| Show Text of Presidents President's Address to Leg Legion on 8 By Hi Associated Press hel CHICAGO Oct Ocl 2 2 The text of ot the address addres of ot President Roosevelt to the American legion convention today follows Commander Johnson fellow lelow members members mem mem- bers boss of ot the American Amerian legion I am glad to come conic here as your guest and I am glad to have the right to o come here as a your comrade I have come because I r have faith In the American legion and in all other veterans veterans veterans vet vet- erans of ot our wars The Te right which I have to come here works work both ways Because as a Ion long as I am In the White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House you have ha the right to come an ansee and see me mc there But my relationship with you OU is i not nota a matter mater o of the past pat six 51 months month it dat dates back to the war days das when I participated with wih you not riot only in this country but also alo on the North sea se and in the channel chanel and on the actual fighting front in i France TALKS ABOUT UNITY UNI I want watto to talk with wih you about the problem of government the difficulties ties ies tes which you and I as M Americans American have lave faced and solved and those thoe which we still face I recognize and appreciate and the nation naton recognizes and appreciates the te patience the loyalty loy loy- alty aly and the willingness to t make sacrifIces sacrifices sacrifices sac sac- shown show by the te overwhelming majority of a the veterans of our country country cu- cu cut coun coun- try t during the trying period perio from which to emerge we are ae beginning successfully I want to talk to you about national na- na ional tonal unity Let us look book at it i as a a alving living thing thing not not not a mere theory teory restIng rest rest- ret ret- Ing big in books book or otherwise apart from every day business busine of ot men It I means mans that we all al live lve under a common government government government gov gov- trade with wih each other pay common taxes give to and receive from a common protective govern govern- gover- gover mont nent ment To recognize national unity to hold lold it above all aU else ele seeing that upon it i depends depend our c common welfare weare is i s just jut another way way to say that we have patriotism FOUG FOUGHT T FOR NATION You and I who served in i the World war war know v that we represented a united nation naton in the time tie of danger to world civilization But you and I Ilow I know low enow also that national unity is i as essential in time of ot peace as in i time ot of f war If It I this this' thiS country is worth liv- liv lv- lv lag ig ng in i if it i th this flag of ours is i worth living under if i our social order means mean anything to us u toen this thi country country coun- coun try ry of ot ours is worth defending every day and every year of ot the life lie of every individual on one of us It I is i because I am unwilling to live lve myself or to have my my children or grandchildren live lve under tinder an alien aBen lag flag fag or an alien alen form of ot government that hat I believe beleve in the fundamental obligation of ot citizenship to don the of our country to carry arms arm in i n its it defense defene when our country county and ad the things it i stands for are attacked But there are arc two enemies of ot national na- na ional tonal unity sectionalism and class cas and if i the spirit of ot sectionalism or orthe orthe the he spirit of ot class is allowed to grow gow strong or to ro prevail it i means the end ed of ot national unity and ad the end of ot pa pa- ORIGIN OF COUNTRY So Some e people who v visit it us u from other lands still sti find fid it difficult to credit a fact tact that a nation naton sprung from rom many sources a nation naton strong a nation naton stretching miles mies from east to t west is i in all aU al the great essentials of ot its civilization a homogeneous whole for not only do dowe dowe dowe we speak spek one language not only are the he customs and habits of ot our our people similar in iii i every part of ot the continent but mt we have given Cien repeated proof on many occasions occasion and especially in i re recent recent recent re- re cent years that we are ae willing to forego forego forego fore fore- go sectional advantage where such advantage can be obtained only ony by one part of the country at the expense of another The other enemy of national unity is i class cas distinction and d yo you and I arc ae well wel aware of ot the simple fact tact that as every day passes paes the people of ot this country are less le and less lc willing to tolerate benefits for one group graup of ot citizens citizens ci- ci citi citi- zens which must be paid for lor by others oters You have been willing to fight tight for forthe forthe the he benefits of ot American Amerian life Ie You have lave been willing to live lve for America Amer- Amer ican ica can unity You have understood that tat tatt this lilA t is i the very foundation of the te Americanism for tor which you stand in which you believe beleve and to t which you and I swore allegiance when we became became be be- came caine American legionnaires BENEFITS THREATENED For several years past pat the benefits benefIt of ot American life le were threatened The cisi crisis came in the spring sprig of ot this thi year It I was wa necessary to meet that tat I crisis Again it wa for lor nil all a I of ot us u to go back to fundamentals fundaments Millions were out pf of of work the banks bank were closed The Te credit credi of the government Use itself was threatened The Te car was wa stalled Obviously the first fist objective was to get the engine running agai again It I is true that tat we succeeded succeeded suc sue in reopening the great majority majority major maor iy ity o of the banks bank but this thi would not have been possible if i at the same tie time we had not been able to ro restore the credit of the government In speaking of ot national credit we weare weare weare are again dealing with a real thing not a theory in books book There is such uch sucha ucha a thing as national credit It I depends depends depends de de- de- de upon na national onal unity Without it the te government cannot canot get the money to give You and I depend upon it it and In a right sense sene your welfare and mine rests ret upon it il That is 1 not just an a academic sion Industry cannot cot be restored people cannot be put back to work work bank banks cannot be kept open human buan suffering cannot be cared for tor if i the government itself is bankrupt We realize now that the great human values values val val- ues ties not for you alone but for tor all al American citizens rest upon the unimpaired un un- impaired credit o of the United States State BENEFITS AFFECTED It I was Wa because of this that tat we un undertook to take the n national tonal treasury out of the red re and put It i into the black black And Ad in the doing of ot it i we laid down two principles which directly affected benefits to veterans veterans veterans-to to you and ad to t veterans vetra of ot other wars The Te first fist principle following in inevitably inevitably in- in i- i I from the obligation of ot citizens cin ci- ci citi citi- zens n to bear arms arm is i that tat the government government government govern govern- ment h has a responsibility for forand and to toward toward toward to- to ward those who suffered injury or contracted disease while serving in its it defense deene The Te second principle is I that no person person per per- son sn because he wore a uniform must thereafter be placed In a special class clo of beneficiaries over and above all 11 other citizens The fact tact of wearing a uniform does doe not mean mea that he can ca demand and receive from his government government govern govern- ment meat a benefit which no other citizen receives It I does doe not mean mea that because because be be- cause a person served in the defense of his hi country performed a basic obligation gallon gation o of citizenship he h should shoud re re- re a pension penion from his h government because because of ot a disability incurred af after r his hi service had terminated and not connected with wih that service servie It I does mean however that those who were injured in i or as a result reul of their service are arc entitled to receive adequate and ad generous compensation for their disabilities It I does docs doe mean shall be extended that generous care to the dependents dependent of ot those thoe who died In i or as a result of ot service servie to their country county NECESSARY TAXATION To carry out these thee principles principle the people of this ti country coutry can and will wi pay par In taxes the sums sun which it is necessary to t raise To carry out these principles will wi not bankrupt your government government gov gov- nor throw its it bookkeeping into the red Every Evey person who has made honest study knows that mistakes many of them have been made during the course curse of ot 15 years yeas I personally know kow that mistakes In individual cases and ad inequalities affecting various groups have occurred during the te past pt six months month But Butt at the same tie tune time there stands std out the te fact which you know know- kow- kow that many bf of these mistakes have been rectified and ad that we have the definite purpose of doing Justice not only to the mass ma but in so far as possible ony te to every individual as well wel Furthermore it is 1 my hope that In so far as Justice concerns concern those whose disabilities are as a a matter of ot fact of ot war service origin the te government will wi b be able to extend even more generous generou care than tha is i now provided under existing It I is i to these tese men that our obligation exists ADDED PRINCIPLE PRINCILE To these thee two broad principles principle the time has come I believe for us u to add a third There are many may veterans veterans vet vet- erans of our wars to whom disability I and sickness unconnected with war service has come To them th the federal federal federal fed fed- servie eral government owes the application of the same rule which Jt It has ha laid lid down for the relief of other cases caes of voluntary Involuntary want or destitution In other wo words ds if i the individual affected af at- can afford to pay for his h own ow treatment he can not call cal on any form for orm of ot government aid ald If I he has not the wherewithal to take care of ot himself it Is i first fit of ot all al the duty of his community to take care of ot him h and next the te duty of at his state ste ste. Only if 1 under these circumstances his hi own ow community and his hs own ow state are unable after reasonable effort to care or him then and ad then only only- should shoud the he federal government offer him hi hospitalization and care The Te young men of this thi country who today day in the event of war would bear the he first brunt of ot national defense defene think hink of us of at the American Legion as middle aged people You and I Iare Iare Iare are not yet ready to t admit that tat we have lave one foot in the grave grave We think hink thin of ourselves and ad with wit some jus justification jus- jus jus perhaps as a people of ot some experience experiences of some maturity of judgment judg judg- ment meat of ot a position in i the community I which carries responsibilities We believe we have influence as ual and we believe beleve that as a an organ organ- nation the American Legion has enormous power for the good goo of ot the country cutry for tor many years to come MAKERS OF HISTORY I It is Js not enough that you have bave helped to write the history of ot Amer Amer- lea Ica ca It I is a fact that much of ot th the future history of ot America Ameria will wi be a n history which you will help to make Your future interests are inseparable from those of ot other citizens and granting that your interest in the te disabled and dependent comrades Is i first upon your program I ask in addition your cooperation in the great geat program of national rehabilitation in i which you and I are equally engaged The charter of the Legion keeps it i out of at partisan politics The Te strength and the very exL existence nce of ot the Legion depend on the maintenance of ot that principle You are not here as Republicans Re Re- Re publicans or Democrats Democrat You are here as you should be as a Americans to work with your government for tor the good of the average citizen citizen I am grateful to the te Legion for the splendid did stand it has taken taken for ten for for the batUe battIe bat tIe tle order it i has ha issued te The Te realization of ot our na national onal program program pro pro- gram ga can ca not be attained in i po six months month Reemployment has proceeded proceed proceed- ed only a part par of ot the way From Prom week t to week there will be ups and downs but aut the te ne net result resul is I a consistent gai gain The Te freezing of ot credits credit has been stopped and the lee ice le is i definitely melt melt- mel ing Farm income has ha been increased i it must be further furer increased increased Indus Indus try tr has picked up but an increased purchasing power must stimulate it further i MUST PLAY PART Your task and mine are arc similar Each one of ot us u must play an Individual ual Part In our own ow field in dealing I Isae wih with these many problems but at the same sae time we must mut realize that the th indIvIdual part belongs to a closely related whole whole the national unity cosely of purpose and of ot action acton I ask your further and futher ad even greater efforts in incur our i program of ot national re re- re covery You who re cover wore the uniform you H who served serve you ou who took th the oath of ot i allegiance to the American Legion you who support the ideals IdeaL ideal of ot American citizenship I have called to the colors again agai A As your comander- comander commander commander- caled chief ln and your comrade I am a confident con con- Eldest that you will respond pond |
