名人英语演讲.doc

演讲稿 名人英语演讲 mr.president,mr.speaker,membersofthecongressoftheunitedstates:thegravityofthesituationwhichconfrontstheworldtodaynecessitatesmyappearancebeforeajointsessionofthecongress.theforeignpolicyandthenationalsecurityofthiscountryareinvolved.oneaspectofthepresentsituation,whichipresenttoyouatthistimeforyourconsiderationanddecision,concernsgreeceandturkey.theunitedstateshasreceivedfromthegreekgovernmentanurgentappealforfinancialandeconomicassistance.preliminaryreportsfromtheamericaneconomicmissionnowingreeceandreportsfromtheamericanambassadoringreececorroboratethestatementofthegreekgovernmentthatassistanceisimperativeifgreeceistosurviveasafreenation.idonotbelievethattheamericanpeopleandthecongresswishtoturnadeafeartotheappealofthegreekgovernment.greeceisnotarichcountry.lackofsufficientnaturalresourceshasalwaysforcedthegreekpeopletoworkhardtomakebothendsmeet.since1940,thisindustrious,peacelovingcountryhassufferedinvasion,fouryearsofcruelenemyoccupation,andbitterinternalstrife.whenforcesofliberationenteredgreecetheyfoundthattheretreatinggermanshaddestroyedvirtuallyalltherailways,roads,portfacilities,munications,andmerchantmarine.morethanathousandvillageshadbeenburned.eighty-fivepercentofthechildrenweretubercular.livestock,poultry,anddraftanimalshadalmostdisappeared.inflationhadwipedoutpracticallyallsavings.asaresultofthesetragicconditions,amilitantminority,exploitinghumanwantandmisery,wasabletocreatepoliticalchaoswhich,untilnow,hasmadeeconomicrecoveryimpossible.greeceistodaywithoutfundstofinancetheimportationofthosegoodswhichareessentialtobaresubsistence.underthesecircumstances,thepeopleofgreececannotmakeprogressinsolvingtheirproblemsofreconstruction.greeceisindesperateneedoffinancialandeconomicassistancetoenableittoresumepurchasesoffood,clothing,fuel,andseeds.theseareindispensableforthesubsistenceofitspeopleandareobtainableonlyfromabroad.greecemusthavehelptoimportthegoodsnecessarytorestoreinternalorderandsecurity,soessentialforeconomicandpoliticalrecovery.thegreekgovernmenthasalsoaskedfortheassistanceofexperiencedamericanadministrators,economists,andtechnicianstoinsurethatthefinancialandotheraidgiventogreeceshallbeusedeffectivelyincreatingastableandself-sustainingeconomyandinimprovingitspublicadministration.theveryexistenceofthegreekstateistodaythreatenedbytheterroristactivitiesofseveralthousandarmedmen,ledbycommunists,whodefythegovernmentsauthorityatanumberofpoints,particularlyalongthenorthernboundaries.acommissionappointedbytheunitednationssecuritycouncilisatpresentinvestigatingdisturbedconditionsinnortherngreeceandallegedborderviolationsalongthefrontiersbetweengreeceontheonehandandalbania,bulgaria,andyugoslaviaontheother.meanwhile,thegreekgovernmentisunabletocopewiththesituation.thegreekarmyissmallandpoorlyequipped.itneedssuppliesandequipmentifitistorestoreauthorityofthegovernmentthroughoutgreekterritory.greecemusthaveassistanceifitistobeeaself-supportingandself-respectingdemocracy.theunitedstatesmustsupplythisassistance.wehavealreadyextendedtogreececertaintypesofreliefandeconomicaid.buttheseareinadequate.thereisnoothercountrytowhichdemocraticgreececanturn.noothernationiswillingandabletoprovidethenecessarysupportforademocraticgreekgovernment.thebritishgovernment,whichhasbeenhelpinggreece,cangivenofurtherfinancialoreconomicaidaftermarch31st.greatbritainfindsitselfunderthenecessityofreducingorliquidatingitsmitmentsinseveralpartsoftheworld,includinggreece.wehaveconsideredhowtheunitednationsmightassistinthiscrisis.butthesituationisanurgentone,requiringimmediateaction,andtheunitednationsanditsrelatedorganizationsarenotinapositiontoextendhelpofthekindthatisrequired.itisimportanttonotethatthegreekgovernmenthasaskedforouraidinutilizingeffectivelythefinancialandotherassistancewemaygivetogreece,andinimprovingitspublicadministration.itisoftheutmostimportancethatwesupervisetheuseofanyfundsmadeavailabletogreeceinsuchamannerthateachdollarspentwillcounttowardmakinggreeceself-supporting,andwillhelptobuildaneconomyinwhichahealthydemocracycanflourish.nogovernmentisperfect.oneofthechiefvirtuesofademocracy,however,isthatitsdefectsarealwaysvisibleandunderdemocraticprocessescanbepointedoutandcorrected.thegovernmentofgreeceisnotperfect.neverthelessitrepresentseighty-fivepercentofthemembersofthegreekparliamentwhowerechoseninanelectionlastyear.foreignobservers,including692americans,consideredthiselectiontobeafairexpressionoftheviewsofthegreekpeople.thegreekgovernmenthasbeenoperatinginanatmosphereofchaosandextremism.ithasmademistakes.theextensionofaidbythiscountrydoesnotmeanthattheunitedstatescondoneseverythingthatthegreekgovernmenthasdoneorwilldo.wehavecondemnedinthepast,andwecondemnnow,extremistmeasuresoftherightortheleft.wehaveinthepastadvisedtolerance,andweadvisetolerancenow.greekssicneighbor,turkey,alsodeservesourattention.thefutureofturkey,asanindependentandeconomicallysoundstate,isclearlynolessimportanttothefreedom-lovingpeoplesoftheworldthanthefutureofgreece.thecircumstancesinwhichturkeyfindsitselftodayareconsiderablydifferentfromthoseofgreece.turkeyhasbeensparedthedisastersthathavebesetgreece.andduringthewar,theunitedstatesandgreatbritainfurnishedturkeywithmaterialaid.nevertheless,turkeynowneedsoursupport.sincethewar,turkeyhassoughtfinancialassistancefromgreatbritainandtheunitedstatesforthepurposeofeffectingthatmodernizationnecessaryforthemaintenanceofitsnationalintegrity.thatintegrityisessentialtothepreservationoforderinthemiddleeast.thebritishgovernmenthasinformedusthat,owingtoitsowndifficulties,itcannolongerextendfinancialoreconomicaidtoturkey.asinthecaseofgreece,ifturkeyistohavetheassistanceitneeds,theunitedstatesmustsupplyit.wearetheonlycountryabletoprovidethathelp.iamfullyawareofthebroadimplicationsinvolvediftheunitedstatesextendsassistancetogreeceandturkey,andishalldiscusstheseimplicationswithyouatthistime.oneoftheprimaryobjectivesoftheforeignpolicyoftheunitedstatesisthecreationofconditionsinwhichweandothernationswillbeabletoworkoutawayoflifefreefromcoercion.thiswasafundamentalissueinthewarwithgermanyandjapan.ourvictorywaswonovercountrieswhichsoughttoimposetheirwill,andtheirwayoflife,uponothernations.toensurethepeacefuldevelopmentofnations,freefromcoercion,theunitedstateshastakenaleadingpartinestablishingtheunitednations.theunitednationsisdesignedtomakepossiblelastingfreedomandindependenceforallitsmembers.weshallnotrealizeourobjectives,however,unlesswearewillingtohelpfreepeoplestomaintaintheirfreeinstitutionsandtheirnationalintegrityagainstaggressivemovementsthatseektoimposeuponthemtotalitarianregimes.thisisnomorethanafrankrecognitionthattotalitarianregimesimposeduponfreepeoples,bydirectorindirectaggression,underminethefoundationsofinternationalpeace,andhencethesecurityoftheunitedstates.thepeoplesofanumberofcountriesoftheworldhaverecentlyhadtotalitarianregimesforceduponthemagainsttheirwill.thegovernmentoftheunitedstateshasmadefrequentprotestsagainstcoercionandintimidationinviolationoftheyaltaagreementinpoland,rumania,andbulgaria.imustalsostatethatinanumberofothercountriestherehavebeensimilardevelopments.atthepresentmomentinworldhistorynearlyeverynationmustchoosebetweenalternativewaysoflife.thechoiceistoooftennotafreeone.onewayoflifeisbaseduponthewillofthemajority,andisdistinguishedbyfreeinstitutions,representativegovernment,freeelections,guaranteesofindividualliberty,freedomofspeechandreligion,andfreedomfrompoliticaloppression.thesecondwayoflifeisbaseduponthewillofaminorityforciblyimposeduponthemajority.itreliesuponterrorandoppression,acontrolledpressandradio,fixedelections,andthesuppressionofpersonalfreedoms.ibelievethatitmustbethepolicyoftheunitedstatestosupportfreepeopleswhoareresistingattemptedsubjugationbyarmedminoritiesorbyoutsidepressures.ibelievethatwemustassistfreepeoplestoworkouttheirowndestiniesintheirownway.ibelievethatourhelpshouldbeprimarilythrougheconomicandfinancialaidwhichisessentialtoeconomicstabilityandorderlypoliticalprocesses.theworldisnotstatic,andthestatusquoisnotsacred.butwecannotallowchangesinthestatusquoinviolationofthecharteroftheunitednationsbysuchmethodsascoercion,orbysuchsubterfugesaspoliticalinfiltration.inhelpingfreeandindependentnationstomaintaintheirfreedom,theunitedstateswillbegivingeffecttotheprinciplesofthecharteroftheunitednations.itisnecessaryonlytoglanceatamaptorealizethatthesurvivalandintegrityofthegreeknationareofgraveimportanceinamuchwidersituation.ifgreeceshouldfallunderthecontrolofanarmedminority,theeffectuponitsneighbor,turkey,wouldbeimmediateandserious.confusionanddisordermightwellspreadthroughouttheentiremiddleeast.moreover,thedisappearanceofgreeceasanindependentstatewouldhaveaprofoundeffectuponthosecountriesineuropewhosepeoplesarestrugglingagainstgreatdifficultiestomaintaintheirfreedomsandtheirindependencewhiletheyrepairthedamagesofwar.itwouldbeanunspeakabletragedyifthesecountries,whichhavestruggledsolongagainstoverwhelmingodds,shouldlosethatvictoryforwhichtheysacrificedsomuch.collapseoffreeinstitutionsandlossofindependencewouldbedisastrousnotonlyforthembutfortheworld.discouragementandpossiblyfailurewouldquicklybethelotofneighboringpeoplesstrivingtomaintaintheirfreedomandindependence.shouldwefailtoaidgreeceandturkeyinthisfatefulhour,theeffectwillbefarreachingtothewestaswellastotheeast.wemusttakeimmediateandresoluteaction.ithereforeaskthecongresstoprovideauthorityforassistancetogreeceandturkeyintheamountof$400,000,000fortheperiodendingjune30,1948.inrequestingthesefunds,ihavetakenintoconsiderationthemaximumamountofreliefassistancewhichwouldbefurnishedtogreeceoutofthe$350,000,000whichirecentlyrequestedthatthecongressauthorizeforthepreventionofstarvationandsufferingincountriesdevastatedbythewar.inadditiontofunds,iaskthecongresstoauthorizethedetailofamericancivilianandmilitarypersonneltogreeceandturkey,attherequestofthosecountries,toassistinthetasksofreconstruction,andforthepurposeofsupervisingtheuseofsuchfinancialandmaterialassistanceasmaybefurnished.iremendthatauthorityalsobeprovidedfortheinstructionandtrainingofselectedgreekandturkishpersonnel.finally,iaskthatthecongressprovideauthoritywhichwillpermitthespeediestandmosteffectiveuse,intermsofneededmodities,supplies,andequipment,ofsuchfundsasma