248 State Papers and Addresses

our first line of defense. No more were battleships scrapped. Our Navy
became our strongest aim of defense.

Today the interest of every American is directed to the battlefields of
Europe, to the skies above Great Britain and to the vast reaches of Asia.
Americans today are conscious of the fact that their whole being, their govern-
ment, their Nation, even civilization itself, are on trial more than three thou-
sand miles away. We are vitally interested in the foreign policy of our
government. Isolation does not exist and can never exist for us.

We have been forced to realize that three thousand miles of ocean do not
provide security for us. While formerly it was felt that the United States
occupied a house of isolation, the shocking fact is that modern aircraft has
exploded that theory and the cruel depredations of bombing planes have all
too convincingly shown that no land is too far to reach and to bombard.

No wonder then that the American people feel that issues which, in
ordinary times, might have been important, now are definitely over-shadowed
by the threat to our peace and our security. Tomorrow the greatest peace-
time effort for National Defense will find expression in the registration of
millions of men between 21 and 36. Henceforth this Country will continue its
effort to prepare for peace—lasting peace—by preparedness of a kind that
will convince any aggressor nation that it dare not attack this Country.

Who is best equipped to "carry on" a program for preparedness of a kind
worthy of the name ? Should it be the party which failed to prepare adequately
or should it be the party with its standard-bearer, the present Chief Executive
of the Country, who has manifested a grasp of this complicated and far-reach-
ing problem?

I said above that we are preparing for peace. How can we be sure that,
under a continuation of the present administration, peace will be our aim.
The best proof is that, for seven and a half years, our President has guided
the destinies of this Country when international conditions unprecedented in
the world's history existed. Everywhere war has been the preoccupation of
nations. Everywhere except America. He has carefully guided the ship of
state despite the fact that all along the course have been dangerous obstacles
placed in the way designedly by nations which either hope to involve us
or defiantly took steps that would lead us into the conflict.

This much can be said without equivocation or fear of successful contradic-
tion—that today America is respected by every nation in the world, respected
even by the powers that hate us. They respect the strength, the resource-
fulness, but above all, the courage of this Country, and the man who has
represented to them all these qualities is the President of the United States.
He has been our spokesman. Defeat him and observers abroad may well
contend that his pronouncements on foreign policy have been repudiated.

The American people must realize that, should there come about a defeat
of the present administration, there will be a period of transition between
administrations that may last many months. Poland was crushed in 27 days;
France in less than two months; time is vital, every day is important. The
dictators of Europe would want just such a situation to develop and would
be delighted to see National Defense bogged down by a change in adminis-
tration.

We are asked to exchange seven years of experience, a lifetime devoted
to public service, experience that is priceless in times of crisis, and exchange