Speech of Assistant Secretary of War Louis Johnson Before the American Legion Convention, Department of Dallas, at Austin, Texas

FUTURE RELEASE PLEASE NOTE DATE. ..AR DEPARTMENT F J T U R E RELEASE FOR RELEASE AFTER DELIVFRY Address by The Honorable Louis Johnson The Assistant Secretary of lir The Aperican Legion Convention Department of Texas Austin, Texas August 29, 1938, 11:00 A.M., C.S.T. AMERICANIS.I Fellor. Legionnaires: To speak on the subject of Amerionnism to you, fellow members of The Americen Legion, who, by your patriotic services, heve offered your lives to the service of your country in eccordance with our noblest traditions, may seem neither appropriate nor necessary. In these days, however, when the nar- row, decadent, alien philosophy of the Communist end the Fascist is not only sweeping meny parts of the world, but raising its ugly head at the gates of our country and knocking for edmittance, it behooves us who love America and its ideals to procleim agein our declaration of independence from the hates and the prejudices of the Old Lorld and to pledge our faith enew to the sound and healthy principles of Americanism. That is Americanism? It is not a simple word to define. Those of you who are familier with the early history of Texas know, at least, that your pioneer forefathers echieved Americanism here in this very community. Here, to the promised lend of our great Southwest, in search of the blessings of Americanism, they came -- wave upon wave of strong, independent, God-fearing immigrants from Europe and from the esstern seaboard. Behind them, they had left their feers and their prejudices. lith them, they had brought their courage, their strength, their confidence in themselves and their faith in their own destiny. Before them, ley a great Empire, a promised land of hope, of inspiration, of political freedom and of economic opportunity. On the frontiers of our country, our forefethers realized the great blessings of Americanism. Here, in the crucible of edversity and of struggle, with lurking beasts and with hostile elements, there wes born a new people in the history of the world, e nation with a fresh and a vholesome point of view, with a spirit of tolerance and of understanding and with E recognition and an eppreciation of humen rights. In the intervening yeers, America has changed much of its outward appearance. The great migration to the West has stopped. Improved means of transportation and communication have brought us more closely together. The frontier is gone. The princioles of Americanism developed and nurtured here in the "Lone Star" State still remain. They are the ideals that you and I inherited from our forefathers. They are the principles of Americanism that you and I must pass on to our children. what is Americenism? For its best definition let us turn to the Declaration of Independence. Briefly, Americanism may be summarized in three precepts: first, that all men are created equal: second, that they are en- dowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, emong which are life, TRUMAN liberty end the pursuit of lappiness; and, third, that government exists to CS NARA secure these rights. Let us consider the first principle of Americanism -- requality. No MORE