526 State Papers and Addresses

production of the tremendous amounts of war material necessary to equip a
modern army, there is very special need of women because of the increasing
numbers of precision instruments that must be constructed for our airplanes
and other types of mechanical equipment.

As was demonstrated so clearly in the last war, and in the development of
precision instruments since that time, women have a definite knack for handling
the delicate parts involved, and in many instances are more satisfactory in such
work than men.

All of this, of course, will be in addition, in any greater emergency that
may arise, to the time-honored function of women in warfare. That function
has always been to maintain at home the same high morale that is so necessary
to the men under arms. This function, of course, American women will fulfill
as nobly as they have always done.

Right now you could well address yourselves to the task of convincing the
women of Maryland that there is urgent need for the present intensive train-
ing of their husbands, sons and sweethearts, and that there may even be a dire
necessity for more millions of well-trained men before many months have
passed. The women of our State can do a morale-building job for these trainees
that in the final analysis might well mean the difference between defeat and
victory for American Democracy.

What do you suppose the women of prostrate France, of intrepid Belgium,
of ravaged Poland would give, to have the opportunity that is yours at this
moment ? For them, however, the day of opportunity is past. Over them hangs
the cloud of a future bereft of liberty and devoid of hope!

For us, thank God, that opportunity still remains! For us, there still is
time, if we use it to advantage, to arm ourselves adequately against the mighty
hordes that have rolled, like the plague of old, across so many of the countries
of Continental Europe.

And use this time we must, to fullest advantage, or we, too, may awaken
on some sad tomorrow to find ourselves no longer free, but vassals of a tyrant
master. We must work to produce the needed arms and materials; we must
train our people to be ready for service in any eventuality that may ensue, and
we must steel our hearts and our wills to endure anything, everything rather
than yield even one tiny particle of those freedoms won for us by the blood and
the toil of our gallant forefathers.