-56- #669, Eighteenth from London              
 
                                                            
 
 
The President declared in his recent message to Congress that 
      power politics were "the misuse of power." I am sure 
      I am sure I can say on behalf of all parties in the House that 
      we are absolutely in agreement with the President. We go further; 
      we define our position with even more precision. We have sacrificed 
      everything in this war. We shall emerge from it for the time 
      being more stricken and impoverished than any other victorious 
      country. The United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth is the 
      only unbroken force, which declared war on Germany of its own 
      free will. We declared war not for any ambition or material advantage 
      but for the sake of our obligation to do our best for Poland 
      against German aggression in which aggression there or elsewhere 
      it must also in fairness be stated our own self-preservation 
                          was involved.                     
 
                                                            
 
 
After the defeat of France in June 1940 for more than a year 
      we were alone. We stood alone; we kept nothing back in blood 
      Effort or treasure from what has now become the common cause 
      of more than 30 nations. We seek no territory; we covet no oilfields; 
      we demand no bases for the forces of the air or of the seas. 
      We are an ancient commonwealth dwelling and wishing to dwell 
      at peace with in our own habitations. We do not set ourselves 
      up in rivalry of bigness or might with any other community in 
      the world.