The New York Times
Posted: 23:24:50 Monday, 21 October, 2019
All the news that's fit to print
Ladies and gentlemen,
Brothers around the world,
My friends,
The last few years have not been easy on any of us. Great sacrifice has been felt all around the world as the global community came together to squash the evils of fascism. Believe me when I say that the very worst of Hitler’s crimes are yet to come to light, and when they do, they will change the face of this world forever.
Once again I want to thank the American people for their bravery, and also our allies. From the steadfast Briton to the gallant French to even the noble common Russian folk, this victory was a product of the world coming together, including of course our beautiful friends in China who are still in the fight for that most precious of prizes: Peace.
It is in this spirit that I address you today. Hitler was an animal, a tyrant, a barbarian, but, above all (and what these categories all share in common), he was a lawbreaker. He broke the treaty of Versailles, stepped all over other nations’ sovereignty, and broke the rules at home and abroad to get his way. That is why it is so important that this newfound Peace, if it is to be lasting, be built on a solid foundation of shared rules and regulations, so that no empire may once again tread all over peoples’ rights, and we may all live in harmony and shared prosperity.
It is in this spirit that my administration will throw its full weight behind the United Nations, and it is also in this light that we support European efforts to reach peaceful resolutions to outdated overseas ventures. The United States is, and always will be, the most stalwart ally of freedom, and our efforts in Europe and elsewhere will always reflect that.
For now I leave you, but I will be back again soon to discuss more events as they develop. Good night.
De Gaulle’s Strong Leadership Will Solve the French Crisis
By David Houston
Earlier this month, a dark shadow was cast upon the future of the French people (and, indeed, of Europe in general) as a handful of local collaborators with the Russian forces in the north unilaterally “declared”: “a new… government… built from Normandy to Marseilles”. Naturally, this alarmed the French and their friends everywhere, as this surprise announcement had no backers in the Southern half of the country, leading many to believe that a further march of the Red Army was imminent.
Luckily, one of those rare few great men of History stepped once more into the breach, ready to lend his steady hand to guide the proceedings. I speak of course of General Charles De Gaulle, leader of the Free French, victor over the Nazis, and father of the Gaul. He has valiantly led the effort to declare a Fourth French Republic, one built upon the program of the National Council of Resistance that was formed by wide sectors of French society during the resistance in 1944.
Already the Russians have asked to open diplomatic relations with this spectacular force, cowed surely by the certainty that the French people will rally behind their trusted steward, and unwilling to throw their lot in with the strident conquest calls of their friends in Paris. In doing so, Moscow has shown prudence and wisdom, attitudes that will surely lead the way forward as the major powers work to rebuild France and build what President Truman has called “that most precious of prizes: Peace.”
But make no mistake, General De Gaulle’s leadership has been vital to reach the current situation. Had the South been left in limbo even a day more, then all may have been lost and the world could once again find itself on the cusp of a European war. Thankfully, we have strong men like Charles De Gaulle and Harry Truman, who will rise up to the challenge of building a lasting Peace based on international rules and regulations that will guarantee fairness and shared prosperity for all.
In a speech on Sunday, President Harry S Truman praised French President Charles De Gaulle's decree to disarm irregular forces still operating on French territory. Citing the killing of five American soldiers outside the French city of Lyon, the President said "the continued activity of civilian partisans represents not only a danger to Peace in France, but to the stability of the entire world. Given the volatility of the situation, De Gaulle has taken the most responsible possible course of action."
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