Handinhandwiththiswemustfranklyrecognizetheoverbalanceofpopulationinourindustrialcentersand,byengagingonanationalscaleinaredistribution,endeavortoprovideabetteruseofthelandforthosebestfittedfortheland.Thetaskcanbehelpedbydefiniteeffortstoraisethevaluesofagriculturalproductsandwiththisthepowertopurchasetheoutputofourcities.Itcanbehelpedbypreventingrealisticallythetragedyofthegrowinglossthroughforeclosureofoursmallhomesandourfarms.ItcanbehelpedbyinsistencethattheFederal,State,andlocalgovernmentsactforthwithonthedemandthattheircostbedrasticallyreduced.Itcanbehelpedbytheunifyingofreliefactivitieswhichtodayareoftenscattered,uneconomical,andunequal.Itcanbehelpedbynationalplanningforandsupervisionofallformsoftransportationandofcommunicationsandotherutilitieswhichhaveadefinitelypubliccharacter.Therearemanywaysinwhichitcanbehelped,butitcanneverbehelpedmerelybytalkingaboutit.Wemustactandactquickly.
Finally,inourprogresstowardaresumptionofworkwerequiretwosafeguardsagainstareturnoftheevilsoftheoldorder,theremustbeastrictsupervisionofallbankingandcreditsandinvestments,theremustbeanendtospeculationwithotherpeople』smoney,andtheremustbeprovisionforanadequatebutsoundcurrency.
Therearethelinesofattack.IshallpresentlyurgeuponanewCongressinspecialsessiondetailedmeasuresfortheirfulfillment,andIshallseektheimmediateassistanceoftheseveralStates.
Throughthisprogramofactionweaddressourselvestoputtingourownnationalhouseinorderandmakingincomebalanceoutgo.Ourinternationaltraderelations,thoughvastlyimportant,areinpointoftimeandnecessitysecondarytotheestablishmentofasoundnationaleconomy.Ifavorasapracticalpolicytheputtingoffirstthingsfirst.Ishallsparenoefforttorestoreworldtradebyinternationaleconomicreadjustment,buttheemergencyathomecannotwaitonthataccomplishment.
Thebasicthoughtthatguidesthesespecificmeansofnationalrecoveryisnotnarrowlynationalistic.Itistheinsistence,asafirstconsideration,upontheinterdependenceofthevariouselementsinallpartsoftheUnitedStates—arecognitionoftheoldandpermanentlyimportantmanifestationoftheAmericanspiritofthepioneer.Itisthewaytorecovery.Itistheimmediateway.Itisthestrongestassurancethattherecoverywillendure.
InthefieldofworldpolicyIwoulddedicatethisNationtothepolicyofthegoodneighbor—theneighborwhoresolutelyrespectshimselfand,becausehedoesso,respectstherightsofothers—,theneighborwhorespectshisobligationsandrespectsthesanctityofhisagreementsinandwithaworldofneighbors.
IfIreadthetemperofourpeoplecorrectly,wenowrealizeaswehaveneverrealizedbeforeourinterdependenceoneachotherthatwecannotmerelytakebutwemustgiveaswellthatifwearetogoforward,wemustmoveasatrainedandloyalarmywillingtosacrificeforthegoodofacommondiscipline,becausewithoutsuchdisciplinenoprogressismade,noleadershipbecomeseffective.Weare,Iknow,readyandwillingtosubmitourlivesandpropertytosuchdiscipline,becauseitmakespossiblealeadershipwhichaimsatalargergood.ThisIproposetooffer,pledgingthatthelargerpurposeswillbinduponusallasasacredobligationwithaunityofdutyhithertoevokedonlyintimeofarmedstrife.
Withthispledgetaken,Iassumeunhesitatinglytheleadershipofthisgreatarmyofourpeoplededicatedtoadisciplinedattackuponourcommonproblems.Actioninthisimageandtothisendisfeasibleundertheformofgovernmentwhichwehaveinheritedfromourancestors.OurConstitutionissosimpleandpracticalthatitispossiblealwaystomeetextraordinaryneedsbychangesinemphasisandarrangementwithoutlossofessentialform.Thatiswhyourconstitutionalsystemhasproveditselfthemostsuperblyenduringpoliticalmechanismthemodernworldhasproduced.Ithasmeteverystressofvastexpansionofterritory,offoreignwars,ofbitterinternalstrife,ofworldrelations.Itistobehopedthatthenormalbalanceofexecutiveandlegislativeauthoritymaybewhollyadequatetomeettheunprecedentedtaskbeforeus.Butitmaybethatanunprecedenteddemandandneedforundelayedactionmaycallfortemporarydeparturefromthatnormalbalanceofpublicprocedure.
Wefacethearduousdaysthatliebeforeusinthewarmcourageofthenationalunitywiththeclearconsciousnessofseekingoldandpreciousmoralvalueswiththecleansatisfactionthatcomesfromthestemperformanceofdutybyoldandyoungalike.Weaimattheassuranceofaroundedandpermanentnationallife.