State of the Union AddressesRoosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano)
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State of the Union Addresses
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano)
Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
Since our landings in Africa, we have placed in French hands all the arms
and material of war which our resources and the military situation
permitted. And I am glad to say that we are now about to equip large new
French forces with the most modern weapons for combat duty.
In addition to the contribution which France can make to our common
victory, her liberation likewise means that her great influence will again
be available in meeting the problems of peace.
We fully recognize France's vital interest in a lasting solution of the
German problem and the contribution which she can make in achieving
international security. Her formal adherence to the declaration by United
Nations a few days ago and the proposal at the Dumbarton Oaks discussions,
whereby France would receive one of the five permanent seats in the
proposed Security Council, demonstrate the extent to which France has
resumed her proper position of strength and leadership.
I am clear in my own mind that, as an essential factor in the maintenance
of peace in the future, we must have universal military training after this
war, and I shall send a special message to the Congress on this subject.
An enduring peace cannot be achieved without a strong America--strong in
the social and economic sense as well as in the military sense.
In the State of the Union message last year I set forth what I considered
to be an American economic bill of rights.
I said then, and I say now, that these economic truths represent a second
bill of rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be
established for all--regardless of station, race, or creed.
Of these rights the most fundamental, and one on which the fulfillment of
the others in large degree depends, is the "right to a useful and
remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the
Nation." In turn, others of the economic rights of American citizenship,
such as the right to a decent home, to a good education, to good medical
care, to social security, to reasonable farm income, will, if fulfilled,
make major contributions to achieving adequate levels of employment.
The Federal Government must see to it that these rights become
realities--with the help of States, municipalities, business, labor, and
agriculture.
We have had full employment during the war. We have had it because the
Government has been ready to buy all the materials of war which the country
could produce--and this has amounted to approximately half our present
productive capacity.
After the war we must maintain full employment with Government performing
its peacetime functions. This means that we must achieve a level of demand
and purchasing power by private consumers--farmers, businessmen, workers,
professional men, housewives--which is sufficiently high to replace wartime
Government demands; and it means also that we must greatly increase our
export trade above the prewar level.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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