wick or polish the glass. The time has come when we must provide the fuel in ever-increasing amounts to keep the flame alight.

There will be no divisions of party or section or race or nationality or religion. There is not one among us who does not have a stake in the outcome of the effort in which we are now engaged.

A few weeks ago I spoke of four freedoms-freedom of speech and expression, freedom of every person to worship God in his own way, freedom from want, freedom from fear. They are the ultimate stake. They may not be immediately attainable throughout the world but humanity does move toward those ideals through democratic processes. If we fail-if democracy is superseded by slavery-then those four freedoms or even the mention of them will become forbidden things. Centuries will pass before they can be revived.

By winning now, we strengthen their meaning, we increase the stature of mankind and the dignity of human life.

There is a vast difference between the word "loyalty" and the word "obedience". Obedience can be obtained and enforced in a dictatorship by the use of threat and extortion or it can be obtained by a failure on the part of government to tell the truth to its citizens.

Loyalty is different. It springs from the mind that is given the facts, that retains ancient ideals and proceeds without coercion to give support to its own government.

That is true in England and in Greece and in China and in the United States today. And in many other countries millions of men and women are praying for the return of a day when they can give that kind of loyalty.

Loyalty cannot be bought. Dollars alone will not win this war. Let us not delude ourselves as to that.

Today, nearly a million and a half American citizens are hard at work in our armed forces. The spirit and the determination of these men of our Army and Navy are worthy of the highest traditions of our country. No better men ever served under Washington, or John Paul Jones, or Grant, or Lee, or Pershing. That is a boast, I admit-but it is not an idle one.

Upon the national will to sacrifice and to work depends the output of our industry and our agriculture.

Upon that will depends the survival of the vital bridge across the ocean-the bridge of ships which carry the arms and food for those who are fighting the good fight.

Upon that will depends our ability to aid other nations which may determine to offer resistance.

Upon that will may depend practical assistance to people now living in nations which have been overrun, should they find the opportunity to strike back in an effort to regain their liberties.

This will of the American people will not be frustrated either by threats from powerful enemies abroad or by small, selfish groups or individuals at home.

The determination of America must not be obstructed by war profiteering.

It must not be obstructed by unnecessary strikes of workers, by short-sighted management, or by deliberate sabotage.

For, unless we win, there will be no freedom for either management or labor.

Wise labor leaders and wise business managers will realize how necessary it is to their own existence to make common sacrifice for this great common cause.

There is no longer the slightest question or doubt that the American people recognize the extreme seriousness of the present situation. That is why they have demanded, and got, a policy of unqualified, immediate, all-out aid for Britain, Greece, China, and for all the governments in exile whose homelands are temporarily occupied by the aggressors.

From now on that aid will be increased-and yet again increased— until total victory has been won.

The British are stronger than ever in the magnificent morale which has enabled them to endure all the dark days and the shattered nights of the past 10 months. They have the full support and help of Canada, and the other dominions, of the rest of their Empire, and nonBritish people throughout the world who still think in terms of the great freedoms.

The British people are braced for invasion whenever the attempt may come tomorrow-next week-next month.

In this historic crisis, Britain is blessed with a brilliant and great leader in Winston Churchill. But, no one knows better than Mr. Churchill himself, that it is not alone his stirring words and valiant deeds which give the British their superb morale. The essence of that morale is in the masses of plain people who are completely clear in their minds about the one essential fact that they would rather die as free men than live as slaves.

These plain people-civilians as well as soldiers and sailors and

airmen-women and girls as well as men and boys-are fighting in the front line of civilization, and they are holding that line with a fortitude which will forever be the pride and the inspiration of all free men on every continent and on every island of the sea.

The British people and their Grecian allies need ships. From America, they will get ships.

They need planes. From America, they will get planes.

They need food. From America, they will get food.

They need tanks and guns and ammunition and supplies of all kinds. From America, they will get tanks and guns and ammunition and supplies of all kinds.

China likewise expresses the magnificent will of millions of plain people to resist the dismemberment of their Nation. China, through the Generalissimo, Chiang Kai-shek, asks our help. America has said that China shall have our help.

Our country is going to be what our people have proclaimed it must be the arsenal of democracy.

Our country is going to play its full part.

And when dictatorships disintegrate—and pray God that will be sooner than any of us now dares to hope-then our country must continue to play its great part in the period of world reconstruction.

We believe that the rallying cry of the dictators, their boasting about a master-race, will prove to be pure stuff and nonsense. There never has been, there isn't now, and there never will be, any race of people fit to serve as masters over their fellowmen.

The world has no use for any nation which, because of size or because of military might, asserts the right to goose-step to world power over other nations or other races. We believe that any nationality, no matter how small, has the inherent right to its own nationhood. We believe that the men and women of such nations, no matter what size, can, through the processes of peace, serve themselves and serve the world by protecting the common man's security; improve the standards of healthful living; provide markets for manufacture and for agriculture. Through that kind of peaceful service every nation can increase its happiness, banish the terrors of war, and abandon man's inhumanity to man.

Never, in all our history, have Americans faced a job so well worthwhile. May it be said of us in the days to come that our children and our children's children rise up and call us blessed.

740.0011 European War 1939/9531

202

Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State (Welles) Regarding A Conversation With the Soviet Ambassador (Oumansky)

[WASHINGTON,] March 20, 1941.

After the conclusion of the general conference with the Soviet Ambassador this afternoon, I asked the Ambassador to remain in order that I might talk with him alone for a few minutes. The Ambassador asked if I had any further information in confirmation of what I stated to him secretly in our last interview, namely, that this Government believed that Germany was planning to attack the Soviet Union. I said that I had additional information in confirmation of that report. S[UMNER] W[ELLES]

740.0011 European War 1939/9720A

203

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Bulgaria (Earle)

[Telegram: Paraphrase]

60

WASHINGTON, April 5, 1941-1 p.m. 35. In your discretion please use your good offices to the end that the Bulgarian Government may understand how support given acts of aggression against Yugoslavia is bound to be regarded in the United States. Our every effort is now being exerted under existing law to assist the nations which are defending their integrity and intelligence against aggression.

Presumably you are using all information reaching you from the United States (including Radio Bulletin) to emphasize the scope of our national determination.

HULL

204

Statement by the Secretary of State, April 6; 1941 600

The barbaric invasion of Yugoslavia and the attempt to annihilate that country by brute force is but another chapter in the present planned movement of attempted world conquest and domination.

Similar telegrams, mutatis mutandis, were sent to the missions in Hungary and Rumania.

60a Issued after consultation with the President.

Another small nation has been assaulted by the forces of aggression and is further proof that there are no geographical limitations or bounds of any kind to their movement for world conquest.

The American people have the greatest sympathy for the nation which has been thus so outrageously attacked and we follow closely the valiant struggle the Yugoslav people are making to protect their homes and preserve their liberty.

This Government with its policy of helping those who are defending themselves against would-be conquerors is now proceeding as speedily as possible to send military and other supplies to Yugoslavia.

740.0011 European War 1939/9955B

205

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Portugal (Fish)

[Telegram: Paraphrase]

61

WASHINGTON, April 10, 1941-6 p.m.

197. I wish to emphasize, at this crucial period in the struggle against totalitarian world aggression, the obligation resting upon every representative of the United States abroad to contribute to the success of that struggle in every way within his power. It has been made abundantly clear by the people and government of the United States that we do not intend to stand on the sidelines but that on the contrary we do intend to play our part in resistance against the forces of aggression. Therefore it is incumbent upon every representative of the United States and in fact upon every American citizen who is abroad to reflect in his own conduct and in his conversations with those with whom he may come in contact the absolute determination of his country and his government to see this thing through to a successful conclusion.

The President relies upon you to make clear to the military and civil leaders of the government and of public opinion in Portugal the scope of our national effort and determination to resist aggression. I have confidence that you will not lose any opportunity in conversations with such leaders, and by every other means at your disposal, to bring home repeatedly the significance of our position and to stress that we are absolutely convinced that the forces of aggression will be checked

61

Similar telegrams were sent to the missions in Spain, Finland, and Sweden.