FDR

Under Nazi control of the seas, no merchant ship of the United States or of any other American Republic would be free to carry on any peaceful commerce, except by the condescending grace of this foreign and tyrannical power.

For with control of the seas in their own hands, the way can obviously become clear for their next step--domination of the United States--domination of the Western Hemisphere by force of arms.

It is the Nazi design to abolish the freedom of the seas, and to acquire absolute control and domination of these seas for themselves.

The important truth is that these acts of international lawlessness are a manifestation of a design which has been made clear to the American people for a long time.

But it would be inexcusable folly to minimize such incidents in the face of evidence which makes it clear that the incident is not isolated, but is part of a general plan.

It would be unworthy of a great nation to exaggerate an isolated incident, or to become inflamed by some one act of violence.

Our type of democratic civilization has outgrown the thought of feeling compelled to fight some other nation by reason of any single piratical attack on one of our ships.

If the destroyer was visible to the submarine when the torpedo was fired, then the attack was a deliberate attempt by the Nazis to sink a clearly identified American warship.

In spite of what Hitler's propaganda bureau has invented, and in spite of what any American obstructionist organization may prefer to believe, I tell you the blunt fact that the German submarine fired first upon this American destroyer…

In common affection for all mankind, your prayers join with mine--that God will heal the wounds and the hearts of humanity.

I am certain that out of the hearts of every man, woman and child in this land, in every waking minute, a supplication goes up to Almighty God; that all of us beg that suffering and starving, that death and destruction may end--and that…

It is not necessary that I, the President, ask the American people to pray in behalf of such a cause--for I know you are praying with me.

Day and night I pray for the restoration of peace in this mad world of ours.

We defend and we build a way of life, not for America alone, but for all mankind.

But we build and defend not for our generation alone.

It is this that we must continue to build--this that we must continue to defend.

We are continuing our efforts to bring the blessings of a free society, of a free and productive economic system, to every family in the land.

Commingled here are the blood and genius of all the peoples of the world who have sought this promise.

For more than three centuries we Americans have been building on this continent a free society, a society in which the promise of the human spirit may find fulfillment.

We shall rebuild them swiftly, as the methods of warfare swiftly change.

We shall build them to whatever heights the future may require.

At this time, when the world--and the world includes our own American Hemisphere--when the world is threatened by forces of destruction, it is my resolve and yours to build up our armed defenses.

The development of our defense program makes it essential that each and every one of us, men and women, feel that we have some contribution to make toward the security of our nation.

Our morale and our mental defenses must be raised up as never before against those who would cast a smokescreen across our vision.

They must not be allowed to spread in the New World as they have in the Old.