of Governor Herbert R. O'Conor 647

casts; that all Americans must pay respect to officers and men in German uni-
forms, and make way for them in public places; and similar regulations with-
out end?

/

It can't happen here, some say. We say it can happen here. It has hap-
pened in other countries, to other peoples who felt just as secure in the pos-
session of their Democratic freedoms as you do. Any who feel that it isn't
necessary to get "all stirred up" about this war, had better read some books
about what has happened in Central Europe, how many thousands have been
executed and, even now, how many hundreds of thousands! are starving to death
in Belgium and Greece because Germans have "requisitioned" their food
supplies.

If there still are any considerable number of our people who aren't greatly
disturbed over the threat America faces, then, indeed, we are in more serious
danger than events to date would disclose. For this is a situation) in which
every last ounce of our National effort must be concentrated if we are to escape
the fate of other conquered nations. Because America is the greatest Nation
in the world is no assurance that we will overcome the concentrated war efforts
of our apanese and German enemies. Potential resources mean nothing; the
only important thing is how well we can utilize these resources, how great the
supplies of vital war materials that can be amassed, quickly, and transported
promptly to the areas where vital battles are being, or will be, fought.

We started too late to think about these things to give us any time for
loitering now. When Japan took Hong Kong, and Singapore, Java and Burma,
sine not only deprived the United Nations of great national wealth and strate-
gic bases. By her conquests, she laid upon us the definite necessity of winning
back all or at least the most important of these strategic points and bases be-
fore we can be in a position to launch the all-out attack upon Japan herself that
will be a necessary prelude to the attainment of final Victory.

Being a peace-loving people, America failed to heed the obvious signs of
enemy preparation. We are to a point now, however, where we redouble every
effort to overcome delays of the past. If our gallant American forebears, if
the Marylanders of 300 years ago, could risk their lives and their fortunes and
endure untold hardships in the pursuit of an ideal, certainly we, who have
known the fruition of that ideal, who have drunk deeply of the. advantages of
American Democracy, can do no less than give our all to its preservation.

We won't fail now, because there is too much at stake. America never has
known defeat in war, and it never will! Slow to start, by God's grace America
will quickly gain the momentum necessary to out-produce and to out-fight all
the forces our dictator foes can rally against us.

Maryland will do its part to save America and its free institutions! for those
to come after this generation. In so doing, our people shall be to all the world
a means of redemption from the enslavement of despots everywhere.