716 State Papers and Addresses

ABERDEEN—USO MEETING

July 14, 1942

Aberdeen

It is an inspiration to come to an establishment such as this U. S. O. Head-
quarters in Aberdeen, and to perceive at first-hand the splendid progress that
has been made in the all-important work of looking after the physical needs of
our armed forces. No undertaking more deserving could be imagined. These
men who compose our fighting forces are giving up every home comfort. We,
for whom they are fighting, are doing little enough in return when we seek to
supply for them the essential creature comforts.

Scattered all over the earth as America's fighting forces now are, it is
impossible at all times to take care of the men, many of them our relatives and
and friends, in the way we should like to. However, through the agency of the
United Service Organizations, splendid progress has been made in this field at
home, and I am sure every resident of Aberdeen who has paid even one visit
to this U. S. O. Headquarters has come away with a feeling that America is
trying to the best of its ability to do its part for the men who are doing so
much for America.

The destiny of America, the future and the happiness of many millions of
people throughout the world, are in the hands of these young fighting men.

They are opposed to millions of Axis troops who have literally been trained
from childhood for the work of destruction they are carrying on today. In
seeking to spread slavery and despotism throughout the entire world, they are
merely attempting to fulfill the end towards which all their education has been
pointed these many years. Our young men, on the contrary, brought up to
ways of peace, hating war and all its misery, must, nevertheless, after a short
training, go forth and battle to save us, to save the whole world, from a fate
far worse than death.

It is difficult sometimes here in peaceful America to get a thorough mental
picture of what is going on in the world about us. Unquestionably, there are
many American who still don't realize the havoc that is afoot in the world, who
still don't appreciate the threat that Germany and Japan and their Allies pre-
sent to the future of the free men and women of America. But these young
men for whom the U S O is planning and working know what is ahead for
them. To them has been entrusted such a task of defense and offense as no
country in the world ever before has faced, such as no country but America,
with its limitless resources, with its 130, 000, 000 of freedom-loving people could
ever hope to undertake.

Those who suggest the possibility of an early end to the war do so without
any appreciation or understanding of the facts as they are. Furthermore, they
do a real disservice to the people of our country, in that they wittingly or un-
wittingly tend to give our people a sense of totally unfounded optimism. A few