LAD #29: The Truman Doctrine

On March 12, 1947, President Harry S. Truman decided it was necessary to have a joint session of congress to discuss America’s foreign policy and the countries of Greece and Turkey. He first started talking about how Greece needed money and aid from the United States, and how the he knew that the American people were willing to help Greece survive as a free nation. The reason that Greece needed help was because they were in ruins after the Germans destroyed their country. Greece did not have any means to reconstruct their country which was why they asked America to aid them in creating a stable and self-sustaining economy and in improving its public administration. Greece is also plagued with many terrorist groups, and a poorly-equipped army. The reason Greece asked for our help was because, Great Britain could no longer help them, and the United Nations did not either. He then goes on to say that Greece’s neighbor, Turkey, needs our help too. Truman stated that since Britain no longer would aid Turkey, America needed to help Turkey to preserve the Middle East. The United States stated that they needed to make the world safe for democracy and get rid of the Yalta agreement. He stated that he must help the free peoples work out their own destinies in their own way. He stated that he was going to implement the Charter of the United States and that we cannot allow changes in the status quo in violation of the Charter. He stated that if America failed in helping the two countries, the effect will be far reaching in both the West and the East, and that America needed to take immediate action. He closed of by saying that Congress would agree with him and try to help Turkey and Greece, and that they would face these responsibilities squarely.

LAD #28: Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address

On Saturday, March 4, 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt made his First Inaugural Address. He started out by stating that America is in a hard state, and that he was going to speak to America with the whole truth, frankly, and boldly, and that there was “nothing to fear in the world but fear itself.” He said that he was going to provide America with the good leadership, the leadership a country needs in a critical period of time. He states that America has been in deep troubles, the taxes have risen, our ability to pay has fallen, governments of all kinds are faced by serious curtailment of income, and farmers have no markets for their produce. He also stated that there are a huge number of unemployed citizens facing the problem of existence. He then goes on to say although these troubles may seem huge, they are not compared to what America has gone through before. He then called for action, by saying, “This Nation asks for action, and action now.” He states that this action should be achieved by getting people to work. He stated that there must be strict supervision of all banking and credits, and that our international relations are less important than our domestic problems. He closes his Inaugural Address by stating that “In this dedication of a Nation we humbly ask the blessing of God. May He protect each and every one of us. May He guide me in the days to come.”

LAD #27: Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact

The Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 was a treaty between the United States and other Powers providing for the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy. Fifteen countries signed the treaty and in turn agreed to not engage in war. Article One stated that the participating countries would not use war as a solution for international controversies. Article Two stated that all problems would be solved using pacific means. Article Three stated that “The present Treaty shall be ratified by the High Contracting Parties named in the Preamble in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements, and shall take effect as between them as soon as all their several instruments of ratification shall have been deposited at Washington.” The pact then listen the leaders of the countries that signed the pact.

LAD #26: Shenk vs. US Case

The court case Shenk vs. United States was a court case on March 3, 1919 that was decided by the Judge Justice Homes. Homes stated that the defendant Shenk disobeyed three things. His is an indictment in three counts. The first charges a conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act of June 15, 1917, c. 30, § 3, 40 Stat. 217, 219, by causing and attempting to cause insubordination, &c., in the military and naval forces of the United States, and to obstruct the recruiting and enlistment service of the United States, when the United States was at war with the German Empire, to-wit, that the defendants willfully conspired to have printed and circulated to men who had been called and accepted for military service under the Act of May 18, 1917, a document set forth and alleged to be calculated to cause such insubordination and obstruction. The count alleges overt acts in pursuance of the conspiracy, ending in the distribution of the document set forth. The second count alleges a conspiracy to commit an offence against the United States, to-wit, to use the mails for the transmission of matter declared to be non-mailable by Title XII, § 2 of the Act of June 15, 1917, to-wit, the above mentioned document, with an averment of the same overt acts. The third count charges an unlawful use of the mails for the transmission of the same matter and otherwise as above. The defendants were found guilty on all the counts. They set up the First Amendment to the Constitution forbidding Congress to make any law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, and bringing the case here on that ground have argued some other points also of which we must dispose. Homes decided that the First Ammendment did not apply to Shenk’s case because one cannot say things that are a “clear and present danger” to others. In this case Shenk was a clear and present danger and Shenk spent 10 years in prison.