Show Text of Roosevelt's Arm Speech WASHINGTON Nov 11 11 IThe I The text of President Roosevelt's Roosevelt's Roosevelt's Roose Roose- velt's Armistice day address follows Among the great days of national national national na na- na- na remembrance none is ismore is' is ismore more deeply moving to Americans Americans Americans Ameri Ameri- cans of our generation than the of November the anniversary anniversary anniversary sary of the armistice of 1918 the day sacred to the memory of of those who gave their lives inthe in inthe inthe the war ivar which that day ended Our observance of this anniversary anniversary anniversary anni anni- has a p particular significance significance cance in the year 1941 For we are able today as we were not always able in in inthe the past to measure our indebtedness indebted indebted- ness to those who died Cites Doubts of Past PastA A few years ago even a few months we questioned some of ofus ofus ofus us the sacrifice they had made Standing near to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier Sergeant York of Tennessee on a recent day spoke to such questioners There are those in this country today said Sergeant York who ask me and other veterans veterans veterans veter veter- ans of World war No 1 What did it get you Today we know the answer- answer all of us All who search their hearts in honesty and candor know it We know that these men died to save their country from a terrible danger of that day We know because we face that danger once again on this day What did it get you People who asked that question question question ques ques- tion of Sergeant York and his comrades forgot the one essential essential essential essen essen- fact which every man who looks can see today They forgot that the danger which threatened this country in 1917 was real real and that the sacrifice of those who died averted that danger Forgot Danger Later Because the danger was overcome overcome overcome over over- come they were unable to re remember remember remember re- re member that the danger had been present Because our armies were victorious victorious victorious vic vic- they demanded why our armies had fought Because our freedom was se secure secure secure se- se cure they took the security of our freedom for granted and asked why those who died to save i it should have died at all What did it get you What was there in it for you If our armies of 1918 had lost there would not have been a man or woman in America America America Amer Amer- ica who would have wondered why the war was fought The reasons would have faced us everywhere We would have known why liberty is worth defending defending defending de de- de- de fending as those alone whose lIbert liberty is lost can know it We would have known why tyranny is worth defeating as only those whom tyrants rule can know But because the war had been won we forgot some of us that the war might have been lost Calls Danger Real Whatever we knew or thought we knew a few years or months ago we now know know now that the danger danger danger dan dan- ger of brutality and tyranny and slavery to loving freedom-loving peoples peoples peoples peo peo- ples can be real and terrible We know why these men fought to keep our freedom freedom and and why the wars that save a peoples people's peoples people's peoples people's peo peo- ples liberties are wars worth fighting and worth winning winning- and at any price What did it get you The men of France prisoners in their cities victims of searches and of seizures seiz res without without without with with- out law hostages for the safety of their masters' masters lives robbed of their harvests murdered in their prisons the men of France would know the answer to that question They know now what a former victory of freedom against tyranny was worth The Czechs too know the answer The Poles The Danes The Dutch The Serbs The Belgians The Norwegians I The Greeks We know it now We know that it was in literal literal literal lit lit- eral truth to make the world safe for democracy that we took up arms in 1917 It was in simple truth and in literal fact to make the world habitable for decent and self-respecting self men that those whom we now re remember remember remember re- re member gave their lives They died to prevent then the very thing that now a quarter century century century cen cen- tury later has happened from one end of Europe to the other Now hat chat hat it has happened we know In full the reason why they died Stresses Obligation We know also w wM i obligation obligation obliga- obliga tion and duty their sacrifice imposes upon us They did not die to make the world safe for decency and self self respect respect for five years or ten I or maybe twenty They died to make it safe And if by some fault faul of ours who lived beyond the war its safety has again been threatened threatened threatened threat threat- ened then the obligation and the duty are ours It is in our charge now as it was Americas America's charge after the Civil war to see to it that these dead shall not have died in vain Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant Ser Ser- geant York spoke thus of the cynics and doubters The thing they forget is that liberty and freedom and democracy are so very precious that you do not fight to win them once and stop Liberty and freedom and democracy democracy democracy de de- de- de are prizes awarded only to those peoples who fight to win them and then keep fighting fighting fighting fight fight- ing eternally to hold them The people of America agree with that They believe that liberty is worth fighting for And if they are obliged to fight they will fight eternally to hold it This duty we owe not to ourselves ourselves ourselves our our- selves alone but to the many dead who died to gain our freedom freedom freedom free free- dom for us and us-and and to make the world a place where freedom can live and grow into the ages |