of Governor Herbert R. O'Conor 359

cannot have two foreign policies and the President's policy has been too often
stated by him to be misunderstood. It is—"To keep war away. from this
western hemisphere. "

Hitler has left no reason to doubt his ultimate intentions. He boasts
that they are for world conquest, whether by invasion or economic blockade.
In either case we would have to resist, or submit. And we would not submit.
Not if Americans are the same breed -of men who lived through Valley Forge,
and stormed the redoubts at Yorktown, and stopped the Prussian steam-roller
at Chateau Thierry.

It is not strange if the attitude of the American people has changed since
the beginning of this war. It would be strange—alarming, tragic—if it had
not. We have seen the course of battle moving steadily westward—westward
toward us. Warsaw—Brussels—Paris—Calais, and now it hovers over London
and swoops down upon Liverpool.

We have seen armies fail and governments fall. There are no boundaries
in Europe! There is only one bulwark left and it is sorely beset. As the
battle lines have moved closer to us, so have the realities of our situation. Our
self-interest lies within that weakening bulwark. How foolish we would be
not to prop it with whatever materials we can immediately spare!

And self-interest is not all that has changed our attitude. Are we a
people without emotions? What man's blood has not run faster to hear how
the out numbered Hurricanes and Spitfires flung back the Blizkrieg last
August? What American did not thrill to the fighting escape from Dunkirk?
And to the people being cheerful in air shelters—and children, torpedoed at
sea, singing in the lifeboats.

These are the people we don't want to see destroyed. Theirs are the
houses and schools and churches and cities. They are fighting such a battle
as the world has never seen. They are our moral allies, our brothers and
sisters of a great cause. They are faltering in their gallant fight for lack
of things, —mere materials—which we can give. For give them we can—and
give them we must—not on some vague tomorrow—but now!