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Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, 1882-1945

"The Fireside Chats of Franklin Delano Roosevelt"

We were united in determination that
Germany must be stripped of her military might and be given no
opportunity within the foreseeable future to regain that might.
The United Nations have no intention to enslave the German people.
We wish them to have a normal chance to develop, in peace, as
useful and respectable members of the European family. But we most
certainly emphasize that word "respectable"--for we intend to rid
them once and for all of Nazism and Prussian militarism and the
fantastic and disastrous notion that they constitute the "Master
Race."
We did discuss international relationships from the point of view
of big, broad objectives, rather than details. But on the basis of
what we did discuss, I can say even today that I do not think any
insoluble differences will arise among Russia, Great Britain and
the United States.
In these conferences we were concerned with basic principles--
principles which involve the security and the welfare and the
standard of living or human beings in countries large and small.
To use an American and somewhat ungrammatical colloquialism, I may
say that I "got along fine" with Marshal Stalin. He is a man who
combines a tremendous, relentless determination with a stalwart
good humor. I believe he is truly representative of the heart and
soul of Russia; and I believe that we are going to get along very
well with him and the Russian people--very well indeed.


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