Accordingly, it is my desire that all postponable public works be deferred until private demands for goods and services slacken off.

I must request your assistance in a most serious fiscal situation.

In order to carry out the above program of curtailment of public works, the Director of War Mobilization and Reconversion will issue a directive providing that for a period of sixty days, until October 1, 1946, there will be a moratorium…

It takes a little more than rough arithmetic to understand the Federal Government, it takes calculus. [Laughter]

It's nice to talk about making reductions, but it's hell to do it! [Laughter]

In fact, General Gregory got so disgusted with it, it made him sick, and he had to quit.

It's only that part--we have only included that part of the British loan which we knew would be spent in this year.

We've got to have a Congress. The law provides for it. [Laughter]

We want you to be entirely clear in your mind about this, so that is the reason why we have this special phone number that you can call over weekend.

I do hereby proclaim Wednesday, August 14, 1946, as Victory Day; and I direct that on that day the flag of the United States be displayed on all Government buildings.

We tried to put it in as clear a statement as possible, but we want everybody to have access to the actual figures, to understand it as we think we do.

But we are stating that, to show that actually there will be more money turned in that will be paid out which we can turn into credit, because that would be paid in, in any case.

There is no double-talk in this message at all.

Now, Therefore, I, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Wednesday, August 14, 1946, as Victory Day.

I don't know the exact figure.

I don't think it needs to be increased.

I call upon the people of the United States to observe Victory Day as a day of solemn commemoration of the devotion of the men and women by whose sacrifices victory was achieved.

No, we haven't made an estimate on that.