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(BROOKLYN)
The people of the Soviet Union are surrounded by a curtain of
censorship through which very little of the truth about the other people of the
world can penetrate.
The leaders of the Soviet Union are the victims of their own iron
NATIONAL
curtain.
ARCHIVES AND
RECORDS
is
SERVICE"
There is a vast amount of misinformation and misunderstanding in
minds of those who control the destinies of the Russian people.
One of the problems which I face, and one of the problems which my
great predecessor faced, is to pierce that iron curtain and to get the truth
across to the leaders of the Soviet Union.
We must try to get them to understand that our people are united in
what we think is right, that we have no evil intentions, that we stand firmly
behind the United Nations.
Our experience has shown that formal diplomatiochannels do not
always succeed in doing this. It is the duty of the President, therefore, to
consider and study every possible approach to the heart and understanding of
the Soviet leaders.
I have given this problem prayerful consideration. I shall continue
to do SO.
There are some misguided persons who believe that further peaceful
discussions are useless.
But that is not the position of the United States Government.
So long as I. am President, the United States will not close its
mind to peace.
I will always explore every possible means, no matter how difficult
or how unconventional, for reaching agreement.
I welcome the abuse that is showered upon me by those who have made
up their minds that war is inevitable.
In my search for peace, I do not care what epithets may be hurled
at me by those who think that we must hurry on to inevitable catastrophe. I
do not care about that.
But when Republican leaders deliberately misinterpret my private
consultations with the Secretary of State, and try to tell the people of America
that my constant concern about peace is wrong, then I must protest.
I do not believe that war is inevitable and I shall make use of
every honorable means of preventing it.
The way in which our foreign policy has been attacked raises doubts
as to the good faith with which the Republican leaders in this campaign are
approaching this whole question.
Do they regard it as nothing more than a campaign issue? Do they
fully understand that the stakes in this matter are war or peace, life or
death, not only for ourselves and our children, but for our civilization?
These doubts are made more serious by the record which the Repbulican
Party has made in foreign affairs over the years.
Let me say right now that I welcome the real contributions made to
our foreign policy by certain Republicans in recent years. They have been
helpful, and I will always give full and friendly credit to them.
But these contributions, however real, must not blind us to the
fact that the Republican Party, as a party, is a late convert to the cause
of internationsl good will and cooperation.
After the first World War, the United States had its first great
opportunity to lead the world to peace. I have always believed that it was
the will of God at that time that we should enter into and lead. the League of
Nations. How much misery and suffering the world would have been spared if
we had followed Woodrow Wilson!
(OVER)
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"ocrText": "- 3\n(BROOKLYN)\nThe people of the Soviet Union are surrounded by a curtain of\ncensorship through which very little of the truth about the other people of the\nworld can penetrate.\nThe leaders of the Soviet Union are the victims of their own iron\nNATIONAL\ncurtain.\nARCHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nis\nSERVICE\"\nThere is a vast amount of misinformation and misunderstanding in\nminds of those who control the destinies of the Russian people.\nOne of the problems which I face, and one of the problems which my\ngreat predecessor faced, is to pierce that iron curtain and to get the truth\nacross to the leaders of the Soviet Union.\nWe must try to get them to understand that our people are united in\nwhat we think is right, that we have no evil intentions, that we stand firmly\nbehind the United Nations.\nOur experience has shown that formal diplomatiochannels do not\nalways succeed in doing this. It is the duty of the President, therefore, to\nconsider and study every possible approach to the heart and understanding of\nthe Soviet leaders.\nI have given this problem prayerful consideration. I shall continue\nto do SO.\nThere are some misguided persons who believe that further peaceful\ndiscussions are useless.\nBut that is not the position of the United States Government.\nSo long as I. am President, the United States will not close its\nmind to peace.\nI will always explore every possible means, no matter how difficult\nor how unconventional, for reaching agreement.\nI welcome the abuse that is showered upon me by those who have made\nup their minds that war is inevitable.\nIn my search for peace, I do not care what epithets may be hurled\nat me by those who think that we must hurry on to inevitable catastrophe. I\ndo not care about that.\nBut when Republican leaders deliberately misinterpret my private\nconsultations with the Secretary of State, and try to tell the people of America\nthat my constant concern about peace is wrong, then I must protest.\nI do not believe that war is inevitable and I shall make use of\nevery honorable means of preventing it.\nThe way in which our foreign policy has been attacked raises doubts\nas to the good faith with which the Republican leaders in this campaign are\napproaching this whole question.\nDo they regard it as nothing more than a campaign issue? Do they\nfully understand that the stakes in this matter are war or peace, life or\ndeath, not only for ourselves and our children, but for our civilization?\nThese doubts are made more serious by the record which the Repbulican\nParty has made in foreign affairs over the years.\nLet me say right now that I welcome the real contributions made to\nour foreign policy by certain Republicans in recent years. They have been\nhelpful, and I will always give full and friendly credit to them.\nBut these contributions, however real, must not blind us to the\nfact that the Republican Party, as a party, is a late convert to the cause\nof internationsl good will and cooperation.\nAfter the first World War, the United States had its first great\nopportunity to lead the world to peace. I have always believed that it was\nthe will of God at that time that we should enter into and lead. the League of\nNations. How much misery and suffering the world would have been spared if\nwe had followed Woodrow Wilson!\n(OVER)"
}