our strength, for the most part, is determined by the military might
of our armed forces.

After each of the great world wars of this century, the citizens of
the United States succumbed to a state of complacency regarding
military preparedness, with the result that our country had to resort
to crash programs when threatened with foreign aggression. To their
everlasting credit, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the other great
veterans' organizations, strove with great diligence and great per-
sistence to shake the people out of their lethargy and to warn them
of the dangers they faced. You have the deep personal satisfaction of
knowing that, by following this policy, you have served your nation
bravely and well, just as you did when you served on battlefields in
the wars of your country. You of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and
your comrades in the other veteran's organizations have painstakingly
reminded the people of this country that we cannot deal with Com-
munism and the forces of aggression, in peace or in war, unless we
maintain our military strength. We know now that we must never
allow ourselves to lag in providing the weapons and materials needed
for our defense and in training the manpower to use them.

A nation is grateful to patriots like yourselves who fought at a
great sacrifice in the great wars of our country to safeguard the free-
dom we cherish. A nation is grateful to you, also, for keeping us at
constant alert as to the grave dangers which threaten us. I encourage
you, therefore, to continue your crusade for a strong nation, dedicated
to peace but fully prepared to resist aggression. We all pray for the
day when we may be able to beat our swords into plowshares and our
spears into pruning-hooks. But we acknowledge, with sadness and
disappointment, that that day has not yet arrived. And so, we must
heed the words of the father of our country, who advised us that
the best means of preserving the peace is to be prepared for war.

Once again, let me say that it is a great honor and a great pleasure
to be your guest here this evening. The people of this city and this
State greet you and welcome you, and we hope that all of you may
be able to visit us often in the future.

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