Pre-WWII - 1941, President Roosevelt: Four Freedoms Speech, Lend-Lease Excerpt. 06Jan41
“...keep itself informed at all times of the progress of the program. However, there is certain information, as the Congress itself will readily recognize, which, in the interests of our own security & those of the nations that we are supporting, must of needs be kept in confidence. New circumstances are constantly begetting new needs for our safety. I shall ask this Congress for greatly increased new appropriations & authorizations to carry on what we have begun. I also ask this Congress for authority & for funds sufficient to manufacture additional munitions & war supplies of many kinds, to be turned over to those nations which are now in actual war w/ aggressor nations. Our most useful & immediate role is to act as an arsenal for them as well as for ourselves (applause). They do not need manpower, but they do need billions of dollars’ worth of the weapons of defense.
17:26:51 “The time is near when they will not be able to pay for them all in ready cash. We cannot, & we will not, tell them that they must surrender merely because of present inability to pay for the weapons which we know they must have. (applause - FDR sips water.) I do not recommend that we make them a loan of dollars with which to pay for these weapons -- a loan to be repaid in dollars. I recommend that we make it possible for those nations to continue to obtain war materials in the United States, fitting their orders into our own program. And nearly all of their material would, if the time ever came, be useful in our own defense. Taking counsel of expert military and naval authorities, considering what is best for our own security (EDIT).
17:28:28 (applause) “For what we send abroad we shall be repaid, repaid w/in a reasonable time following the close of hostilities, repaid in similar materials, or at our option in other goods of many kinds which they can produce & which we need. Let us say to the democracies: We Americans are vitally concerned in your defense of freedom. We are putting forth our energies, our resources & our organizing powers to give you the strength to regain & maintain a free world. We shall send you in ever-increasing numbers, ships, planes, tanks, guns. That is our purpose (EDIT)
17:29:28 “and of this purpose. We will not be intimidated by the threats of dictators that they will regard as a breach of international law or as an act of war our aid to the democracies which dare to resist their aggression. Such aid -- Such aid is not an act of war, even if a dictator should unilaterally proclaim it so to be.
(applause - EDIT) are ready to make war upon us, they will not wait for an act of war on our part.
17:30:24 “They did not wait for Norway or Belgium or the Netherlands to commit an act of war (applause). Their only interest is in a new one-way international law, which lacks mutuality in its observance & therefore becomes an instrument of oppression. Happiness of future generations of Americans may well depend on how effective & how immediate we can make our aid felt. No one can tell the exact character of the emergency situations that we may be called upon to meet. The nation's hands must not be tied when the nation's life is in danger (applause).
17:31:28 “Yes, & we must prepare, all of us prepare, to make the sacrifices that the emergency - almost as serious as war itself - demands. Whatever stands in the way of speed & efficiency in defense, in defense preparations of any (abrupt end of reel).
Presidential Speeches; Joint Session of Congress; FDR;
NOTE: Sold at per reel rate. Probably edited in camera at time of coverage.
NOTE: Does NOT contain Four Freedoms section of speech.
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Pre-WWII - 1941, President Roosevelt: Four Freedoms Speech, Lend-Lease Excerpt. 06Jan41 “...keep itself informed at all times of the progress of the program. However, there is certain information, as the Congress itself will readily recognize, which, in the interests of our own security & those of the nations that we are supporting, must of needs be kept in confidence. New circumstances are constantly begetting new needs for our safety. I shall ask this Congress for greatly increased new appropriations & authorizations to carry on what we have begun. I also ask this Congress for authority & for funds sufficient to manufacture additional munitions & war supplies of many kinds, to be turned over to those nations which are now in actual war w/ aggressor nations. Our most useful & immediate role is to act as an arsenal for them as well as for ourselves (applause). They do not need manpower, but they do need billions of dollars’ worth of the weapons of defense. 17:26:51 “The time is near when they will not be able to pay for them all in ready cash. We cannot, & we will not, tell them that they must surrender merely because of present inability to pay for the weapons which we know they must have. (applause - FDR sips water.) I do not recommend that we make them a loan of dollars with which to pay for these weapons -- a loan to be repaid in dollars. I recommend that we make it possible for those nations to continue to obtain war materials in the United States, fitting their orders into our own program. And nearly all of their material would, if the time ever came, be useful in our own defense. Taking counsel of expert military and naval authorities, considering what is best for our own security (EDIT). 17:28:28 (applause) “For what we send abroad we shall be repaid, repaid w/in a reasonable time following the close of hostilities, repaid in similar materials, or at our option in other goods of many kinds which they can produce & which we need. Let us say to the democracies: We Americans are vitally concerned in your defense of freedom. We are putting forth our energies, our resources & our organizing powers to give you the strength to regain & maintain a free world. We shall send you in ever-increasing numbers, ships, planes, tanks, guns. That is our purpose (EDIT) 17:29:28 “and of this purpose. We will not be intimidated by the threats of dictators that they will regard as a breach of international law or as an act of war our aid to the democracies which dare to resist their aggression. Such aid -- Such aid is not an act of war, even if a dictator should unilaterally proclaim it so to be. (applause - EDIT) are ready to make war upon us, they will not wait for an act of war on our part. 17:30:24 “They did not wait for Norway or Belgium or the Netherlands to commit an act of war (applause). Their only interest is in a new one-way international law, which lacks mutuality in its observance & therefore becomes an instrument of oppression. Happiness of future generations of Americans may well depend on how effective & how immediate we can make our aid felt. No one can tell the exact character of the emergency situations that we may be called upon to meet. The nation's hands must not be tied when the nation's life is in danger (applause). 17:31:28 “Yes, & we must prepare, all of us prepare, to make the sacrifices that the emergency - almost as serious as war itself - demands. Whatever stands in the way of speed & efficiency in defense, in defense preparations of any (abrupt end of reel). Presidential Speeches; Joint Session of Congress; FDR; NOTE: Sold at per reel rate. Probably edited in camera at time of coverage. NOTE: Does NOT contain Four Freedoms section of speech.