April 4, 1952
Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, Mr. Secretary of State, and distinguished guests:
I am sure we all appreciate very highly the gracious remarks of Her Majesty, Queen Juliana. We are honored to have her and her husband with us on this historic occasion.
When 12 nations of Europe and North America came together 3 years ago to sign the North Atlantic Treaty, one purpose was foremost in our minds. That purpose was to preserve peace for ourselves and our children.
In the 3 years since April 4, 1949, the North Atlantic community has grown steadily in strength and in unity. Two more nations--Greece and Turkey--have joined the original 12. But our purpose is exactly the same as it was 3 years ago.
The North Atlantic Treaty is an instrument of peace. All the lies and smears of hostile propaganda cannot conceal the fact that our nations have entered this treaty to preserve the peace. The people of our countries don't want to fight another war; they want to prevent one. They have gone about it in the only way that can possibly work: that is, by banding together for mutual self-protection.
In the past, many of the North Atlantic Treaty countries at one time or another have tried to find peace through neutrality and isolation. It didn't work. And it never will work.
The people of the North Atlantic community know that if we are to preserve our independence, we must join our strength together.
We have come a long way in these 3 years. We have created a common defense organization, and have begun to develop sizeable defense forces, trained and equipped to spring into action against aggression. If we continue the hard, sustained effort we have begun, we can clearly foresee the time when our common military defenses will be strong enough to defend us against any attack.
But we of the North Atlantic community are doing far more than simply building military defenses. We are also working together to build the solid social and economic foundations which are essential to our military defenses and to our entire future.
It is not our aim to turn the North Atlantic community into a huge garrison, concerned only with defense. Such an objective would be foolish and self-defeating. Our actual aim is far different. Our aim is to remove the threat of war and thus set free the forces of human progress and advancement. We want to rid the world of poverty, to wipe out ill health and disease, to provide better educations for all our people, to build finer cities and towns and improve conditions on farms. We want to open the way to spiritual and religious growth, and the continued development of the arts and sciences.
The North Atlantic Treaty has made a tremendous difference in the outlook of the people of our countries--especially in Europe. Three years ago, many people were very discouraged--they thought the next war was bound to come soon, nothing could be done about it, and successful defense was hopeless.
Today, there is a vast difference. Most people can now see that we are steadily increasing our chances of preventing another world war. And they can see that if we succeed, a great new future will open up for the human mind and spirit.
There are enormous possibilities of applying modern scientific advances to satisfy the needs and desires of men. There are immense opportunities to improve our social institutions, to bring about better living conditions, to achieve the free society that men dream of.
The basic principles of the treaty are the same principles that underlie the United Nations: on the one hand, to prevent war, on the other hand, to improve the conditions of life for men, women, and children everywhere. That is why the North Atlantic Treaty means so much to free men--not only in our own countries, but in other lands.
The struggle for peace is not an easy one, and it is not a struggle that can be won overnight. We shall have to continue to work for peace with all the determination and skill that we have. Every one of our countries has already accepted heavy burdens in this common struggle for peace, and there will be more burdens and sacrifices in the future.
But we can attain our goal. We are demonstrating in the North Atlantic community every day that dangers and problems of the modern world can be successfully overcome by men of goodwill working together in mutual trust and confidence.
And that is the way to peace with freedom and justice for all men everywhere.
NOTE: The President spoke at 11:50 a.m. in Constitution Hall following brief remarks by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. His opening words referred to the Queen, her husband Prince Bernhard, and Secretary of State Dean Acheson.
The text of the treaty is printed in the U.S. Statutes at Large (63 Stat. 2241), and in the Department of State Bulletin (vol. 20, p. 339).
For the President's address on the occasion of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 1949, see the 1949 volume, this series, Item 68.
Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, Mr. Secretary of State, and distinguished guests:
I am sure we all appreciate very highly the gracious remarks of Her Majesty, Queen Juliana. We are honored to have her and her husband with us on this historic occasion.
When 12 nations of Europe and North America came together 3 years ago to sign the North Atlantic Treaty, one purpose was foremost in our minds. That purpose was to preserve peace for ourselves and our children.
In the 3 years since April 4, 1949, the North Atlantic community has grown steadily in strength and in unity. Two more nations--Greece and Turkey--have joined the original 12. But our purpose is exactly the same as it was 3 years ago.
The North Atlantic Treaty is an instrument of peace. All the lies and smears of hostile propaganda cannot conceal the fact that our nations have entered this treaty to preserve the peace. The people of our countries don't want to fight another war; they want to prevent one. They have gone about it in the only way that can possibly work: that is, by banding together for mutual self-protection.
In the past, many of the North Atlantic Treaty countries at one time or another have tried to find peace through neutrality and isolation. It didn't work. And it never will work.
The people of the North Atlantic community know that if we are to preserve our independence, we must join our strength together.
We have come a long way in these 3 years. We have created a common defense organization, and have begun to develop sizeable defense forces, trained and equipped to spring into action against aggression. If we continue the hard, sustained effort we have begun, we can clearly foresee the time when our common military defenses will be strong enough to defend us against any attack.
But we of the North Atlantic community are doing far more than simply building military defenses. We are also working together to build the solid social and economic foundations which are essential to our military defenses and to our entire future.
It is not our aim to turn the North Atlantic community into a huge garrison, concerned only with defense. Such an objective would be foolish and self-defeating. Our actual aim is far different. Our aim is to remove the threat of war and thus set free the forces of human progress and advancement. We want to rid the world of poverty, to wipe out ill health and disease, to provide better educations for all our people, to build finer cities and towns and improve conditions on farms. We want to open the way to spiritual and religious growth, and the continued development of the arts and sciences.
The North Atlantic Treaty has made a tremendous difference in the outlook of the people of our countries--especially in Europe. Three years ago, many people were very discouraged--they thought the next war was bound to come soon, nothing could be done about it, and successful defense was hopeless.
Today, there is a vast difference. Most people can now see that we are steadily increasing our chances of preventing another world war. And they can see that if we succeed, a great new future will open up for the human mind and spirit.
There are enormous possibilities of applying modern scientific advances to satisfy the needs and desires of men. There are immense opportunities to improve our social institutions, to bring about better living conditions, to achieve the free society that men dream of.
The basic principles of the treaty are the same principles that underlie the United Nations: on the one hand, to prevent war, on the other hand, to improve the conditions of life for men, women, and children everywhere. That is why the North Atlantic Treaty means so much to free men--not only in our own countries, but in other lands.
The struggle for peace is not an easy one, and it is not a struggle that can be won overnight. We shall have to continue to work for peace with all the determination and skill that we have. Every one of our countries has already accepted heavy burdens in this common struggle for peace, and there will be more burdens and sacrifices in the future.
But we can attain our goal. We are demonstrating in the North Atlantic community every day that dangers and problems of the modern world can be successfully overcome by men of goodwill working together in mutual trust and confidence.
And that is the way to peace with freedom and justice for all men everywhere.
NOTE: The President spoke at 11:50 a.m. in Constitution Hall following brief remarks by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. His opening words referred to the Queen, her husband Prince Bernhard, and Secretary of State Dean Acheson.
The text of the treaty is printed in the U.S. Statutes at Large (63 Stat. 2241), and in the Department of State Bulletin (vol. 20, p. 339).
For the President's address on the occasion of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 1949, see the 1949 volume, this series, Item 68.