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The great issue before the world today -- an issue so
vital that it affects every man, woman, and child on earth -- is:
Which will triumph, the forces of Marxism as embodied in communism
and socialism, or the free principles of liberty and individual
dignity of man which our civilization has evolved out of 3,000
years of experience?
Shall it be the godless materialism of Marx, or the
idealism instilled in us by the religious teachings of all faiths?
Shall it be the police state that triumphs, or shall
political systems that recognize the essential dignity of man
emerge victorious?
Shall we become the victims of secret police, or shall
we walk the earth as free men fearing no one but God?
Shall our homes and our churches be liquidated, or shall
the morality of the family and the basic religious teachings
survive, mightier than ever?
Those are the questions. To meet them we must not only
possess the finest qualities of spirit and the maximum of wisdom,
but we must be able to translate those qualifications into
practical action.
Let us apply ourselves tonight to examing the situation
we are now in. Here briefly is what we see:
Since the end of World War II, due principally to the
use of armed might and the tactics of infiltration, and due also
to the incredible policies which the United States and other free
nations have followed, the Soviet Union has managed to expend
its domination from 170,000,000 people to 800,000,000 people.
In other words, almost without firing a shot, Communist Russia
in five so-called percetime years has increased its domination
fivefold over human beings and now physically controls half of
Europe and half of Asia and threatens the other halves on both
continents. That is fact No. 1.
The free countries, on the other hand, devoid of the
guile and immorality which the Communists practice, have failed
to produce the political weapons necessary to match the unprinci-
pled tactics of the Soviet Union. True, ECA has been devised as
a weapon, and it has had some success, but it has not been enough
by any means. Our counterpropaganda, a political weapon so
effectively used by the Soviet Union, has been long on quantity
and pitifully short on quality. Our programs of technical
assistance and capital loans have operated in dubious fashion
and have not proved too effective. In short, we have permitted
ourselves to be completely outmaneuvered in the employment of
political weapons. That is fact No. 2.
Finally, while Fussia has spent the last 5 years
increasing its armed might, the free countries, and particularly
the United States, have been busily engaged in reducing their
military strength. In our own country, the record must show
that the Republican Eightieth Congress passed laws directing the
President of the United States to build the Air Force up to
70 groups, to strengthen the Marine Coro and to broaden naval
aviation by the construction of a super aircraft carrier.
But
unfortunately, the administration had other plans. These plans
called for the armed services to be reduced, and by the President's
own directive countermanding the action of the Republican Eightieth
Congress, the Air Force W.IS held to 48 groups, the Marine Corps
was virtually consigned to <blivion, and construction of the super
dircraft carrier, on which $4,000,000 already had been spent, was
ordered halted by the White House in 1949.
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"ocrText": "- 2\nThe great issue before the world today -- an issue so\nvital that it affects every man, woman, and child on earth -- is:\nWhich will triumph, the forces of Marxism as embodied in communism\nand socialism, or the free principles of liberty and individual\ndignity of man which our civilization has evolved out of 3,000\nyears of experience?\nShall it be the godless materialism of Marx, or the\nidealism instilled in us by the religious teachings of all faiths?\nShall it be the police state that triumphs, or shall\npolitical systems that recognize the essential dignity of man\nemerge victorious?\nShall we become the victims of secret police, or shall\nwe walk the earth as free men fearing no one but God?\nShall our homes and our churches be liquidated, or shall\nthe morality of the family and the basic religious teachings\nsurvive, mightier than ever?\nThose are the questions. To meet them we must not only\npossess the finest qualities of spirit and the maximum of wisdom,\nbut we must be able to translate those qualifications into\npractical action.\nLet us apply ourselves tonight to examing the situation\nwe are now in. Here briefly is what we see:\nSince the end of World War II, due principally to the\nuse of armed might and the tactics of infiltration, and due also\nto the incredible policies which the United States and other free\nnations have followed, the Soviet Union has managed to expend\nits domination from 170,000,000 people to 800,000,000 people.\nIn other words, almost without firing a shot, Communist Russia\nin five so-called percetime years has increased its domination\nfivefold over human beings and now physically controls half of\nEurope and half of Asia and threatens the other halves on both\ncontinents. That is fact No. 1.\nThe free countries, on the other hand, devoid of the\nguile and immorality which the Communists practice, have failed\nto produce the political weapons necessary to match the unprinci-\npled tactics of the Soviet Union. True, ECA has been devised as\na weapon, and it has had some success, but it has not been enough\nby any means. Our counterpropaganda, a political weapon so\neffectively used by the Soviet Union, has been long on quantity\nand pitifully short on quality. Our programs of technical\nassistance and capital loans have operated in dubious fashion\nand have not proved too effective. In short, we have permitted\nourselves to be completely outmaneuvered in the employment of\npolitical weapons. That is fact No. 2.\nFinally, while Fussia has spent the last 5 years\nincreasing its armed might, the free countries, and particularly\nthe United States, have been busily engaged in reducing their\nmilitary strength. In our own country, the record must show\nthat the Republican Eightieth Congress passed laws directing the\nPresident of the United States to build the Air Force up to\n70 groups, to strengthen the Marine Coro and to broaden naval\naviation by the construction of a super aircraft carrier.\nBut\nunfortunately, the administration had other plans. These plans\ncalled for the armed services to be reduced, and by the President's\nown directive countermanding the action of the Republican Eightieth\nCongress, the Air Force W.IS held to 48 groups, the Marine Corps\nwas virtually consigned to <blivion, and construction of the super\ndircraft carrier, on which $4,000,000 already had been spent, was\nordered halted by the White House in 1949."
}