Speech Delivered at George Washington Post #1, The American Legion, Washington, D.C., by Senator Harry S. Truman

SPEECH DELIVSRED AT GEORGE WASHINGTON POST f1, THE AMERICAN LEGION, WASHINOTON, D. C., Merch 7. 1938, Release By SENATOR on HARITI Delivery, S. C OP Mamodri It is de great pleasure to be with you this *vening, and I appreciate the privilege. It ia e high honor to appeer before the very first organ- ization of veterans of the World War. Your asucus war befora the one in Peris which insugurated the Ameriosn Legion, and your Post and elected officere before the 3t. Louis Convention in Mey which really wee the actual start of the Legion. The proliminary dreft of the Grent Presmble w.s. presented to the St. Louia Convention by Colonel Jones, Chairman of your delegation. You heve Woodrow Wilson, Foch and Pershing on your membership rolls. That alone would make you the most fenous Legion Post. Thile I only pineh-hitting for my Colleagus, Honorable Bennett Champ Clark, the Chairnen of the Paria caucus and by action of the Philedelphis Convention in 1926 a Past Commandor of the Legion because be so seted, I am nost happy end pleased to be here. I em going to discusa with you, for a few minutes, netional defense end its relationship to pesce. We ara e pesce-loving nation, end ell of un bate the very thought of war. None of us wents $0 soe enother World Var in which we are likely to be involved; particulerly those of us who ware in the last one. But wa must not olose our ayea to the possibility of enother war, because conditions in Europe have develoged to a point likely to ceuse an explosion at any timo. Me selobreted the twontieth enniversary of our entrones into the lest wer preaching ageinst another war, and hoping for continued peace. I wa. at the White House for dinner that evening, se was Admirol Byrd. He and the First Ledy made eddresses over the radio, which wero brondomet from the White House in the interest of pesce and our staying out of war. We all wezt and we all want to stay out of war, but we must go about it intelligently.