must be placed in the category of an ideal—a noble ideal which can
become a reality only by the exercise of the individual will. To be
frank, I think we will have to confess that too often in the past it
has been no more than a remote ideal—a rhetorical expression to
adorn a thought which has but little kinship with reality. The ideal
of brotherhood, like the ideal of freedom and equality, nevertheless
has been a potent force in our American society—has indeed been the
metal from which we have forged the greatest nation on the earth.

Today, as never before, the world cries out for the universal
brotherhood of man. World brotherhood has become not only an
ideal, but a most insistent and demanding reality, imposed upon us
whether we like it or not by grim circumstances over which we have
no control. With nations equipped with armament capable of de-
stroying other nations, if not the entire world, hatred of other peoples
is no longer a luxury in which we can indulge ourselves. And thus,
to save ourselves from utter extinction we are forced to do what we
should have done in obedience to our consciences and without com-
pulsion—that is, love our neighbors. For no man with hatred in his
heart for fellow man is to be trusted when armed with the destructive
weapons which modern science has provided us.

Modern science has pushed us to a point from which there is no
escape—no turning back. It offers these alternatives: extermination
or that human brotherhood which has been the spiritual ideal of
mankind since the dawn of civilization. The whole world looks to
us in America today for guidance and leadership in fostering the
spirit of human brotherhood among all the peoples of the earth.
America is the home of the greatest experiment in liberty ever de-
vised by men. Here we have demonstrated that men and women of
good will may live together in peace and happiness, regardless of
differences of race, creed or cultural background. The free peoples
of the world turn to America, then, for direction and moral strength
in the great struggle for human freedom. Our country has never
failed to respond to the challenge when the forces of evil and darkness
threaten the liberties of men. We can best meet the challenge by
renewing our faith in the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood
of God.

We know that human brotherhood cannot be created by legislation
or decree. It springs from the human soul, in obedience to the com-
mandment: "Love thy neighbor as thyself. " Brotherhood, moreover,
must exist between men individually before it can exist between races,
religious groups and political creeds. And thus, brotherhood must

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