Press Release, Speech of President Harry S. Truman, Springfield, Massachusetts

TRUMAN BARRY "NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS LIBRARY SERVICE" GOVERNMENT HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 27, 1948 CONFIDENTIAL: The following address of the President, to be delivered in Springfield, Massachusetts, today MUST BE HELD FOR RELEASE UNTIL 12:15 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. CHARLES G. ROSS Secretary to the President After a few hours in this part of Massachusetts, I sometimes wonder why anbody wants to leave. It's beautiful here - almost as beautiful as Missouri! But I didn't come to Springfield to talk about the scenery. I am traveling about the country explaining what the issues are in this campaign. Here in Springfield, I'm going to talk about education and about our veterans of World War II who are back in school getting a delayed education. Maybe the schoolbooks don't talk about it, but right here in Springfield, Massachusetts, was the first G.I. revolt in our history. It was Shay's Rebellion. Captain Daniel Shay fought in the Revolution. When that war was over, the men who had done the fighting faced very bad inflation. The great-grandfathers of the Republican Party had no more interest in their welfare than the Republican 80th Congress has in yours. Shay's Rebellion didn't last long, but the conservatives were so frightened that they were scared into supporting the new Constitution. I don't suppose that any man has ever visited all the schools and colleges in New England. Some of them are maintained by the States, but most of them are indepe dent. Practically all of them are crowded with former servicemen on G.I. educational grants. This program of helping veterans complete their education is tangible evidence of our gratitude to our veterans. Of course, they deserve much more than a good education, which we are doing our best to provide. They deserve decent housing. This, I am sorry to say, we have not yet provided, because the Republican 80th Congress refused to pass a housing bill which we so badly need. Our veterans deserve relief from high prices which are making it so hard for them to make ends meet. They arën't getting that relief, because the Republican 80th Congress refused to pass price control laws. And our veterans deserve assurance that they won't ever have to go to war again. I can't make the promise that this country will never be forced to defend itself again, but I can say that we are doing every- thing in our power to create a just and lasting peace in the world. It only takes one to make a war. It takes two to make a peace. I am convinced that we are on the right track. So long as we are fair, firm, and friendly, there will not be another war. There is something else that our veterans deserve, too. That is decent schooling for their children. (OVER)