740 State Papers and Addresses
what England suffered durning the periouds of mass German bombings, The
mechanized monster, which misguided German minds conceived for the de-
struction of their enemies will be used, in constantly greater and greater
measure, to bring about the destruction of Germany itself.
On the home front, as well, America is under full steam in the war
industries of the land. Here again, there will be no let-down, no thought of
stoppage until the fullest demands of the Military and Naval leaders have
been met. Every soldier and sailor who is sent forth to fight for America
must have better than an equal chance to fight through to Victory. He must
have planes and weapons of every type not only equal, in number and quality,
but superior, to those of the enemy.
Is this objective being accompolished ? It is! And this notwithstanding
the fact that, occasionally throughout the land - but, thank God, only oc-
casionally - selfish and misguided groups are still aiding Hitler and his fol-
lowers by interfering with the maximum production of American industries
and factories:.
For Maryland let it be said, with deepest satisfaction, that her people
have never faltered in the good work of production. Rather, the men and
women producing the ships and planes, the war supplies of every description
in the plants throughout the State, have furnished an example of patriotic
endeavor that has been an inspiration to the rest of the Nation. And their
leaders in management and in organized labor, have stood shoulder to shoulder
with State and Federal officials in every effort to maintain and to increase the
efficiency of Maryland's great Army of Production Soldiers.
It was at this very banquet, at your Convention two years ago, by the way,
that the first announcement was made of plans for the Maryland State Guard.
With the help of Legion officials and members, the State Guard now has
advanced to the front rank 'among Guard units in the Nation, a fact in
which thee legion may well like special pride
The whole civilized world, including the German-dominated millions, thrilled
to the raid last week on Dieppe, a raid which accomplished, by the way,
what Hitler, with all his boastings, has never dared to attempt. Allied troops,
including American, crossed the English Channel, landed and fought on enemy-
held territory. It was a prelude to other daring raids, some one of which
one day may develop into that long-awaited invasion, the threat of which is
keeping the German-occupied Coast of Continental Europe watchful along
its entire 2, 000 mile stretch from France to Finland.
Costly this raid undoubtedly was. But it served to teach valuable lessons -
not the least of which is the utter necessity of a super-abundance of the best
planes and guns and tanks that can be produced. This again can inspire con-
fidence in American production achievements. For the deeper American gets
into this war, the better American arms and planes and tanks and fighting
ships shape up.
It is significant to note that today the British are adopting U. S. tank
models, because in actual combat they have proven superior to the German
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