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Speech of Senator Harry S. Truman atoPact and Whitney Plant Ceremony, July 4, 1942. For release on delivery. Fellow Americans, on July Fourth, one hundred and sixty-six years ago, our forefathers met together and formally and determinedly announced to all the world that the United States of America was free. On that memorable day these honored patriots ratified and signed the document which set out the principles that guaranteed to all citizens a life of liberty and of freedom. To bbtain. these liberties and freedom, our forefathers fought on the battlefronts of the Revolutionary War. Down through the years Americans have fought and died for the freedom and liberty which we hold so dear. Today again, Americans are fighting and dying for the principles which to us are greater than life itself. Today we initiate the construction of this great airplane engine plant. We are determined that the American fighting man shall have more equipment and better equipment than any other fighting force of the world. To take the offensive, and we must take the offensive because wars are not won on the defensive, vast amounts of all instruments of war must be produced so that we and our allies may carry the battle to our enemies wherever they may be found. We are fighting the most ruthless aggressors of all history, who have schemed and planned for years a path of conquest which would debase and destroy democratic freedom and democratic ideals and democratic institutions everywhere KRUMAN finst NARA