of Governor Herbert R. O'Conor 657

Frankly, I have no more patience with such agitation than I had with the
spirit of pre-war pacificism to which such appeals are closely akin. And it was
this spirit that was largely responsible for bringing about the deplorable state
of utter unpreparedness in which our Country found itself on December 7th,
when Japan let loose its treacherous, murderous attack.

Is it un-Christian to hate a mad dog, to hate him so vehemently that noth-
ing but complete destruction can satisfy us? I say no! And I further say now
that the Nazi hordes who pillaged and ravished and murdered without restraint
in Poland and throughout Europe, and who are even today intensifying such
inhuman tactics, deserve exactly the same treatment from the decent people of
the world that a mad dog would receive if turned loose in our midst.

The Chinese millions, who have endured every form of bestiality at the
hands of the Japanese, could tell what we can expect from these yellow savages
if they make good their boost of Peace dictated by their Admiral from the
White House in Washington.

In the last week or two right off the sea-coast of Maryland, a good indica-
tion was given of the kind of tactics which we can expect at every turn in this
war. There, unarmed seamen attempting to save their lives from a torpedored

vessel, were machine-gunned by an Axis submarine and murdered shamefully.

f

A responsible Army official who is fully informed of the tactics of our
foes said this to me the other day. "As much as I love my wife and children,
I would rather see them dead and in their graves than, to have them fall into
the clutches of our German and Japanese foes. "Every adult in America should
ponder well the implication behind such a statement.

This war is no longer a world spectacle at which we Americans are merely
detached spectators. It is our war, as no other war has ever been, for it
menaces not only our lives, our National honor and material possessions, but it
strikes at the very foundation of that Democracy that has made America what
it is today. If it destroys Democracy here, the whole world will go down into
the dark abyss of National and individual slavery. Truly may America be de-
scribed today as the last outpost of Decency in the world.

Could the unblievable happen? Could this great Nation of ours go down to
bitter defeat, to our everlasting defeat, to our everlasting shame? It could.
Further, it will, unless you, and I, and all the millions banded with us under the
banner of American Democracy make it our business to forestall such a world
tragedy.

According to our abilities, our age, our position in. life, we must join in
this war effort with every last ounce of our energies. Our people must fight
with the fighting forces, or take places in the defense forces at home. We must
work to supply our fighting men with everything they need, in superabundance,
and we must finance such war production to the limit of our financial ability.

Today, by a formal military order, I authorized the complete formation of
a Reserve Military Organization, already referred to as. the Maryland Minute