In meeting the troubles of the world we must meet them as one people--with a unity born of the fact that for generations those who have come to our shores, representing many kindreds and tongues, have been welded by common opportunity into a united patriotism. If another form of government can present a united front in its attack on a democracy, the attack must and will be met by a united democracy. Such a democracy can and must exist in the United States.
A dictatorship may command the full strength of a regimented nation. But the united strength of a democratic nation can be mustered only when its people, educated by modern standards to know what is going on and where they are going, have conviction that they are receiving as large a share of opportunity for development, as large a share of material success and of human dignity, as they have a right to receive.
Our nation’s program of social and economic reform is therefore a part of defense, as basic as armaments themselves.
Against the background of events in Europe, in Africa and in Asia during these recent years, the pattern of what we have accomplished since 1933 appears in even clearer focus.
For the first time we have moved upon deep-seated problems affecting our national strength and have forged national instruments adequate to meet them.
Consider what the seemingly piecemeal struggles of these six years add up to in terms of realistic national preparedness.
We are conserving and developing natural resources--land, water power, forests.
We are trying to provide necessary food, shelter and medical care for the health of our population.
We are putting agriculture--our system of food and fibre supply--on a sounder basis.
We are strengthening the weakest spot in our system of industrial supply-- its long smouldering labor difficulties.