of Governor Herbert R. O'Conor 713

Again at Midway, American planes, particularly long-range bombers, were
effective weapons that wrecked Japanese hopes of capturing Midway as a base
of attack against Hawaii. Our capacity to out-produce all the facilities the
Axis Nations can marshall against us, gives promise that, in this war, where the
bomber and other types of planes are rapidly assuming the dominating place,
the United States can look forward confidently to superiority in the matter of
months.

At this point it is appropriate that, as Chief Executive of the State, I take
occasion to pay tribute to the accomplishments of the forces of labor, men and
women, in the matter of war production. We have always been fortunate here
in Maryland in having a most favorable relationship between labor and manage-
ment. Since Pearl Harbor, and in the face of the vital need for 100% produc-
tion in every line, Maryland has set an example of labor relationship that has
not and could not be exceeded by any State in the Nation.

Mention should be made, too, of the recently established Maryland Labor
Victory Board, on which representatives of organized labor advise with me to
help achieve the utmost productivity along every possible line.

Dark as the war picture may be at the moment, there is not, I am sure, in
the minds of anyone here present, or of any American doubt as to our Country's
ability to defend its liberties, and to insure the defeat of Germany and Japan in
this war. We cannot win, however, merely by sitting back and praising our
resources, and letting others perform the duties that rightly fall upon us as
American citizens. The Government cannot do it all.

In fact, they cannot do anything without the assistance of the citizens.
No matter how small or unpublicized the tasks that may be assigned to each one,
whether it be watching for planes on a chilly hillside or learning to roll bandages
or perform other phases of first aid work, these tasks must be performed faith-
fully and willingly.

Everyone must be a cog in the great machinery that is moving forward,
efficiently and relentlessly, to crush those who would deny us liberty, and who
would attempt to fasten upon this Country the misery and slavery that have
, been brought to so many peoples.

Not the least of our obligations is the duty to participate, to the limit of
our ability, in financing of the war, by buying war stamps and bonds. Each
week brings new appropriations by Congress to provide for the building of
planes and tanks and guns and ships. These appropriations are in billions, and
every one of the dollars appropriated now must be advanced by the people of
America.

It is one way that everybody can help. If we were asked to donate our
money to the Government, even that would not be too big a price to pay for
liberty. For be it remembered, if we ever lose this war, there will be no ques-
tion of contributing our possessions. They will be appropriated without excuse
or explanation, just as they have been in Belgium, in Poland, and the other con-
quered countries.