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r .--, S The best bill of goods any n~tion has ever h ad; the only bill .:•• ,d · by which any natio~ can survive; the only bill of goods by which this

, a I :is n·cr lived-Decency!

.\nd what is decency?-the right to live and die without fear; the right to .. n .,, r-," f ricnds. and fami ly; the ri ght to die in peace amidst quiet tears, hoping ··,I .1 pla ce beside God . Th is is worth fighting for ; this is worth killing for ; so that good people ~cr p the ir world a decent p lace in which to live and die. Th t: \\'Orld belongs to the good people. Every hi ghway an d every sea lane 1: he op t:n to the good men and women of every land so they may pursue hap.,. wi1 h its bread and lau gh ter, find in g God in the ir own way, be it in a garden · .: rlr1\\'e rs or ·in a temple among strangers. In the dank darkness settling over t .. ; tht: world it is getting on toward m idnight. Past that zero dea dline looms -' ·.,n ~plashed with blood, streaked with hate. Th;1 t da wn must never come. That dawn mu st and can be- stopped by the , r ~ u-- ~ , / / / ,f .' t:ltCS , 11 it kr has spit in th e face of every decent man and v.roman in the world. • • '1J. ~pi t in the face of every child, in the faces of the men and women who .• 1, G,id , be th ey Jew, Protestant or Cathobc. I lith:: r must be killed and all the others who wou ld be H itlers . must go him to his grave. The United States must declare war against German y and w ith this decla. ,U a simp le clause condemning to death H itler and h is agents. The intern. I ga ngland must go. • tlrcl arat ion of a citize n · a citizen who • "miry. hi s family , his fr i~nds a nd wo uld 1~11 intJCt. " n much about praying bu t since this ' ,, url d I hayc been pr aying for my coun,c 1.1 t , he come s through but will ma ke it · r 1.,>0tl peoples and good co untries to come ' I IJ \\n of anoth er d ay, a las tin g d ay of • 1.. r ' 1 · ·' tJ hdo rc ~a ,·e in some emergency affect ing ' In m \' own dangers I have alwaxs been

n:, _,d i, reel ing that I'l1 be forgiven .tnTs

t ,111 ~, only for my family. Y

i,:,n_.y falls upon my country and I pray

lc no t enough . •' n.l ,trike fir,t. One doesn't fight a snake ' 1:1, ,truck with its deadly fangs . Those r,,l\' cJ fatal to fou rteen countries the ' l.. n~er walk in the garden among their • 4 '. ".' w~o do ~ot under tai1d a great many . •. \\ e d?n t underHand the hesitancy, ·· ·', I don t understand the kind of free 1 ·. '. don '~ know what free speech is ... • :i,r~ctorily d~fined. I know what free Ii " J' ,!dined by a great Justice whose name I ha ve fo rgotte n. In handing dow n a deci sion he decl ared that free speech, even under a Democracy, d id not per mit a man to yell fire in a crowded thea te r. I don't un derstand w hy w e a re pe r mitting me n and women, hi g h in t he w al ks of A merica n l ife, . to scream fi re in a crowded theate r-t he fi re of isola ti on, t he fir e of appeasemen t, the fire of defea ti sm. There a re m any th ings I don't unde rst and but I think that's u nimpo rt ant. VVhen I was a child I d idn't always understand my parents but they we re invariably ri g ht. I have rea d th , Bible and I don't understand a ll of it. I don't always understan d my country but I am will ing to follow it 'passionately an :, . .1lly to my grave, I have a feeling the world will be uer·, t agai n and the United States will help its ga llant brother: ·.gland and China to make it so. If it takes the rest of our d . ,, let's at least bequeath our children a decent world . Th . , ,, a mighty fine legacy to leave behind. It's the legacy we inherited. It's close on to midnight ••• anothe r dawn is about to break through. Mr. President and Congress, we are awaiting your marching orders. Surely there is a job for every man and woman in the U nited States to do at this zero hour. (/111 Advcrtise me11t} RUSSELL BIRDWELL New Y ork City, July :ro, 194I �