of Governor Herbert R. O'Conor 249

all of these for an executive who has devoted his whole life to the practice of
law and the management of a public utility. The months of delay that would
follow while such an individual acquired experience could be fatal.

I have cited this only to point out that today the American people have
every confidence in their government and have confidence in its foreign policy
And are behind their leader. They do not have confidence in the promises of a
man, no matter how great his ability, who lacks experience which is sorely
needed.

No general sentiment of the American people was ever more manifest
than the present day determination to have adequate National Defense. Every-
thing is naturally secondary to this consideration. What matters it whether
we work out a finely-spun theory for some domestic policy, only to have our
Nation caught unprepared in a world struggle for supremacy? We are not
alarmists but at least we can be realists. France lies prostrate; Holland and
Belgium are no more; Scandinavian countries are under the heel of the despot
and the rest of the world watches to see where the blow will strike next.
England—and England alone—is courageously fighting. It may be best left
unsaid what might happen if England should fall.

All this shows the need—the imperative need—to have at the helm of
the government the best available, the most experience, the best exponent of
American principle, the man who not only dealt in words but has acted in a
way that is understood by the dictators, —the man who acted instead of talking
about supplying destroyers to the British and acquiring for the country much-
needed naval bases. To say that he acts in a way that is understood by the
dictators is stating the simple fact.

It is such a crisis, the like of which has never faced this Country in all
of its history that brought about this candidacy for a third term. The answer
will come on November 5th, and I am one of those who predict it will be an
overwhelming victory for the Democratic Party. Our people need the cour-
ageous leadership that has made the name of President Roosevelt the hope of
all our Nation.

Before concluding, may I offer another important consideration. It con-
cerns our great Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull. The defeat of President
Roosevelt would mean his elimination from the Cabinet and, if anything could
be more untimely, it would be hard to imagine. Mr. Hull has gained years
of experience in this key position where the Country confidently follows with
approval his judgment on the handling of foreign affairs. He has spent years
building up better trade relations with our South American neighbors. He has
sought to break down by reciprocal trade treaties the barriers to trade raised
by tariff walls. He knows the foreign situation; he is familiar with the dangers
that may lie ahead. A defeat of President Roosevelt means a drastic change
in the State Department while we go through the transition from one adminis-
tration to another. It cannot help but adversely affect our Country.

We are now in the midst of a great National Defense Program. We all
hate war. But President Roosevelt knows and you know that the best way to
safeguard our interest is to be fully prepared. Our Navy will soon be the great-
est in the whole world. Airplanes are coming off the assembly Tine; our man-
power is being trained. We are not waiting for the world to collapse about us
before we begin to protect ourselves. We are acting, not talking, these days.