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FOREWORD
A deep respect for the memory of President Roosevelt and
unshaken faith in the rightness of his foreign policy have impelled
me to write this book about the Yalta Conference.
The American people have encountered grave disappointments
in our relations with the Soviet Union since 1945. These have
resulted in widespread acceptance of the idea that at Yalta vital
interests of the United States were sacrificed to appeasement of
the Soviet Union.
This idea is false. It is a myth that has been spread by
many people who are forgetful or ignorant of the facts and by some
who have seen an opportunity to smear the memory of a great leader.
It is not Yalta that is the trouble with the world today, but
subsequent failures to adhere to the policies Yalta stood for and
to carry out agreements that were reached there.
I served under President Roosevelt as Under Secretary and
Secretary of State. I was at Yalta and I know the story of the
Conference, from the first preparations for it to the conclusion.
There are certain facts that may be known to me alone since the
deaths of President Roosevelt and Harry Hopkins. There were also
other participants who could help to clear the record. I hope they
will come forward.
For myself, I could not be at rest with my conscience if I
delayed any longer my own offort to clarify the record and set forth
the truth about this Conference. I firmly believe that when all the
evidence is in and when the people of this country and the world
have outgrown hysteria and regained perspective, Yalta will become
a symbol- not of appeasement --but of a wise and courageous attempt
to set the world on the only road to lasting peace.
In the writing of this book I have associated myself with
Walter Johnson, a member of the History Department of the University
of Chicago and author of "William Allen White's America. Mr.
Tohnson, a trained historian, who brings a fresh insight to the
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"ocrText": "FOREWORD\nA deep respect for the memory of President Roosevelt and\nunshaken faith in the rightness of his foreign policy have impelled\nme to write this book about the Yalta Conference.\nThe American people have encountered grave disappointments\nin our relations with the Soviet Union since 1945. These have\nresulted in widespread acceptance of the idea that at Yalta vital\ninterests of the United States were sacrificed to appeasement of\nthe Soviet Union.\nThis idea is false. It is a myth that has been spread by\nmany people who are forgetful or ignorant of the facts and by some\nwho have seen an opportunity to smear the memory of a great leader.\nIt is not Yalta that is the trouble with the world today, but\nsubsequent failures to adhere to the policies Yalta stood for and\nto carry out agreements that were reached there.\nI served under President Roosevelt as Under Secretary and\nSecretary of State. I was at Yalta and I know the story of the\nConference, from the first preparations for it to the conclusion.\nThere are certain facts that may be known to me alone since the\ndeaths of President Roosevelt and Harry Hopkins. There were also\nother participants who could help to clear the record. I hope they\nwill come forward.\nFor myself, I could not be at rest with my conscience if I\ndelayed any longer my own offort to clarify the record and set forth\nthe truth about this Conference. I firmly believe that when all the\nevidence is in and when the people of this country and the world\nhave outgrown hysteria and regained perspective, Yalta will become\na symbol- not of appeasement --but of a wise and courageous attempt\nto set the world on the only road to lasting peace.\nIn the writing of this book I have associated myself with\nWalter Johnson, a member of the History Department of the University\nof Chicago and author of \"William Allen White's America. Mr.\nTohnson, a trained historian, who brings a fresh insight to the"
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