Gabriel Over the White House Page #7

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And the burden on the American taxpayer,

for sharing his part of the war...

Is too heavy... He can't pay

his own debts and your too.

Gentlemen are you prepared

to pay your debts?

But Mr President, we can't discuss matters

of such great importance here in an hour.

We must have further conferences.

I have never seen an American eagle

go into one of these conferences...

that it didnt come out,

plucked of its pin-feathers.

There will be no further conferences.

We paid when we could,

and we're no longer able to pay.

We loaned billions ourselves...

and have not received

one penny in return.

Very well... I hereby repudiate

one of our past conferences.

I refer to the naval limitations agreement.

As a result of that agreement...

America destroyed battleships...

while European countries

destroyed blueprints.

And from now on,

America refuses to allow...

European nations,

or Asiatic nations...

dictate how many ships and what kind

of ships America shall have in the navy...

which defends her lands

and her people.

Mr President...

You can't repudiate the signature

of your country.

It is you who have

repudiated signatures...

destroyed credit and confidence

among nations.

Made solemnly-signed agreements

no more than scraps of paper.

If you can repudiate the debts

owing to the American taxpayer...

incurred to save your own people

from destruction.

Are no standards of ethics left?

You have gone

into moral bankruptcy.

I can repudiate anything.

Gentlemen, I would like to have your

attention over here for a few moments.

I want you to take a last look

at America's small navy...

An American restricted

and hampered navy.

The last look at an American navy

controlled by foreign powers.

But when I get through with America's

new navy, America's own navy...

it'll make all of your navies

look like toy ships in a bathtub.

Is the President of the United States

going to plunge the world into another war?

No, the United States must have the greatest

navy in the world, because we want peace.

Mr President, you leave us

no alternative.

We'll gladly pay our debts if you

can show us how to do so.

I've been waiting for someone

to ask me how.

Gentlemen, I'm going to tell you how.

People of the United States...

nations of the world...

It's not my intention to go to war

to collect the debts...

We want peace.

But in order to have peace...

while the nations of the world are preparing

to spring at each others throats...

we must be able

to command peace.

Peace and a return to prosperity

go hand in hand, only through one agent...

While hundreds of

thousands of families...

are wondering where

their next meal is coming from...

While I'm vainly trying

to balance the budget...

we spent last year nearly 360 million

dollars on battleships... Why?

Because the other nations

of the world do.

And you, Great Britain, you spent last year,

nearly 1000 million dollars on armaments.

And you France, last year

you spent on your armaments...

Over 1000 million dollars more...

than the small payment you were

supposed to make us, but defaulted.

And you, Italy...

Over 500 million.

And you other nations

in proportion.

And yet, people of the world...

we wonder where

the money is coming from.

To save our nations from financial

collapse, I'll tell you.

When I think of the billions...

spent on these glorified,

antiquated pieces of scrap iron...

it makes me despair of humanity.

Antiquated, I said,

and I propose to prove it to you.

At the same time I'll

show you a method...

whereby the world may be saved

from international bankruptcy.

Commander Jones, you may proceed.

Over there, there are 2 battleships...

Those ships cost our taxpayers

40 million dollars.

Today they are pronounced obsolete.

Why?

Because fools throughout the world

are working out new designs...

New ships, new futilities...

which render yesterday's work useless.

Those ships are radio-controlled.

They contain not a single

human being.

Major Dawson, you may proceed.

Here they come.

The United States navy of the air.

Major Dawson, you may fire

when ready.

Just what is the purpose

of this demonstration?

Mr President...

What is your objective?

People of the United States...

Nations of the world.

The world will not learn,

without bitter lessons.

The next war will be

a terrible story of the failure...

of antiquated machinery

and antiquated methods.

Of the horrifying destructiveness

of the modern agencies of arms.

Armies and navies will be

destroyed from the air.

And as these aeroplanes

destroy armies and navies...

they will destroy cities...

they will destroy populations.

Peace and faith

are necessary among men.

Not merely for the welfare of nations...

but for the very existence

of nations.

The next war will depopulate the Earth.

Invisible poison gases...

Inconceivably devastating explosives...

Annihilating death-rays will sweep

to utter destruction...

not only the men...

but the children who would

constitute another generation...

and the mothers who bear them.

Unless man's God-given faculty

for utilising the forces of nature...

for beneficent purposes...

shall surpass their vicious genius

for destruction...

the race of man shall perish

from the earth...

and the Earth shall be left

to the less cruel...

the less destructive...

and the less stupid

wild animals.

People of the world...

I speak to you...

Shall we save this world?

Shall we restore it

to a condition...

where we can truly say

there is peace on earth...

goodwill toward men.

Shall the United States of America

build such a navy to force peace?

Or shall the other nations agree

to eliminate their armaments...

balance their budgets...

restore honour among nations?

The United States would be glad

to fall in line with such a movement.

But only after the other nations

have proven their good faith...

by convincing action.

The very fate of our civilisation

rests here and now, where it belongs...

in the hands of the people

of the world.

Here we are, ladies and gentlemen,

in the East Room of The White House...

on the most important day

in the peace and prosperity of the world.

The Washington Covenant has already been

signed by most of the foreign powers...

and Baron Kenzo Futimoto,

Prime Minister of Japan...

is about to sign the covenant.

President Hammond

has not yet appeared.

[Japanese]

The Right Honourable Charles Campbell,

Prime Minister of Great Britain...

is next signer of the covenant.

Today truly begins a new era

of peace and prosperity...

for the peoples of the world.

The Right Honourable Paul-Laurent

Chauffard, the Prime Minister of France...

is next to sign.

[French]

The President.

Are you alright, Sir?

With this document...

this Covenant of Washington...

the world takes its first real step to

prevent our civilisation from tottering...

as did forgotten civilisations

before us.

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