White House Press Release, Address by President Harry S. Truman

HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE 399 OCTOBER 8, 1947 CONF IDENTIAL: The following address of the President to be broadcast as part of a program by the Women 's Division of the Democratic National Committee on Democratic Women's Day, October 8, 1947, MUST BE HELD IN CONFIDENCE until released. NOTE: Release is automatic at 1:30 P.M., E.S.T., Wednesday, October 8, 1947. The same release applies to all newspapers and broadcasting stations. PLEASE GUARD AGAINST PREMATURE PUBLICATION OR RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT. CHARLES G. ROSS Secretary to the Presi dent I speak today to you -- the women of the United States -- in order to emphasize the need for greater participation by women in the affairs of our country. Our nation, at t.is time, must have responsible citizens, thoughtful citizens, earnest citizens, who will work to solve the difficult problems confronting us. TRUMA The women of this country, by recognizing their responsibility NARA to take an active part in; the determination of jthe grave issues of the day, can furnish this type of citizenship. Women can provide immediate leadership in dealing with one of these great issues. Women can make an invaluable contribution to the welfare of our nation - - and of the world -- by lending their wholehearted support to our food-saving program. Indeed, the responsibility for the success of that program rests very largely with the American housewife. She is an indis- pensable fighter in our war against hunger. The American housewife has never failed her country when she has been called upon to sacrifice in its interest. I know that she will not fail in the great task now before us. I know, too, that if the women of our nation exert the tremendous moral force for good which they possess, we shall make greater and more last- ing progress in overcoming the other difficulties that concern us and the world. As a nation we stand now on the threshold of a wonderful opportunity, unique in history. We are a thriving country. The facts of our high employ- ment and our great farm and industrial production speak for themselves. We are a strong and peace-loving nation. The United States, more than any other nation, is in a position to give reality to the Four Freedoms. The United States should and can be the first nation in which the people -- all the people -- are free from want and free from fear, free to speak and to write as their hearts dictate, and free to worship as they will. This is no idle dream. It is a goal well within the power of this mighty nation of ours to achieve. The actions of our government to improve social security, public health and education, and to develop and conserve our national resources, must not be allowed to lag behind the needs of the people. Nor can we falter in our unceasing quest for a just, permanent peace in the world. The need is for us, the people, to summon the will to achieve these goals, and to trans- late that will into positive action. In this undertaking, the women of the United States have a great opportunity and a great responsibility to play the decisive part. Women in this country won the right to vote only after a long, hard struggle. Now, over one million more women than men are eligible to vote in the United States. Thus, the power lies in the hands of American women -- in your hands -- to shape the destiny of America. And yet when the time comes to register and the opportunity comes to vote, many of our women neglect this responsibility of citizenship. Foreign nations are deeply interested in the size of our vote. The reason is clear. The United States is the foremost example of democratic government in the world. Men and women in other lands are comparing the operation of our democratic system with other forms of government. We do not want them to conclude that we are not interested (OVER)