Press Release, State of the Union Message by President Harry S. Truman
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OCR Page 1 of 12HOLD FOR RELEASE
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1439
January 7, 1948.
CONFIDENTIAL: The following message of the President on the
State of the Union, scheduled for delivery to the Congress
today, January 7, 1948, MUST BE HELD IN STRICT CONFIDENCE and
no portion, synopsis or intimation is to be given out or
published until delivery has begun.
EXTREME CARE MUST BE EXERCISED TO AVOID PREMATURE
PUBLICATION OR RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT.
The same caution applies to all newspapers, radio
commentators and news broadcasters, both in the United States
and abroad.
CHARLES G. ROSS
Secretary to the President
MR. PRESIDENT, MR. SPEAKER, MEMBERS OF THE 80th CONGRESS:
We are here today to consider the state of the Union.
On this occasion, above all others, the Congress and
the President should concentrate their attention, not upon party
but upon country; not upon the things which divide us but upon
those which bind us together - the enduring principles of our
American system, and our common aspirations for the future
welfare and security of the people of the United States.
The United States has become great because we, as a
people, have been able to work together for great objectives
even while differing about details.
The elements of our strength are many. They include
our democratic government, our economic system, our great
natural resources. But these are only partial explanations.
The basic source of our strength is spiritual. For
we are a people with a faith. We believe in the dignity of man.
We believe that he was created in the image of the Father of us
all.
We do not believe that men exist merely to strengthen
the state or to be cogs in an economic machine. We do believe
that governments are created to serve the people and that economic
systems exist to minister to their wants. We have a profound
devotion to the welfare and rights of the individual as a human
being.
The faith of our people has particular meaning at
this time in history because of the unsettled and changing
state of the world.
The victims of war in many lands are striving to
rebuild their lives, and are seeking assurance that the tragedy
of war will not occur again. Throughout the world new ideas
are challenging the old. Men of all nations are re-examining
the beliefs by which they live. Great scientific and industrial
changes have released new forces which will affect the future
course of civilization.
(OVER)
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