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Pre-WWII - 1940, President Roosevelt: Congressional Message On Appropriations for National Defense. 16May40 Pt. 1 of 2

Reel Number: 220855-06

Color: Black and White

Sound: SD

Year / Date: 1940

Country: USA

Location: DC,Washington

TC Begins: 18:22:11

TC Ends: 18:29:53

Duration: 00:07:42

NOTE: FOR ORDERING See: www.footagefarm.co.uk or contact us at: Info@Footagefarm.co.uk Pre-WWII - 1940, President Roosevelt: Congressional Message On Appropriations for National Defense. 16May40 Pt. 1 of 2 LS Congress; applause & FDR at lectern, introduced (incomplete) & more applause. 18:22:47 “These are ominous days, days of swift & shocking developments (edit) Motorized armies can now sweep through enemy territories at the rate of two hundred miles a day. Parachute troops are dropped from airplanes in large numbers behind enemy lines. Troops are landed from planes in open fields, on wide highways & at local civil airports. We have seen the treacherous use of the "fifth column" by persons supposed to be peaceful visitors, persons are actually a part of an enemy unit of occupation. Lightning attacks, capable of destroying airplane factories & munition works hundreds of miles behind the lines, are a part of the new technique of modern war. The element of surprise which has ever been an important tactic in warfare has become the more dangerous because of the amazing speed w/ which modern equipment can reach & attack the enemy's country. 18:24:24 Our own vital interests are widespread. More than ever the protection of the whole American hemisphere against invasion or control or domination by non-American nations has the united support of the twenty-one American Republics, including the United States. (applause) More than ever in the past this protection calls for ready-at-hand weapons capable of great mobility because of the potential speed of modern attack. (edit) 18:25:23 Furthermore, it brings the new possibilities of the use of nearer bases from which an attack or attacks on the American Continents could be made. From the fiords of Greenland it is four hours by air to Newfoundland; five hours to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & to the Province of Quebec; & only six hours to New England. The Azores are only 2,000 miles from parts of our eastern seaboard & if Bermuda fell into hostile hands it would be a matter of less than three hours for modern bombers to reach our shores. 18:26:30 From a base in the outer West Indies, the coast of Florida could be reached in two hundred minutes. The islands off the west coast of Africa are only 1,500 miles from Brazil. Modern planes starting from the Cape Verde Islands can be over Brazil in seven hours. And Para, Brazil, near the mouth of the Amazon River, is but four flying-hours to Caracas, Venezuela; and Venezuela is but two & one-half hours to Cuba & the Canal Zone; and Cuba & the Canal Zone are two & one-quarter hours to Tampico, Mexico; and Tampico is two & one-quarter hours to St. Louis, Kansas City & Omaha. 18:27:50 On the other side of the continent, Alaska, with a white population of only 30,000 people, is within four or five hours of flying distance to Vancouver, Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland. The islands of the southern Pacific are not too far removed from the west coast of South America to prevent them from becoming bases of enormous strategic advantage to attacking forces. (edit) 18:28:33 ...military implements not on paper; military implement which are ready & available to meet any lightning offensive against our American interest. It means also that facilities for production must be ready to turn out munitions & equipment at top speed. We have had the lesson before us over & over again—nations that were not ready & were unable to get ready found themselves overrun by the enemy. So-called impregnable fortifications no longer exist. A defense which allows an enemy to consolidate his approach without hindrance will lose. A defense which makes (edit) 18:29:34 An effective defense by its very nature requires the equipment to attack the aggressor on his route before he can establish strong bases within the territory of American vital interests. (abrupt end) Pre-WWII build up; Pre-WW2 Presidential speech; Military Funding Request; NOTE: sold at per reel rate. Second half of speech (220855-08, 2 cards, 18:39:03 - 18:49:41) sold separately at per reel rate. NOTE: FOR ORDERING See: www.footagefarm.co.uk or contact us at: Info@Footagefarm.co.uk

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