June 17, 2024 • 31 mins
Please enjoy May 26, 1940: Fireside Chat 15: On National Defense a great episode of the legendary Franklin D. Roosevelt - A Classic Old Time radio Show.
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(00:03):
My friends, at this moment ofsadness throughout most of the world. I
want to talk with you about anumber of subjects that directly affect the future
of the United States. We areshocked by the almost incredible eye witness stories
that come to us, stories ofwhat is happening at this moment to the
(00:26):
civilian populations of Norway and Holland,and Belgium and Luxmbours and France. I
think it is right on this Sabbathevening that I should say a word in
behalf of women and children and oldmen who need help, immediate help in
(00:46):
the present distress. Help from usacross the seas, Help from us who
are still free to give it.Tonight, of the once peaceful roads of
Belgium and France, millions are nowmoving, running from their homes to escape
(01:07):
bombs and shells and fire and machinegunning. Without shelter and almost fully without
food. They stumble on, knowingnot where the end of the road will
be. I speak to you ofthese people, because each one of you
that is listening to me tonight asa way of helping them. The American
(01:33):
Red Cross that represents each of usis rushing food and clothing and medical supplies
to these destitute civilian millions. Please, I beg you, please give,
according to your means, to yournearest Red Cross chapter. Give as generously
(01:53):
as you can. I ask thisin the name of our common human vanity.
Let us sit down together again,you and I, to consider our
own pressing problems that confront us.There are many among us who in the
past closed their eyes to events abroadbecause they believed, in utter good faith
(02:17):
what some of their fellow Americans toldthem that what was taking place in Europe
was none of our business, thatno matter what happened over there, the
United States could always pursue its peacefuland unique course in the world. There
are many among us who closed theireyes from lack of interest or lack of
(02:40):
knowledge, honestly and sincerely, thinkingthat many hundreds of miles of salt water
made the American hemisphere so remote thatthe people of North and Central and South
America could go on living in themidst of their vast resource without reference to
(03:01):
or danger from the other continents ofthe world. There are some among us
who are persuaded by minority groups thatwe could maintain our physical safety by retiring
within our continental boundaries, the Atlanticon the east, the Pacific on the
(03:22):
west, Canada on the north,and Mexico on the south. I illustrated
the futility the impossibility of that ideain my message to the Congress last week.
Obviously, a defense policy based onthat is merely to invite future attack.
(03:45):
And finally, there are few amongus who have deliberately and consciously closed
their eyes because they were determined tobe opposed to their government, its foreign
policy, and every other policy,to be partisan, and to believe that
anything that the government did was whollywrong. To those who have closed their
eyes for any of these many reasons, to those who would not admit the
(04:10):
possibility of the approaching storm. Toall of them, the past two weeks
have meant the shattering of many illusions. They have lost the illusion that we
are remote and isolated, and thereforesecure against the dangers from which no other
land is free. In some quarters, with this rude awakening has come fear,
(04:35):
fear bordering on panic. It issaid that we are defenseless. It
is whispered by some that only byabandoning our freedom, our ideals, our
way of life, can we buildour defenses. Adequately can we match the
strength of the aggressors. I didnot share those illusions. I do not
(05:01):
share these fears. To day weare more realistic. But not let us
not be calamity howlers and discount ourstrength. Let us have done with both
fears and illusions. On this Sabbathevening in our homes, in the midst
of our American families, let uscalmly consider what we have done and what
(05:28):
we must do. In the pasttwo or three weeks, all kinds of
stories have been handed out to theAmerican public about our lack of preparedness.
It has even been charged that themoney we have spent on our military and
naval forces during the last few yearshas gone down the rattle. I think
(05:50):
that it is a matter of fairnessto the nation that you hear the facts.
Yes, we have spent large sumsof money on the national defense.
This money has been used to makeour army and Navy to day the largest,
the best equipped, and the besttrained peace time military establishment in the
(06:15):
whole history of this country. Letme tell you just a feel of the
many things accomplished during the past fewyears. I do not propose I could
not go into every detail. Itis a known fact, however, that
in nineteen thirty three, when thisadministration came into office, the United States
(06:38):
Navy had fallen in standing among thenavies of the world in power of ships
and in efficiency to a relatively lowEBB. The relative fighting power of the
Navy had been greatly diminished by failureto replace ships and equipment which had become
out of date. But between nineteenthirty three and this year, nineteen forty
(07:04):
seven fiscal years, your government willhave spent a billion, four hundred eighty
seven million dollars more than it spenton the Navy during the seven years that
preceded nineteen thirty three. What didwe get for this money? Money incidentally
(07:28):
not included in the new defense appropriations, only money hitherto appropriated. The fighting
personnel of the Navy rose from seventynine thousand to one hundred and forty five
thousand. During this period, twohundred and fifteen ships for the fighting fleet
have been laid down or commissioned,practically seven times the number in the preceding
(07:56):
seven year period of the There's twohundred and fifteen ships. We have commissioned,
twelve cruisers sixty three destroyers, twentysix submarines, three aircraft carriers,
two gunboats, seven auxiliaries, andmany smaller craft. And among the many
ships now being built and paid foras we build them are eight new battleships.
(08:22):
Ship construction of cost costs millions ofdollars, more in the United States
than anywhere else in the world.But it's a fact that we cannot have
adequate naval defense for all American waterswithout ships, ships that sail the service
of the ocean, ships that moveunder the service, and ships that move
(08:46):
through the air. And speaking ofairplanes, airplanes that work with the Navy,
in nineteen thirty three we had elevenhundred and twenty seven of them,
eleven hundred and twenty seven useful aircraft, and today we have twenty eight hundred
and ninety two on hand and onorder. Of course, nearly all of
(09:07):
the old plains of nineteen thirty threehave been replaced by new planes because they
became obsolete or worn out. Yes, the Navy is far stronger today than
in any peacetime period in the wholelong history of the Nations, in hitting
power and in efficiency. I wouldeven make the assertion that it is stronger
(09:31):
today than it was during the WorldWar. The Army of the United States
in nineteen thirty three it consisted ofone hundred and twenty two thousand enlisted men.
Now in nineteen forty that number hasbeen practically doubled. The Army of
(09:52):
nineteen thirty three had been given fewnew implements of war since nineteen nineteen,
it had been compelled to draw onold reserved stocks left over from the World
War. The net result of thiswas that our army by nineteen thirty three
had very greatly declined in its ratioof strength with the armies of Europe and
(10:16):
of the Far East. That wasthe situation I found. But since then
great changes have taken place. Betweennineteen thirty three and nineteen forty, these
past seven fiscal years, your governmentwill have spent a billion, two hundred
and ninety two million dollars more thanwas spent on the army in the previous
(10:41):
seven years. And what did weget for this money. The personnel of
the army, as I have said, has been almost doubled, and by
the end of this year, everyexisting unit of the present regular Army will
be equipped with its complete require gilementsof modern weapons. Existing units of the
(11:03):
National Guard will also be largely equippedwith similar items. Here are some striking
examples taken from a large number ofthem. Since nineteen fifty thirty three,
we've actually purchased five thousand, sixhundred and forty airplanes, including the most
(11:24):
modern type of long range bombers andfast pursuit planes, though of course many
of these that were delivered four andfive and six and seven years ago worn
out through use and been scrapped.We must remember that these planes cost money,
a lot of it. For example, one modern four engine long range
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bombing plane costs three hundred and fiftythousand dollars. One modern interceptor pursuit plane
costs one hundred and thirty three thousanddollars. One medium bomber costs one hundred
than sixty thousand dollars. To goon. In nineteen thirty three we had
only three hundred and fifty five antiaircraft guns. We now have more than
(12:09):
seventeen hundred modern anti aircraft guns ofall types on hand or on order.
And you wor to know that athree inch anti aircraft gun costs forty thousand
dollars without any of the fire controlequipment that goes with us with it.
In nineteen thirty three, there wereonly twenty four modern infantry mortars from the
(12:31):
entire army. We now have onhand and on order more than sixteen hundred.
In nineteen thirty three, we hadonly forty eight modern tanks and armored
cars. Today we have on handand on order seventeen hundred. There are
many other items in which our progresssince nineteen thirty three has been rapid,
(12:52):
and the great proportion of this advanceconsists of really modern equipment listince. In
nineteen thirty three, on the personnelside, we had twelve hundred and sixty
three Army pilots. Today the Armyalone has more than thirty two hundred of
the best fighting fliers in the world, fliers who last year flew more than
(13:16):
one million hours in combat training.And that figure does not include the hundreds
of splendid pilots in the National Guardand in the organized reserves within the past
year. The productive capacity of theaviation industry to produce modern planes has been
tremendously increased in this past year,more than doubled, but that capacity is
(13:43):
still inadequate. The government, workingwith industry is determined to increase that capacity
to meet our needs. We intendthe harness the efficient machinery of these manufacturers
to the government's program of being ableto get fifty thousand planes a year.
(14:03):
One additional word about aircraft, aboutwhich we read so much. Recent wars,
including the current war in Europe,have demonstrated beyond doubt the fighting efficiency
depends on unity of command unity ofcontrol. In sea operations, the airplane
(14:24):
is just as much an integral partof unity of operations as are the submarine,
the destroyer, and the battleship.And in land warfare, the airplane
is just as much a part ofmilitary operations as are the tank cars,
the engineers, the artillery, orthe infantry itself, and therefore air forces
(14:52):
should continue to be a part ofthe Army and Navy. In line my
request, the Congress this week isvoting the largest appropriations ever asked by the
Army or the Navy in peace time, and the equipment and training provided for
(15:13):
them will be in addition to thefigures I have given you. The world
situation may so change that it willbe necessary to reappraise our program at any
time, and in such case Iam confident that the Congress and the Chief
Executive will work in harmony as ateam, work in harmony as they are
(15:39):
doing today. I will not hesitateat any moment to ask for additional funds
when they are required. In thisera of swift mechanized warfare, we all
have to remember that what is moderntoday and up to date, what is
efficient and practice, becomes obsolete andoutworn tomorrow. Even while the production line
(16:07):
turns out airplanes, new airplanes arebeing designed on the drafting table. Even
as a cruiser slides down the launchingways. Plans for improvement, plans for
increased efficiency in the next model,are taking shape in the blueprints of designers.
(16:30):
Every days, fighting in Europe,on land, on sea, and
in the air discloses constant changes inmethods of warfare. We are constantly improving
and redesigning, testing new weapons,learning the lessons of the moment, seeking
to produce in accordance with the latestthat the brains of science can conceive.
(16:56):
Yes, we are calling upon theresources, the efficiency in the ingenuity of
American manufacturers of war material of allkinds, airplanes and tanks and guns and
ships, and all the hundreds ofproducts that go into this material. The
Government of the United States itself manufacturesfew are the implements of war. Private
(17:21):
industry will continue to be the sourceof most of this material, and private
industry will have to be speeded upto produce it at the rate and the
efficiency called for by the needs ofthe times. I know that private business
cannot be expected to make all ofthe capital investments required for expansions of plants
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and factories and personnel which this programcalls for at once. It'll be unfair
to expect industrial corporations or their investorsto do this when there is a chance
that a change in international affairs maystop or curtail orders a year or two.
Hence, therefore, the Government ofthe United States stands ready to advance
(18:10):
the necessary money to help provide forthe enlargement of factories, the establishment of
new plants, the employment of thousandsof necessary workers, the development of new
sources of supply for the hundreds ofraw materials required, the development of quick
mass transportation of supplies, and thedetails of all of this are now being
(18:33):
worked out in Washington day and night. We are calling on men now engaged
in private industry to help us incarrying out this program, and you will
hear more of this in detail inthe next few days. It does not
mean that the men we call uponwill be engaged in the actual production of
this material. That will still haveto be carried on in the plants,
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in the factories throughout the land.Private industry will have the responsibility of providing
the best, speediest, and mostefficient mass production of which it is capable.
The functions of the business men whoseassistance we are calling upon will be
to co ordinate this program to seeto it that all of the plants continue
(19:19):
to operate at maximum speed and efficiency. Patriotic Americans have proven merit of unquestionability
in their special fields, are comingto Washington to help the government with their
training, their experience, and theircapability. It is our purpose not only
(19:41):
to speed up production, but toincrease the total facilities of the nation in
such a way that they can befurther enlarged to meet emergencies of the future.
But as this program proceeds, thereare several things we must continue to
(20:02):
watch and the safeguard, things thatare just as important to the sound defense
of a nation as physical armament itself. While our navy and our airplanes,
and our guns and our ships maybe our first lines of defense, it
is still clear that weighed down atthe bottom, underlying them all, giving
(20:26):
them their strength, sustenance, andpower, are the spirit and the morale
of a free people. For thatreason, we must make sure in all
that we do, that there beno breakdown or cancelation of any of the
great social gains which we have madein these past years. We have carried
(20:48):
on an offensive on a broad frontagainst social and economic inequalities, against abuses
which had made our society weak.That offensive should not now be broken down
by the pincer's movement. Are thosewho would use the present needs of physical
military defense to destroy it. Thereis nothing in our present emergency to justify
(21:15):
making the nations of the workers ofour nation toil for longer hours than those
now limited by statute. As moreorders come in, and as more work
has to be done, tens ofthousands of people who are now unemploy'd will
I believe, receive employment. Thereis nothing in our present emergency to justify
(21:41):
a lowering of the standards of employment. Minimum wages should not be reduced.
It is my hope, indeed,that the new speed up of production will
cause many businesses which now pay belowthe minimum standards to bring their wages up.
(22:03):
There is nothing in our present emergencyto justify a breaking down of old
age pensions or of unemployment insurance.I would rather see the systems extended to
other groups who do not now enjoythem. There is nothing in our present
emergency to justify a retreat, anyretreat from any of our social objectives,
(22:30):
from conservation of natural resources, assistanceto agriculture, housing, and help to
the underprivileged. Conversely, however,I am sure that responsible leaders will not
permit some specialized group which represents aminority of the total employees of a plant
(22:56):
or an industry, to break upthe continuity of employment of the majority of
the employees. Let us remember thatthe policy and the laws that provide for
collective bargaining are still in force,and I can assure you that labor will
(23:17):
be adequately represented in Washington in thecarrying out of this program of defense.
And one more point on this,Our present emergency and a common sense of
decency make it imperative that no newgroup of war millionaires shall come into being
(23:41):
in this nation. As a resultare the struggles abroad. The American people
will not relish the idea of anyAmerican citizen growing rich and fat in an
emergency our blood and slaughter and humanself. The last of all, this
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emergency demands that the consumers of Americabe protected so that our general cost of
living can be maintained at a reasonablelevel. We ought to avoid the spiral
processes of the World War, therising spiral of costs of all kinds.
(24:25):
The soundest policy is for every employerin the country to help give useful employment
to the millions who are unemployed.By giving to those millions an increased purchasing
power, the prosperity of the wholenation will rise to a much higher level.
(24:47):
Today's threat to our national security isnot a matter of military weapons alone.
We know of other methods, newmethods of a tact The trojan horse,
the fifth column that betrays a nationunprepared for treachery, Spies, saboteurs,
(25:14):
and traitors are the actors in thisnew strategy. With all of these
we must and will deal vigorously.But there is an added technique for weakening
a nation of its very roots,for disrupting the entire pattern of life of
a people, and it's important thatwe understand it. The method is simple.
(25:41):
First, discord the dissemination of discord. A group not too large,
a group that may be sectional,or racial or political, is encouraged to
exploit its prejudices through false slogans andemotional appeals. The aim of those who
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deliberately egg on these groups is tocreate confusion of counsel, public indecision,
political paralysis, and eventually a stateof penny sound. National policies come to
be viewed with a new and unreasoningskepticism, not through the wholesome political debates
(26:30):
of honest and free men, butthrough the clever schemes are foreign agents.
As a result of these new techniques, armament programs may be dangerously delayed.
Singleness of national purpose may be undermined. Men can lose confidence in each other
(26:51):
and therefore lose confidence in the efficacyof their own united actions. Faith and
courage can yield to doubt and fear. The unity of the state can be
so sapped that its strength is destroyed. All this is no idle dream.
(27:15):
It has happened time after time innation after nation during the last two years.
Fortunately, American men and women arenot yet easy dupes. Campaigns of
group hatred or class strouble have nevermade much headway among us, and are
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not making headway now. But newforces are being unleashed deliberately plan propagandas to
divide and weakness in the face ofdanger, as other nations have been weakened
before. These dividing forces I donot hesitate to call undiluted poison. They
(28:07):
must not be allowed to spread inthe new world as they have in the
old. Our moral, our mentaldefenses must be rais'd up as never before
against those who had cast a smokescreen across our vision. The development of
our defense program makes it essential thateach and every one of us men and
(28:33):
women feel that we have some contributionto make toward the security of our nation.
At this time when the world andthe world includes our own American hemisphere,
when the world is threatened by forcesof destruction, it is my resolve
(28:56):
and yours to build up our armeddefenses. We shall build them to whatever
heights the future may require. Weshall rebuild them swiftly as the methods of
warfare swiftly change. For more thanthree centuries, we Americans have been building
(29:22):
on this continent a free society,a society in which the promise of the
human spirit may find fulfillment. Commingledhere are the blood and the genius of
all the peoples of the world whohave sought this promise. We have built
(29:42):
well. We are continuing our effortsto bring the blessings of a free society,
of a free and productive economic systemto every family in the land.
And that is the promise America.It is this that we must continue to
(30:03):
build. This that we must continueto defend. It is the task of
our generations, yours and mine.But we build and defend not for our
generation alone. We defend the foundationslaid down by our fathers. We build
(30:27):
a life for generations yet unborn.We defend, and we build a way
of life, not for America alone, but for all mankind. Ours is
a high duty, a noble task. Day and night, I pray for
(30:48):
the restoration of peace in this madworld of ours. It is not necessary
that I, the President, askthe American people to pray in behalf of
such a cause, for I knowyou are praying with me. I am
(31:11):
certain that out of the hearts ofevery man, woman and child in this
land, in every waking minute,A supplication goes up to our Mighty God,
that all of us beg that sufferingand starving, that death and destruction
may end, and that peace mayreturn to the world in common affection for
(31:37):
all mankind. Your prayers join withmine, that God will heal the wounds
and the hearts of humanity.
My friends, at this moment ofsadness throughout most of the world. I
want to talk with you about anumber of subjects that directly affect the future
of the United States. We areshocked by the almost incredible eye witness stories
that come to us, stories ofwhat is happening at this moment to the
(00:26):
civilian populations of Norway and Holland,and Belgium and Luxmbours and France. I
think it is right on this Sabbathevening that I should say a word in
behalf of women and children and oldmen who need help, immediate help in
(00:46):
the present distress. Help from usacross the seas, Help from us who
are still free to give it.Tonight, of the once peaceful roads of
Belgium and France, millions are nowmoving, running from their homes to escape
(01:07):
bombs and shells and fire and machinegunning. Without shelter and almost fully without
food. They stumble on, knowingnot where the end of the road will
be. I speak to you ofthese people, because each one of you
that is listening to me tonight asa way of helping them. The American
(01:33):
Red Cross that represents each of usis rushing food and clothing and medical supplies
to these destitute civilian millions. Please, I beg you, please give,
according to your means, to yournearest Red Cross chapter. Give as generously
(01:53):
as you can. I ask thisin the name of our common human vanity.
Let us sit down together again,you and I, to consider our
own pressing problems that confront us.There are many among us who in the
past closed their eyes to events abroadbecause they believed, in utter good faith
(02:17):
what some of their fellow Americans toldthem that what was taking place in Europe
was none of our business, thatno matter what happened over there, the
United States could always pursue its peacefuland unique course in the world. There
are many among us who closed theireyes from lack of interest or lack of
(02:40):
knowledge, honestly and sincerely, thinkingthat many hundreds of miles of salt water
made the American hemisphere so remote thatthe people of North and Central and South
America could go on living in themidst of their vast resource without reference to
(03:01):
or danger from the other continents ofthe world. There are some among us
who are persuaded by minority groups thatwe could maintain our physical safety by retiring
within our continental boundaries, the Atlanticon the east, the Pacific on the
(03:22):
west, Canada on the north,and Mexico on the south. I illustrated
the futility the impossibility of that ideain my message to the Congress last week.
Obviously, a defense policy based onthat is merely to invite future attack.
(03:45):
And finally, there are few amongus who have deliberately and consciously closed
their eyes because they were determined tobe opposed to their government, its foreign
policy, and every other policy,to be partisan, and to believe that
anything that the government did was whollywrong. To those who have closed their
eyes for any of these many reasons, to those who would not admit the
(04:10):
possibility of the approaching storm. Toall of them, the past two weeks
have meant the shattering of many illusions. They have lost the illusion that we
are remote and isolated, and thereforesecure against the dangers from which no other
land is free. In some quarters, with this rude awakening has come fear,
(04:35):
fear bordering on panic. It issaid that we are defenseless. It
is whispered by some that only byabandoning our freedom, our ideals, our
way of life, can we buildour defenses. Adequately can we match the
strength of the aggressors. I didnot share those illusions. I do not
(05:01):
share these fears. To day weare more realistic. But not let us
not be calamity howlers and discount ourstrength. Let us have done with both
fears and illusions. On this Sabbathevening in our homes, in the midst
of our American families, let uscalmly consider what we have done and what
(05:28):
we must do. In the pasttwo or three weeks, all kinds of
stories have been handed out to theAmerican public about our lack of preparedness.
It has even been charged that themoney we have spent on our military and
naval forces during the last few yearshas gone down the rattle. I think
(05:50):
that it is a matter of fairnessto the nation that you hear the facts.
Yes, we have spent large sumsof money on the national defense.
This money has been used to makeour army and Navy to day the largest,
the best equipped, and the besttrained peace time military establishment in the
(06:15):
whole history of this country. Letme tell you just a feel of the
many things accomplished during the past fewyears. I do not propose I could
not go into every detail. Itis a known fact, however, that
in nineteen thirty three, when thisadministration came into office, the United States
(06:38):
Navy had fallen in standing among thenavies of the world in power of ships
and in efficiency to a relatively lowEBB. The relative fighting power of the
Navy had been greatly diminished by failureto replace ships and equipment which had become
out of date. But between nineteenthirty three and this year, nineteen forty
(07:04):
seven fiscal years, your government willhave spent a billion, four hundred eighty
seven million dollars more than it spenton the Navy during the seven years that
preceded nineteen thirty three. What didwe get for this money? Money incidentally
(07:28):
not included in the new defense appropriations, only money hitherto appropriated. The fighting
personnel of the Navy rose from seventynine thousand to one hundred and forty five
thousand. During this period, twohundred and fifteen ships for the fighting fleet
have been laid down or commissioned,practically seven times the number in the preceding
(07:56):
seven year period of the There's twohundred and fifteen ships. We have commissioned,
twelve cruisers sixty three destroyers, twentysix submarines, three aircraft carriers,
two gunboats, seven auxiliaries, andmany smaller craft. And among the many
ships now being built and paid foras we build them are eight new battleships.
(08:22):
Ship construction of cost costs millions ofdollars, more in the United States
than anywhere else in the world.But it's a fact that we cannot have
adequate naval defense for all American waterswithout ships, ships that sail the service
of the ocean, ships that moveunder the service, and ships that move
(08:46):
through the air. And speaking ofairplanes, airplanes that work with the Navy,
in nineteen thirty three we had elevenhundred and twenty seven of them,
eleven hundred and twenty seven useful aircraft, and today we have twenty eight hundred
and ninety two on hand and onorder. Of course, nearly all of
(09:07):
the old plains of nineteen thirty threehave been replaced by new planes because they
became obsolete or worn out. Yes, the Navy is far stronger today than
in any peacetime period in the wholelong history of the Nations, in hitting
power and in efficiency. I wouldeven make the assertion that it is stronger
(09:31):
today than it was during the WorldWar. The Army of the United States
in nineteen thirty three it consisted ofone hundred and twenty two thousand enlisted men.
Now in nineteen forty that number hasbeen practically doubled. The Army of
(09:52):
nineteen thirty three had been given fewnew implements of war since nineteen nineteen,
it had been compelled to draw onold reserved stocks left over from the World
War. The net result of thiswas that our army by nineteen thirty three
had very greatly declined in its ratioof strength with the armies of Europe and
(10:16):
of the Far East. That wasthe situation I found. But since then
great changes have taken place. Betweennineteen thirty three and nineteen forty, these
past seven fiscal years, your governmentwill have spent a billion, two hundred
and ninety two million dollars more thanwas spent on the army in the previous
(10:41):
seven years. And what did weget for this money. The personnel of
the army, as I have said, has been almost doubled, and by
the end of this year, everyexisting unit of the present regular Army will
be equipped with its complete require gilementsof modern weapons. Existing units of the
(11:03):
National Guard will also be largely equippedwith similar items. Here are some striking
examples taken from a large number ofthem. Since nineteen fifty thirty three,
we've actually purchased five thousand, sixhundred and forty airplanes, including the most
(11:24):
modern type of long range bombers andfast pursuit planes, though of course many
of these that were delivered four andfive and six and seven years ago worn
out through use and been scrapped.We must remember that these planes cost money,
a lot of it. For example, one modern four engine long range
(11:48):
bombing plane costs three hundred and fiftythousand dollars. One modern interceptor pursuit plane
costs one hundred and thirty three thousanddollars. One medium bomber costs one hundred
than sixty thousand dollars. To goon. In nineteen thirty three we had
only three hundred and fifty five antiaircraft guns. We now have more than
(12:09):
seventeen hundred modern anti aircraft guns ofall types on hand or on order.
And you wor to know that athree inch anti aircraft gun costs forty thousand
dollars without any of the fire controlequipment that goes with us with it.
In nineteen thirty three, there wereonly twenty four modern infantry mortars from the
(12:31):
entire army. We now have onhand and on order more than sixteen hundred.
In nineteen thirty three, we hadonly forty eight modern tanks and armored
cars. Today we have on handand on order seventeen hundred. There are
many other items in which our progresssince nineteen thirty three has been rapid,
(12:52):
and the great proportion of this advanceconsists of really modern equipment listince. In
nineteen thirty three, on the personnelside, we had twelve hundred and sixty
three Army pilots. Today the Armyalone has more than thirty two hundred of
the best fighting fliers in the world, fliers who last year flew more than
(13:16):
one million hours in combat training.And that figure does not include the hundreds
of splendid pilots in the National Guardand in the organized reserves within the past
year. The productive capacity of theaviation industry to produce modern planes has been
tremendously increased in this past year,more than doubled, but that capacity is
(13:43):
still inadequate. The government, workingwith industry is determined to increase that capacity
to meet our needs. We intendthe harness the efficient machinery of these manufacturers
to the government's program of being ableto get fifty thousand planes a year.
(14:03):
One additional word about aircraft, aboutwhich we read so much. Recent wars,
including the current war in Europe,have demonstrated beyond doubt the fighting efficiency
depends on unity of command unity ofcontrol. In sea operations, the airplane
(14:24):
is just as much an integral partof unity of operations as are the submarine,
the destroyer, and the battleship.And in land warfare, the airplane
is just as much a part ofmilitary operations as are the tank cars,
the engineers, the artillery, orthe infantry itself, and therefore air forces
(14:52):
should continue to be a part ofthe Army and Navy. In line my
request, the Congress this week isvoting the largest appropriations ever asked by the
Army or the Navy in peace time, and the equipment and training provided for
(15:13):
them will be in addition to thefigures I have given you. The world
situation may so change that it willbe necessary to reappraise our program at any
time, and in such case Iam confident that the Congress and the Chief
Executive will work in harmony as ateam, work in harmony as they are
(15:39):
doing today. I will not hesitateat any moment to ask for additional funds
when they are required. In thisera of swift mechanized warfare, we all
have to remember that what is moderntoday and up to date, what is
efficient and practice, becomes obsolete andoutworn tomorrow. Even while the production line
(16:07):
turns out airplanes, new airplanes arebeing designed on the drafting table. Even
as a cruiser slides down the launchingways. Plans for improvement, plans for
increased efficiency in the next model,are taking shape in the blueprints of designers.
(16:30):
Every days, fighting in Europe,on land, on sea, and
in the air discloses constant changes inmethods of warfare. We are constantly improving
and redesigning, testing new weapons,learning the lessons of the moment, seeking
to produce in accordance with the latestthat the brains of science can conceive.
(16:56):
Yes, we are calling upon theresources, the efficiency in the ingenuity of
American manufacturers of war material of allkinds, airplanes and tanks and guns and
ships, and all the hundreds ofproducts that go into this material. The
Government of the United States itself manufacturesfew are the implements of war. Private
(17:21):
industry will continue to be the sourceof most of this material, and private
industry will have to be speeded upto produce it at the rate and the
efficiency called for by the needs ofthe times. I know that private business
cannot be expected to make all ofthe capital investments required for expansions of plants
(17:44):
and factories and personnel which this programcalls for at once. It'll be unfair
to expect industrial corporations or their investorsto do this when there is a chance
that a change in international affairs maystop or curtail orders a year or two.
Hence, therefore, the Government ofthe United States stands ready to advance
(18:10):
the necessary money to help provide forthe enlargement of factories, the establishment of
new plants, the employment of thousandsof necessary workers, the development of new
sources of supply for the hundreds ofraw materials required, the development of quick
mass transportation of supplies, and thedetails of all of this are now being
(18:33):
worked out in Washington day and night. We are calling on men now engaged
in private industry to help us incarrying out this program, and you will
hear more of this in detail inthe next few days. It does not
mean that the men we call uponwill be engaged in the actual production of
this material. That will still haveto be carried on in the plants,
(18:57):
in the factories throughout the land.Private industry will have the responsibility of providing
the best, speediest, and mostefficient mass production of which it is capable.
The functions of the business men whoseassistance we are calling upon will be
to co ordinate this program to seeto it that all of the plants continue
(19:19):
to operate at maximum speed and efficiency. Patriotic Americans have proven merit of unquestionability
in their special fields, are comingto Washington to help the government with their
training, their experience, and theircapability. It is our purpose not only
(19:41):
to speed up production, but toincrease the total facilities of the nation in
such a way that they can befurther enlarged to meet emergencies of the future.
But as this program proceeds, thereare several things we must continue to
(20:02):
watch and the safeguard, things thatare just as important to the sound defense
of a nation as physical armament itself. While our navy and our airplanes,
and our guns and our ships maybe our first lines of defense, it
is still clear that weighed down atthe bottom, underlying them all, giving
(20:26):
them their strength, sustenance, andpower, are the spirit and the morale
of a free people. For thatreason, we must make sure in all
that we do, that there beno breakdown or cancelation of any of the
great social gains which we have madein these past years. We have carried
(20:48):
on an offensive on a broad frontagainst social and economic inequalities, against abuses
which had made our society weak.That offensive should not now be broken down
by the pincer's movement. Are thosewho would use the present needs of physical
military defense to destroy it. Thereis nothing in our present emergency to justify
(21:15):
making the nations of the workers ofour nation toil for longer hours than those
now limited by statute. As moreorders come in, and as more work
has to be done, tens ofthousands of people who are now unemploy'd will
I believe, receive employment. Thereis nothing in our present emergency to justify
(21:41):
a lowering of the standards of employment. Minimum wages should not be reduced.
It is my hope, indeed,that the new speed up of production will
cause many businesses which now pay belowthe minimum standards to bring their wages up.
(22:03):
There is nothing in our present emergencyto justify a breaking down of old
age pensions or of unemployment insurance.I would rather see the systems extended to
other groups who do not now enjoythem. There is nothing in our present
emergency to justify a retreat, anyretreat from any of our social objectives,
(22:30):
from conservation of natural resources, assistanceto agriculture, housing, and help to
the underprivileged. Conversely, however,I am sure that responsible leaders will not
permit some specialized group which represents aminority of the total employees of a plant
(22:56):
or an industry, to break upthe continuity of employment of the majority of
the employees. Let us remember thatthe policy and the laws that provide for
collective bargaining are still in force,and I can assure you that labor will
(23:17):
be adequately represented in Washington in thecarrying out of this program of defense.
And one more point on this,Our present emergency and a common sense of
decency make it imperative that no newgroup of war millionaires shall come into being
(23:41):
in this nation. As a resultare the struggles abroad. The American people
will not relish the idea of anyAmerican citizen growing rich and fat in an
emergency our blood and slaughter and humanself. The last of all, this
(24:03):
emergency demands that the consumers of Americabe protected so that our general cost of
living can be maintained at a reasonablelevel. We ought to avoid the spiral
processes of the World War, therising spiral of costs of all kinds.
(24:25):
The soundest policy is for every employerin the country to help give useful employment
to the millions who are unemployed.By giving to those millions an increased purchasing
power, the prosperity of the wholenation will rise to a much higher level.
(24:47):
Today's threat to our national security isnot a matter of military weapons alone.
We know of other methods, newmethods of a tact The trojan horse,
the fifth column that betrays a nationunprepared for treachery, Spies, saboteurs,
(25:14):
and traitors are the actors in thisnew strategy. With all of these
we must and will deal vigorously.But there is an added technique for weakening
a nation of its very roots,for disrupting the entire pattern of life of
a people, and it's important thatwe understand it. The method is simple.
(25:41):
First, discord the dissemination of discord. A group not too large,
a group that may be sectional,or racial or political, is encouraged to
exploit its prejudices through false slogans andemotional appeals. The aim of those who
(26:06):
deliberately egg on these groups is tocreate confusion of counsel, public indecision,
political paralysis, and eventually a stateof penny sound. National policies come to
be viewed with a new and unreasoningskepticism, not through the wholesome political debates
(26:30):
of honest and free men, butthrough the clever schemes are foreign agents.
As a result of these new techniques, armament programs may be dangerously delayed.
Singleness of national purpose may be undermined. Men can lose confidence in each other
(26:51):
and therefore lose confidence in the efficacyof their own united actions. Faith and
courage can yield to doubt and fear. The unity of the state can be
so sapped that its strength is destroyed. All this is no idle dream.
(27:15):
It has happened time after time innation after nation during the last two years.
Fortunately, American men and women arenot yet easy dupes. Campaigns of
group hatred or class strouble have nevermade much headway among us, and are
(27:38):
not making headway now. But newforces are being unleashed deliberately plan propagandas to
divide and weakness in the face ofdanger, as other nations have been weakened
before. These dividing forces I donot hesitate to call undiluted poison. They
(28:07):
must not be allowed to spread inthe new world as they have in the
old. Our moral, our mentaldefenses must be rais'd up as never before
against those who had cast a smokescreen across our vision. The development of
our defense program makes it essential thateach and every one of us men and
(28:33):
women feel that we have some contributionto make toward the security of our nation.
At this time when the world andthe world includes our own American hemisphere,
when the world is threatened by forcesof destruction, it is my resolve
(28:56):
and yours to build up our armeddefenses. We shall build them to whatever
heights the future may require. Weshall rebuild them swiftly as the methods of
warfare swiftly change. For more thanthree centuries, we Americans have been building
(29:22):
on this continent a free society,a society in which the promise of the
human spirit may find fulfillment. Commingledhere are the blood and the genius of
all the peoples of the world whohave sought this promise. We have built
(29:42):
well. We are continuing our effortsto bring the blessings of a free society,
of a free and productive economic systemto every family in the land.
And that is the promise America.It is this that we must continue to
(30:03):
build. This that we must continueto defend. It is the task of
our generations, yours and mine.But we build and defend not for our
generation alone. We defend the foundationslaid down by our fathers. We build
(30:27):
a life for generations yet unborn.We defend, and we build a way
of life, not for America alone, but for all mankind. Ours is
a high duty, a noble task. Day and night, I pray for
(30:48):
the restoration of peace in this madworld of ours. It is not necessary
that I, the President, askthe American people to pray in behalf of
such a cause, for I knowyou are praying with me. I am
(31:11):
certain that out of the hearts ofevery man, woman and child in this
land, in every waking minute,A supplication goes up to our Mighty God,
that all of us beg that sufferingand starving, that death and destruction
may end, and that peace mayreturn to the world in common affection for
(31:37):
all mankind. Your prayers join withmine, that God will heal the wounds
and the hearts of humanity.
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