our warships and our planes and our merchant ships into our own home waters and concentrate solely on lastditch defense. But let me illustrate what would happen if we followed such foolish advice. Look at your map. Look at the vast area of china, with its millions of fighting men. Look at the vast area of russia, with its powerful armies and proven military might. Look at the british isles, australia, new zealand, the dutch indies, india, the near east, and the continent of africa, with their resources of Raw Materials, and of peoples determined to resist axis domination. Look too at north america, central america, and south america. It is obvious what would happen if all of these great reservoirs of power were cut off from each other either by enemy action or by selfimposed isolation first, in such a case, we could no longer send aid of any kind to chinato the brave people who, for nearly five years, have withstood japanese assault, destroyed hundreds of thousands of japanese soldiers and vast quantities of japanese war munitions. It is essential that we help china in her magnificent defense and in her inevitable counteroffensivefor that is one important element in the ultimate defeat of japan. Second, if we lost communication with the southwest pacific, all of that area, including australia and new zealand and the dutch indies, would fall under japanese domination. Japan in such a case could release great numbers of ships and men to launch attacks on a large scale against the coasts of the western hemispheresouth america and central america, and north americaincluding alaska. At the same time, she could immediately extend her conquests in the other direction toward india, and through the indian ocean to africa, to the near east, and try to join forces with germany and italy. Third, if we were to stop sending munitions to the british and the russians in the mediterranean, in the persian gulf, and the red sea, we would be helping the nazis to overrun turkey, syria, iraq, persia, that is now called iran, and egypt and the suez canal, the whole coast of north africa itself, and with that inevitably the whole coast of west africaputting germany within easy striking distance of south americafifteen hundred miles away. Fourth, if by such a fatuous policy we ceased to protect the north atlantic supply line to britain and to russia, we would help to cripple the splendid counteroffensive by russia against the nazis, and we would help to deprive britain of essential Food Supplies and munitions. Those americans who believed that we could live under the illusion of isolationism wanted the American Eagle to imitate the tactics of the ostrich. Now, many of those same people, afraid that we may be sticking our necks out, want our National Bird to be turned into a turtle. But we prefer to retain the eagle as it isflying high and striking hard. I know that i speak for the mass of the American People when i say that we reject the turtle policy and wl continue increasingly the policy of carrying the war to the enemy in distant lands and distant watersas far away as possible from our own home grounds. There are four main lines of communication now being traveled by our ships the north atlantic, the south atlantic, the indian ocean, and the south pacific. These routes are not oneway streetsfor the ships that carry our troops and munitions outbound bring back essential Raw Materials which we require for our own use. The maintenance of these vital lines is a very tough job. It is a job which requires tremendous daring, tremendous resourcefulness, and, above all, tremendous production of planes and tanks and guns and also of the ships to carry them. And i speak again for the American People when i say that we can and will do that job. The defense of the worldwide lines of communication demands relatively safe use by us of the sea and of the air along the various routes; and this, in turn, depends upon control by the United Nations of many strategic bases along those routes. Control of the air involves the simultaneous use of two types of planesfirst, the longrange heavy bomber; and second, light bombers, dive bombers, torpedo planes, and shortrange pursuit planes, all of which are essential to the protection of the bases and of the bombers themselves. Heavy bombers can fly under their own power from here to the southwest pacific; but the smaller planes cannot. Therefore, these lighter planes have to be packed in crates and sent on board cargo ships. Look at your map again; and you will see that the route is longand at many places perilouseither across the south atlantic all the way around south africa and the cape of good peor from california to the east indies direct. A vessel can make a round trip by either route in about four months, or only three round trips in a whole year. In spite of the length, and in spite of t difficulties of this transportation, i can tell you that in two and a half months we already have a large number of bombers and pursuit planes, manned by american pilots and crews, which are now in daily contact with the enemy in the southwest pacific. And thousands of american troops are today in that area engaged in operations not only in the air but on the ground as well. In this battle area, japan has had an obvious initial advantage. For she could fly even her shortrange planes to the points of attack by using many stepping stones open to herbases in a multitude of pacic islands and also bases on the china coast, indocha coast, and in thailand and malay coasts. Japanese troop transports could go south from japan and from china through the narrow china sea which can be protected by japanese planes throughout its whole length. I ask you to look at your maps again, particularly at that portion of the Pacific Ocean lying west of hawaii. Before this war even started, the Philippine Islands were already surrounded on three sides by japanese power. On the west, the china side, the japanese were in possession of the coast of china and the coast of indochina which had been yielded to them by the vichy french. On the north are the islands of japan themselves, reaching down almost to northern luzon. On the east are the mandated islandswhich japan had occupied exclusively, and had fortified in absolute violation of her written word. The islands that lie between hawaii and the philippines these islands, hundreds of them, appear only as small dots on most maps. But they cover a large strategic area. Guam lies in the middle of thema lone outpost which we have never fortified. Under the washington treaty of 1921 we had solemnly agreed not to add to the fortification of the philippines. We had no safe naval bases there, so we could not use the islands for extensive naval operations. Immediately after this war started, the Japanese Forces moved down on either side of the philippines to numerous points south of themthereby completely encircling the philippines from north, south, east, and west. It is that complete encirclement, with control of the air by japanese landbased aircraft, which has prevented us from sending substantial reinforcements of men and material to the gallant defenders of the philippines. For forty years it has always been our strategya strategy born of necessitythat in the event of a fullscale attack on the islands by japan, we should fight a delaying action, attempting to retire slowly into Bataan Peninsula and corregidor. We knew that the war as a whole would have to be fought and won by a process of attrition against japan itself. We knew all along that, with our greater resources, we could out build japan and ultimately overwhelm her on sea, on land, and in the air. We knew that, to attain our objective, many varieties of operations would be necessary in areas other than the philippines. Now nothing that has occurred in the past two months has caused us to revise this basic strategy of necessityexcept that the defense put up by General Macarthur has magnificently exceeded the previous estimates of endurance; and he and his men are gaining eternal glory therefor. Macarthurs army of filipinos and americans, and the forces of the United Nations in china, in burma, and the netherlands east indies, are all together fulfilling the same essential task. They are making japan pay an increasingly terrible price for her ambitious attempts to seize control of the whole asiatic world. Every japanese transport sunk off java is one less transport that they can use to carry reinforcements to their army opposing General Macarthur in luzon. It has been said that japanese gains in the philippines were made possible only by the success of their surprise attack on pearl harbor. I tell you that this is not so. Even if the attack had not been made your map will show that it would have been a hopeless operation for us to send the fleet to the philippines through thousands of miles of ocean, while all those island bases were under the sole control of the japanese. The consequences of the attack on pearl harborserious as they werehave been wildly exaggerated in other ways. And these exaggerations come originally from axis propagandists; but they have been repeated, i regret to say, by americans in and out of public life. You and i have the utmost contempt for americans who, since pearl harbor, have whispered or announced off the record that there was no longer any Pacific Fleetthat the fleet was all sunk or destroyed on december 7that more than a thousand of our planes were destroyed on the ground. They have suggested slyly that the government has withheld the truth about casualtiesthat eleven or Twelve Thousand men were killed at pearl harbor instead of the figures as officially announced. They have even served the enemy propagandists by spreading the incredible story that shiploads of bodies of our honored american dead were about to arrive in new york harbor to be put into a common grave. Almost every axis broadcastberlin, rome, tokyodirectly quotes americans who, by speech or in the press, make damnable misstatements such as these. The American People realize that in many cases details of military operations cannot be disclosed until we are absolutely certain that the announcement will not give to the enemy military information which he does not already possess. Your government has unmistakable confidence in your ability to hear the worst, without flinching or losing heart. You must, in turn, have complete confidence that your government is keeping nothing from you except information that will help the enemy in his attempt to destroy us. In a democracy there is always a solemn pact of truth between government and the people; but there must also always be a full use of discretion and that word discretion applies to the critics of government, as well. This is war. The American People want to know, and will be told, the general trend of how the war is going. But they do not wish to help the enemy any more than our fighting forces do; and they will pay little attention to the rumormongers and the poison peddlers in our midst. To pass from the realm of rumor and poison to the field of facts the number of our officers and men killed in the attack on pearl harbor on december 7 was 2, 340, and the number wounded was 946. Of all the combatant ships based at pearl harborbattleships, heavy cruisers, light cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers and submarinesonly three are permanently put out of commission. Very many of the ships of the Pacific Fleet were not even in pearl harbor. Some of those that were there were hit very slightly; and others that were damaged have either rejoined the fleet by now or are still undergoing repairs. And when those repairs are completed, the ships will be more efficient fighting machines than they were before. The report that we lost more than a thousand planes at pearl harbor is as baseless as the other weird rumors. The japanese do not know just how many planes they destroyed that day, and i am not going to tell them. But i can say that to dateand including pearl harborwe have destroyed considerably more japanese planes than they have destroyed of ours. We have most certainly suffered lossesfrom hitlers uboats in the atlantic as well as from the japanese in the pacificand we shall suffer more of them before the turn of the tide. But, speaking for the United States of america, let me say once and for all to the people of the world we americans have been compelled to yield ground, but we will regain it. We and the other United Nations are committed to the destruction of the militarism of japan and germany. We are daily increasing our strength. Soon, we and not our enemies will have the offensive; we, not they, will win the final battles; and we, not they, will make the final peace. Conquered nations in europe know what the yoke of the nazis is like. And the people of korea and of manchuria know in their flesh the harsh despotism of japan. All of the people of asia know that if there is to be an honorable and decent future for any of them or any of us, that future depends on victory by the United Nations over the forces of axis enslavement. If a just and durable peace is to be attained, or even if all of us are merely to save our own skins, there is one thought for us here at home to keep uppermostthe fulfillment of our special task of production. Germany, italy, and japan are very close to their maximum output of planes, guns, tanks, and ships. The United Nations are notespecially the United States of america. Our first job then is to build up productionuninterrupted productionso that the United Nations can maintain control of the seas and attain control of the airnot merely a slight superiority, but an overwhelming superiority. On january 6 of this year, i set certain definite goals of production for airplanes, tanks, guns, and ships. The axis propagandists called them fantastic. Tonight, nearly two months later, and after a careful survey of progress by Donald Nelson and others charged with responsibility for our production, i can tell you that those goals will be attained. In every part of the country, experts in production and the men and women at work in the plants are giving loyal service. With few exceptions, labor, capital, and farming realize that this is no time either to make undue profits or to gain special advantages, one over the other. We are calling for new plants and additions to old plnts. We are calling for plant conversion to war needs. We are seeking more men and more women to run them. We are working longer hours. We are coming to realize that one extra plane or extra tank or extra gun or extra ship completed tomorrow may, in a few months, turn the tide on some distant battlefield; it may make the difference between life and death for some of our own fighting men. We know now that if we lose this war it will be generations or even centuriore our conception of democracy can live again. And we can lose this war only we waste our ammunition sniping at each other. Here are three high purposes for every american 1. We shall not stop work for a single day. If any dispute arises we shall keep on working while the dispute is. Solved by mediation, conciliation, or arbitrationuntil the war is won. 2. We shall not demand special gains or special privileges or special advantages for any one group or occupation. 3. We shall give up conveniences and modify the routine of our lives if our country asks us to do so. We will do it cheerfully, remembering that the common enemy seeks to destroy every home and every freedom in every part of our land. This generation of americans has come to realize, with a present and personal realization, that there is something larger and more important than the life of any individual or of any individual groupsomething for which a man will sacrifice, and gladly sacrifice, not only his pleasures, not only his goods, not only his associations with those he loves, but his life itself. In time of crisis when the future is in the balance, we come to understand, with full recognition and devotion, what this nation is, and what we owe to it. The axis propagandists have tried in various evil ways to destroy our determination and our morale. Failing in that, they are now trying to destroy our confidence in our own allies. They say that the british are finishedthat the russians and the chinese are about to quit. Patriotic and sensible americans will reject these absurdities. And instead of listening to any of this crude propaganda, they will recall some of the things that nazis and japanese have said and are still saying about us. Ever since this nation became the arsenal of democracyever since enactment of lendleasethere has been one persistent theme through all axis propaganda. This theme has been that americans are admittedly rich, that americans have considerable industrial powerbut that americans are soft and decadent, that they cannot and will not unite and work and fight. From berlin, rome, and tokyo we have been described as a nation of weaklingsplayboyswho would hire british soldiers, or russian soldiers, or chinese soldiers to do our fighting for us. Let them repeat that now let them tell that to General Macarthur and his men. Let them tell that to the sailors who today are hitting hard in the far waters of the pacific. Let them tell that to the boys in the flying fortresses. Let them tell that to the marines the United Nations constitute an association of independent peoples of equal dignity and equal importance. The United Nations are dedicated to a common cause. We share equally and with equal zeal the anguish and the awful sacrifices of war. In the partnership of our common enterprise, we must share in a unified plan in which all of us must play our several parts, each of us being equally indispensable and dependent one on the other. We have unified command and cooperation and comradeship. We americans will contribute unified production and unified acceptance of sacrifice and of effort. That means a National Unity that can know no limitations of race or creed or selfish politics. The American People expect that much from themselves. And the American People will find ways and means of expressing their determination to their enemies, including the japanese admiral who has said that he will dictate the terms of peace here in the white house. We of the United Nations are agreed on certain broad principles in the kind of peace we seek. The Atlantic Charter applies not only to the parts of the world that border the atlantic but to the whole world; disarmament of aggressors, selfdetermination of nations and peoples, and the four freedomsfreedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The british and the russian people have known the full fury of nazi onslaught. There have been times when the fate of london and moscow was in serious doubt. But there was never the slightest question that either the british or the russians would yield. And today all the United Nations salute the superb russian army as it celebrates the twentyfourth anniversary of its first assembly. Though their homeland was overrun, the dutch people are still fighting stubbornly and powerfully overseas. The great Chinese People have suffered grievous losses; chungking has been almost wiped out of existenceyet it remains the capital of an unbeatable china. That is the conquering spirit which prevails throughout the United Nations in this war. The task that we americans now face will test us to the uttermost. Never before have we been called upon for such a prodigious effort. Never before have we had so little time in which to do so much. These are the times that try mens souls. Tom paine wrote those words on a drumhead, by the light of a campfire. That was when washingtons little army of ragged, rugged men was retreating across new jersey, having tasted nothing but defeat. And general washington ordered that these great words written by tom paine be read to the men of every regiment in the Continental Army, and this was the assurance given to the First American armed forces the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the sacrifice, the more glorious the triumph. So spoke americans in the year 1776. So speak americans today ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States. My fellow americans, last night when i spoke with you about the fall of realm, i know at that moment moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far. And so, in this poignant hour, i ask you to join with me in prayer almighty god our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph. They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without restuntil the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Mens souls will be shaken with the violences of war. For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home. Some will never return. Embrace these, father, and receive them, thy heroic servants, into thy kingdom. And for us at home fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them help us, almighty god, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in thee in this hour of great sacrifice. Many people have urged that i call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, i ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking thy help to our efforts. Give us strength, too strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the Material Support of our armed forces. And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be. And, o lord, give us faith. Give us faith in thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose. With thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping i will be done almighty god, a man. And you are watching the American History tv series, speeches that defined the presidency. Well after fdrs sudden death and april of 1945, harry truman finished his term and he also finished the pacific war by dropping two atomic bombs on japan. Here is harry truman talking about his decision to drop the bomb on hiroshima. I short time ago, an american airplane dropped one bomb on hiroshima and destroyed its usefulness to the enemy. That bomb has more power than 20,000 tons of tnt. They began it at pearl harbor and the end is not yet. With this bomb, we have now added a new in revolutionary increase and destruction. The supplement for growing power of our armed forces. In the present form, these bombs are now in production and even more powerful forms earned element. It is a atomic bomb. It is a harnessing of the basic power of the universe. And the power has been loose against those who brought them to the far east. We are now prepared to destroy more rapidly and completely every productive enterprise the japanese have and any city. We shall destroy their docks, their factories, and their communications. Let there be no mistake, we shall completely destroy japans power to make war. We must spare the japanese people from other destruction, they also made in july the 26. Their leaders promptly rejected that ultimatum. If they do not now except are turns, they may expect a reign of power from the air the like of which has never been seen on this earth. Behind this will follow cnn forces in such numbers and power that they have not yet seen and with the fighting skills of which they are already well aware. We have spent more than two billion dollars on the greatest scientific gamble in history, and we have one. But the greatest marvels are not the size of the other size, it is it secrecy or its but the achievement of scientific brains and making it work. Hardly less marvelous has been the capacity of industry and to update the machines and methods to do things never done before. So science and industry Work Together under the direction of the United States army which achieved a unique extent in amazingly short time. It is doubtful that such another combination could be got together in the world. What has been done is the greatest achievement of organized science and history. And this is American History tv special series, speeches that define a presidency. Next week, it is Harry Trumans 1949 inaugural address, and we will hear from Dwight Eisenhower on racial integration and the military industrial complex. A reminder, that all of what youre seeing on the screen are available to watch online. And that is cspan. Org slash history. 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