千文網(wǎng)小編為你整理了多篇相關(guān)的《好背的英語名人演講稿(范文5篇)》，但愿對(duì)你工作學(xué)習(xí)有幫助，當(dāng)然你在千文網(wǎng)還可以找到更多《好背的英語名人演講稿(范文5篇)》。

第一篇：名人的經(jīng)典英語演講稿

Mr.John Doleva,Hall of Fame Executive Committee,ladies and gentlemen,good evening.

When I heard that I was speaking first tonight,I thought that someone made a mistake.The first speaker should be the great Allen Iverson.I need practice more than he does.

First of all,I would like to thank you for giving me this great honor.Your recognition has made tonight a most memorable moment for me.Although perhaps my career ended too soon,for me I treasure each and every moment.I am grateful for my time on the court,and for your recognition tonight.

I would like to thank my sponsors.

Bill Russell.I remember that you invited me to dinner at your house in Seattle in my rookie year.That evening,and all of your advice since,really built up my confidence and made me feel comfortable in a new country.

Bill Walton.You supported me all the way.Thank you for your advice and encouragement.You were the first one who called me when I woke up from mysurgery.You told me to stay positive.I will always remember that.

Dikembe Mutombo.I put you last because you are the oldest of the three.We played together for five years and had so many memories on and off the court.Nothing can break the bond between us―not even all those elbows you gave me in practice.

As you know I am from China,and my journey began there.

My parents were basketball players back in the 1970s.I heard so many great stories about them,about how they played and how good they were.More importantly,so many people know how good they are as people.I am very fortunate to be your son.

The gift I had from you was not only height...the way you taught me how to think,how to make decisions.And of course,my soft touch on the free throw line.Which is why I had 10,000 free throws less than ONeill.

My wife Li.We met when we were high school age.You know how much you mean to me.Thank you for being my life partner.Our lovely daughter Amy is a treasure to both of us.We wish she could be here,but she is in her first week of school.And she has to live with the consequences of choosing soccer over basketball...Ill fix that.

My basketball journey began on the back of coach Li Zhangmin’s bicycle when he gave me a ride to my very first practice on the basketball court.I would like to congratulate you on a very successful and very long career as you retire this year.Thank you for your work and your effrot,and so many kids have benefited from you and your work.

Coach Li Qiuping you were my coach at the Shanghai Sharks.You led us to win so far the only CBA championship before I came to NBA,and you gave us so much and sacrifice so much in that year you lost your wife to cancer.Thank you for your dedication and your sacrifices to us.

I want to thank the city of Shanghai,the Shanghai Sharks and the CBA league for doing everything to encourage me,prepare me,train me.They helped me to be ready for the next challenges in my life.

There is old saying in China that if the mirror is made of bronze,one can dress properly.If the mirror is history,one can predict ups and downs.If the mirror is people,one can reflect on one’s own weakness and strength.And now,I would like to mention a few mirrors in my life.

First,I want to mention Mr.Mou Zouyun.He was a basketball legend.Over 80 years ago,Mr.Mou came here to Springfield to study basketball.He went back to China and dedicated his life to Chinese basketball.Today,the CBA Championship Cup is named after him.This cup is the life goal that every CBA player can dream of.

I am not the first Chinese man to play in the NBA.That honor belongs Wang Zhi Zhi.He was a pioneer for all future Chinese players who dream of coming to the NBA.He cleared the road for us and made so many sacrifices.I learned so much from him.Although he cannot be here today,I want to thank him.

Many people know the story that began when the Rockets drafted me in 20xx.Not many people know how much effort the Rockets put in before I arrived and throughout my career.Thank you to Les Alexander,Michael Goldberg,Carroll Dawson,Tad Brown,Daryl Morey and Keith Jones for making me feel at home in Houston.

When I arrived in Houston on my first day,Steve Francis gave me a strong high five and a big hug to welcome me.Steve has been the perfect big brother to me ever since that day.

Cuttino Mobley invited me to his home for something called“soul food.”I thought he meant salty food which confused me a little bit.Thank you to Steve,Cuttino and everyone on my early Rockets teams for making me feel so welcome.

Rudy T.is famous for saying,“Never underestimate the heart of a champion.”Rudy has demonstrated this not only on the court,but off the court too,especially in his battle with cancer.Rudy,you have always inspired me to be the better that I can be.

When Jeff Van Gundy arrived with Patrick Ewing and Tom Thibodeau,that coaching staff turned us into a tough defensive team,like he always does.

With T-Mac,Shane Battier,Rafer Alston,we became a talented young team,especially with Dikembe.That team was not only competitive,but a team with a brotherhood.

I always remember Coach Van Gundy said once that,“The best chance also could be your last.”That is true in basketball and in life.

My last NBA coach was Rick Adelman.He helped us develop so many talented players like Carl Landry,Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks.We had a great run in 20xx-20xx,but unfortunately my injury cut things short and ended my time with the Rockets too soon.I will always remember my time spent with the Houston Rockets as some of the best times in my life.

As a basketball player,I was one of the most blessed players on the planet.I played against some of the best athletes in the world.

A great athlete not only has great teammates,but great opponents.Great opponents push us forward.Opponents like Shaquille O’Neal.Shaq:Every game we played reminded me of the old saying,“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”Thank you for that.

I consider Houston my second home,so I want to say something to the people of Houston.You stood by me in good and bad times.You gave me strength to move forward.I will always consider you my family.I am a Texan and a Houston Rocket for life.

All of this would not be possible without the vision of David Stern and the NBA.Thank you to David Stern,Adam Silver,Kim Bohuny and everyone at the NBA for your kindness and support.

Finally,to Team Yao.We all look older and fatter than when we first met.

Ladies and gentlemen,I like to pay my respect to Dr.Naismith,to the 361 members of the Hall of Fame,and to everyone who has contributed to the game of basketball all over the world in last 125 years.

All of these individuals are stars and together they form the galaxy in the universe of basketball.The game has inspired billions of people around the world.As one of them,I will do my part to continue to help grow the great game of basketball,and we all look forward to watching the stars of tomorrow emerge and shine.

Thank you for this great honor.Thank you.

第二篇：經(jīng)典名人英語演講稿

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.

In a sense we have come to our nations capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.

So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of Gods children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negros legitimate discontent will not pauntil there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning.

第三篇：名人英語演講稿

丘吉爾曾受邀在某校畢業(yè)典禮上講話。在校長(zhǎng)冗長(zhǎng)的介紹后，他只說了一句話：”永遠(yuǎn)，永遠(yuǎn)，永遠(yuǎn)不要放棄。”(Never, never, never give up.) 就走下講臺(tái)。這被稱為歷史上最短的畢業(yè)演講。其實(shí)，這是一個(gè)誤傳。丘吉爾1941年在哈羅公學(xué)演講時(shí)提到過這句話，但過程卻并沒有這么傳奇。

每到畢業(yè)季，各大高校都會(huì)請(qǐng)來名人給畢業(yè)生做演講。當(dāng)這樣的演講多了，其內(nèi)容不僅算不上傳奇，甚至可能難免俗套。本期我們就來一起看看吧。

【名人演講第一招：套近乎】

演講之初先要營(yíng)造輕松的氛圍，演講者們深諳這個(gè)道理，于是各種開場(chǎng)方式悉數(shù)登場(chǎng)。 Class of 20xx! I don't think I heard you. (Larry Page)

09屆的同學(xué)們！你們的掌聲在哪里？（拉里?佩奇）

Thank you for that nice reception and thank you Virginia for the incredible introduction. I thought some of them were about somebody else. (Tim Cook)

謝謝大家，謝謝弗吉尼亞（主持人）那么賣力地推銷我。我一度以為她在介紹別人呢。（蒂姆?庫克）

The first thing I would like to say is "thank you". Not only has Harvard given me an extraordinary honor, but the weeks of fear and nausea I've experienced at the thought of giving this commencement address have made me lose weight. (J.K. Rowling)

我想說的第一句話是”謝謝”。不僅因?yàn)楣鸾o了我這樣非同一般的榮譽(yù)，還因?yàn)橐幌氲浇裉斓难葜v，我就緊張恐懼、茶飯不思，幾個(gè)星期下來竟然減肥成功。（J?K?羅琳）

【名人演講第二招：自嘲】

自嘲幾乎是大部分名人演講的必殺技。不過注意哦，這種自嘲有時(shí)候可能是一種變相的吹噓。 I know exactly what it feels like to be sitting in your seat, listening to some old gasbag give a long-winded commencement speech. (Larry Page)

我十分清楚你們現(xiàn)在坐在臺(tái)下的感受：聽我們這些老家伙絮叨，老生常談。（拉里?佩奇） Last year, J.K. Rowling, the billionaire novelist, who started as a classics student, graced this podium. The year before, Bill Gates, the mega-billionaire philanthropist and computer nerd stood here. Today, sadly, you have me. I am not wealthy, but at least I am a nerd. (Steven Chu)

去年登上這個(gè)講臺(tái)的，是擁有億萬身家的小說家羅琳女士，她最早是一個(gè)古典文學(xué)的學(xué)生。前年站在這里的是比爾?蓋茨先生，他是一個(gè)超級(jí)富翁、慈善家和電腦高手(nerd)。今年很遺憾，你們的演講人是我。雖然我不像他們那么有錢，但至少我也算一個(gè)高手(nerd還有”笨蛋”的意思)。（朱棣文）

I applaud the graduates today for taking a much more direct route to your degrees. For my part, I'm just happy that the Crimson has called me "Harvard's most successful dropout". I guess that makes me valedictorian of my own special class...I did the best of everyone who failed. (Bill Gates)

我為今天在座的各位同學(xué)感到高興，你們拿到學(xué)位可比我容易多了。我值得稱道的也只有被哈佛的校報(bào)稱作”哈佛大學(xué)歷史上最成功的輟學(xué)生”了。我想這大概使我有資格代表我這一類學(xué)生發(fā)言……在所有的失敗者里，我做得最好。（比爾?蓋茨）

【名人演講第三招：哭窮】

功成名就的演講者們肯定少不了要分享下自己過去辛酸的經(jīng)歷，好讓臺(tái)下的學(xué)子們“開心開心”。

(After I dropped out of Reed College) I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5-cent deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. (Steve Jobs)

（從里德學(xué)院退學(xué)后）我無法再住宿舍，所以只能借宿在朋友房間的地板上，我去撿5美分一個(gè)的可樂瓶，以此賺錢來購買食物，我會(huì)在每個(gè)周日走上7英里，穿過小城，到克利須那神廟，只為晚上那頓一周一次的美餐。（史蒂夫?喬布斯）

A mere 7 years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. (J.K. Rowling)

畢業(yè)7年之后，我遭遇了徹底的失敗。我那極其短暫的婚姻走到了盡頭，再加上失業(yè)，作為一個(gè)單身母親，我淪落到窮困潦倒的.境地，就差無家可歸了。（J?K?羅琳）

I did everything. I shucked oysters, I was a hostess, I was a bartender, I was a waitress, I painted houses, I sold vacuum cleaners, I had no idea. And I thought I'd just finally settle in some job, and I would make enough money to pay my rent. (Ellen DeGeneres)

我那時(shí)什么工作都做，剝過牡蠣、做過迎賓、酒保、服務(wù)員、粉刷房子、賣吸塵器，我完全不知道自己想做什么。我只想隨便找個(gè)工作糊口，能有錢付得起房租就行。（艾倫?德杰尼勒斯）

【名人演講第四招：挫折與抉擇】

幾乎每個(gè)成功人士的背后，好像都至少有一次面臨挫折和抉擇，然后絕處逢生的經(jīng)歷。

[挫折篇]

I listened and waited for Professor Childs to say how well written my thesis was. He didn't. And so after about 45 minutes I finally said, "So. What did you think of the writing?"

我等待著希望聽到蔡爾茲教授告訴我我的論文寫得多么好。但他沒有。于是等了45分鐘后，我終于開口問，“那你怎么評(píng)價(jià)我的寫作呢？”

"Put it this way," he said. "Never try to make a living at it." (Michael Lewis)

“這么說吧，”他說，“千萬不要靠這個(gè)謀生。”（邁克爾?劉易斯）

And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. (Steve Jobs)

那一年，我被炒了魷魚。你怎么可能被自己創(chuàng)立的公司炒魷魚？是這樣的，在蘋果快速成長(zhǎng)的時(shí)候，我們雇了一個(gè)我覺得很有天分的家伙和我一起管理公司，最初幾年，公司運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)得很好。但后來我們對(duì)未來的看法發(fā)生了分歧，最終吵了起來。面對(duì)不可調(diào)和的分歧，董事會(huì)站在了他那一邊。（史蒂夫?喬布斯）

And I thought, "What's the worst that could happen? I can lose my career." I did. I lost my career. The show was canceled after 6 years, without even telling me, I read it in the paper. The phone didn't ring for 3 years. I had no offers. Nobody wanted to touch me at all. (Ellen DeGeneres)

那時(shí)我想，最慘的會(huì)是什么呢？也就是失業(yè)吧。結(jié)果，我真的失業(yè)了。我的節(jié)目在做了6年后，沒有告知我就停播了，我看了報(bào)紙才知道。家里的電話3年沒有再響過，沒人找我做節(jié)目，沒人愿意提及我。（艾倫?德杰尼勒斯）

[抉擇篇]

My employer at the time, Compaq Computer, was the largest personal computer company in the world. One CEO I consulted felt so strongly about it. He told me I would be a fool to leave Compaq for Apple (a small company then). (Tim Cook)

我當(dāng)時(shí)的東家康柏公司是當(dāng)時(shí)全球最大的個(gè)人電腦生產(chǎn)商。我咨詢一位CEO朋友的意見，他堅(jiān)定地說，我腦袋被驢踢了才會(huì)為了蘋果（當(dāng)時(shí)還是一個(gè)很小的公司）離開康柏。（蒂姆?庫克）

I called up my father. I told him I was going to quit this job that now promised me millions of dollars to write a book for an advance of 40 grand. There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "You might just want to think about that," he said. I didn't need to think about it. (Michael Lewis)

我打電話給我父親，告訴他我要辭掉這個(gè)百萬美元的工作來寫一本只有4萬美元預(yù)付款的書。電話那邊沉默了很久。他說：“也許你該再考慮一下?！蔽腋静恍枰紤]。（邁克爾?劉易斯） I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago. I had just turned 30 years old, and I'd been married for a year. I told my wife that I wanted to quit my job and go do this crazy thing that probably wouldn't work. She told me I should go for it. (Jeff Bezos)

16年前，我萌生了創(chuàng)辦亞馬遜的想法。那時(shí)我剛剛30歲，結(jié)婚才1年。我告訴妻子想辭去工作，然后去做這件瘋狂而且很可能失敗的事情。她告訴我，我應(yīng)該放手一搏。（杰夫?貝索斯）

【名人演講第五招：溫情回歸】

每當(dāng)提到自己的家人，演講者們都是充滿自豪感和溫情的。此情此景，常常令人動(dòng)容。 My dad was so full of life; anything with him was an adventure. (Randy Pausch)

我父親是如此的充滿生命力，與他在一起做任何事都是一種探險(xiǎn)。（蘭迪?波許）

A long time ago, in this cold September of 1962, there was a Steven's co-op at this very university. That co-op had a kitchen with a ceiling that had been cleaned by student volunteers. Picture a college girl named Gloria, climbing up high on a ladder, struggling to clean that filthy ceiling. Standing on the floor, a young boarder named Carl was admiring the view. And that's how they met. They were my parents. (Larry Page)

很久以前，1962年的寒冷9月，這座校園里有一家史蒂文消費(fèi)合作社，學(xué)生志愿者負(fù)責(zé)打掃廚房的天花板。想象這樣一幅場(chǎng)景：一位名叫格洛里亞的女大學(xué)生，爬上了高高的梯子，努力地打掃那臟兮兮的天花板。另一位名叫卡爾的寄宿生站在地上，對(duì)此情此景欽佩不已。這是他倆的初次邂逅。他們就是我的父母。（拉里?佩奇）

When I was awarded a Nobel Prize, I thought my mother would be satisfied. Not so. When I called her on the morning of the announcement, she replied, "That's nice, but when are you going to visit me next." (Steven Chu)

我得到諾貝爾獎(jiǎng)的時(shí)候，我想我媽媽會(huì)高興。但是我錯(cuò)了。消息公布的那天早上，我給她打電話，她聽了只說：“這是好消息，不過我想知道，你打算什么時(shí)候來看我？”（朱棣文）

【名人演講第六招：引經(jīng)據(jù)典】

他們演講時(shí)說的話經(jīng)常被我們拿來當(dāng)勵(lì)志名言，但其實(shí)呢，他們自己也需要?jiǎng)?lì)志名言。 Jimmy Stewart, as Elwood P. Dowd in the movie "Harvey" got it exactly right. He said: "Years ago my mother used to say to me, 'In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.'" Well, for years I was smart... I recommend pleasant. (Steven Chu)

電影《我的朋友叫哈維》中，斯圖爾特扮演的艾爾伍德說得很對(duì)。他說：“多年前，母親曾對(duì)我說：活在這個(gè)世界上，你要么做一個(gè)聰明人，要么做一個(gè)好人?！蔽易雎斆魅艘呀?jīng)好多年了。但我推薦你們做好人。（朱棣文）

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. (Steve Jobs)

17歲的時(shí)候, 我讀到一句話：“如果你把每一天都當(dāng)作生命中最后一天去生活的話,那么有一天你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)你是正確的?！薄坝涀∧慵磳⑺廊ァ笔俏乙簧杏龅降淖钪匾鹧?。它幫我做出生命中的重要抉擇。（史蒂夫?喬布斯）

One of the things he (Jon Snoddy) told me was to wait long enough and people will surprise and impress you. He said when you're pissed off at somebody and you're angry at them, you just haven't given them enough time. (Randy Pausch)

他（喬恩?史諾地）告訴我，給人們足夠的時(shí)間，人人都會(huì)有讓你驚訝和嘆服的一面。他說，當(dāng)你對(duì)別人怨惱憤怒時(shí)，你只是還沒有給他們足夠的時(shí)間。（蘭迪?波許）

最后，本文將以這些演講者原創(chuàng)或引用的語錄作為結(jié)束語：

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

求知若渴，虛心若愚。（史蒂夫?喬布斯引用凱文?凱利）

Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.

經(jīng)驗(yàn)是你求之不得后的收獲。（蘭迪?波許）

Never lose the child-like wonder.

永遠(yuǎn)不要失去孩童般的好奇心。（蘭迪?波許）

Your critics are your ones telling you they still love you and care.

批評(píng)你的人是在告訴你他們?nèi)匀粣勰汴P(guān)心你。（蘭迪?波許）

As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.

人生就像故事：不在于長(zhǎng)短，而在于質(zhì)量，這才是最重要的。（J?K?羅琳引用塞內(nèi)加） Insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.

精神錯(cuò)亂是指一遍遍地重復(fù)卻期待不一樣的結(jié)果。（蒂姆?庫克引用愛因斯坦）

Be true to yourself and everything will be fine.

做真實(shí)的你，一切都會(huì)沒事的。（艾倫?德杰尼勒斯）

第四篇：經(jīng)典名人英語演講稿

Several months ago, the Trump Administration instructed the Department of Education to prioritize STEM education, especially computer science, in our schools. The guidance we offered directed that these programs be designed with gender and racial diversity in mind.

At the direction of the President, I have worked closely with leadership across government Agencies to prioritize workforce development and proven on-the-job training programs like apprenticeships so that young women C and men C have more opportunities to earn while they learn, provide for their families, and master the skills that drive progress in the 21st century.

Finally, we must empower women who live in countries that prevent them from leading.

Across the world, there are still laws that stop women from fully participating in their nation’s economy.

In some countries, women are not allowed to own property, travel freely, or work outside of the home without the consent of their husbands.

Countries like the United States and Japan cannot be complacent. We must continue to champion reforms in our own countries while also empowering women in restricted economies.

第五篇：名人英語演講稿

Harry S. Truman: "The Truman Doctrine"

Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Congress of the United States:

The gravity of the situation which confronts the world today necessitates my appearance before a joint session of the Congress. The foreign policy and the national security of this country are involved. One aspect of the present situation, which I present to you at this time for your consideration and decision, concerns Greece and Turkey. The United States has received from the Greek Government an urgent appeal for financial and economic assistance. Preliminary reports from the American Economic Mission now in Greece and reports from the American Ambassador in Greece corroborate the statement of the Greek Government that assistance is imperative if Greece is to survive as a free nation.

I do not believe that the American people and the Congress wish to turn a deaf ear to the appeal of the Greek Government. Greece is not a rich country. Lack of sufficient natural resources has always forced the Greek people to work hard to make both ends meet. Since 1940, this industrious, peace loving country has suffered invasion, four years of cruel enemy occupation, and bitter internal strife.

When forces of liberation entered Greece they found that the retreating Germans had destroyed virtually all the railways, roads, port facilities, communications, and merchant marine. More than a thousand villages had been burned. Eighty-five per cent of the children were tubercular. Livestock, poultry, and draft animals had almost disappeared. Inflation had wiped out practically all savings. As a result of these tragic conditions, a militant minority, exploiting human want and misery, was able to create political chaos which, until now, has made economic recovery impossible.

Greece is today without funds to finance the importation of those goods which are essential to bare subsistence. Under these circumstances, the people of Greece cannot make progress in solving their problems of reconstruction. Greece is in desperate need of financial and economic assistance to enable it to resume purchases of food, clothing, fuel, and seeds. These are indispensable for the subsistence of its people and are obtainable only from abroad. Greece must have help to import the goods necessary to restore internal order and security, so essential for economic and political recovery. The Greek Government has also asked for the assistance of experienced American administrators, economists, and technicians to insure that the financial and other aid given to Greece shall be used effectively in creating a stable and self-sustaining economy and in improving its public administration.

The very existence of the Greek state is today threatened by the terrorist activities of several thousand armed men, led by Communists, who defy the governments authority at a number of points, particularly along the northern boundaries. A Commission appointed by the United Nations security Council is at present investigating disturbed conditions in northern Greece and alleged border violations along the frontiers between Greece on the one hand and Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia on the other.

Meanwhile, the Greek Government is unable to cope with the situation. The Greek army is small and poorly equipped. It needs supplies and equipment if it is to restore authority of the government throughout Greek territory. Greece must have assistance if it is to become a self-supporting and self-respecting democracy. The United States must supply this assistance. We have already extended to Greece certain types of relief and economic aid. But these are inadequate. There is no other country to which democratic Greece can turn. No other nation is willing and able to provide the necessary support for a democratic Greek government.

The British Government, which has been helping Greece, can give no further financial or economic aid after March 31st. Great Britain finds itself under the necessity of reducing or liquidating its commitments in several parts of the world, including Greece.

We have considered how the United Nations might assist in this crisis. But the situation is an urgent one, requiring immediate action, and the United Nations and its related organizations are not in a position to extend help of the kind that is required.

It is important to note that the Greek Government has asked for our aid in utilizing effectively the financial and other assistance we may give to Greece, and in improving its public administration. It is of the utmost importance that we supervise the use of any funds made available to Greece in such a manner that each dollar spent will count toward making Greece self-supporting, and will help to build an economy in which a healthy democracy can flourish.

No government is perfect. One of the chief virtues of a democracy, however, is that its defects are always visible and under democratic processes can be pointed out and corrected. The Government of Greece is not perfect. Nevertheless it represents eighty-five per cent of the members of the Greek Parliament who were chosen in an election last year. Foreign observers, including 692 Americans, considered this election to be a fair expression of the views of the Greek people.

The Greek Government has been operating in an atmosphere of chaos and extremism. It has made mistakes. The extension of aid by this country does not mean that the United States condones everything that the Greek Government has done or will do. We have condemned in the past, and we condemn now, extremist measures of the right or the left. We have in the past advised tolerance, and we advise tolerance now.

Greeks neighbor, Turkey, also deserves our attention. The future of Turkey, as an independent and economically sound state, is clearly no less important to the freedom-loving peoples of the world than the future of Greece. The circumstances in which Turkey finds itself today are considerably different from those of Greece. Turkey has been spared the disasters that have beset Greece. And during the war, the United States and Great Britain furnished Turkey with material aid.

Nevertheless, Turkey now needs our support. Since the war, Turkey has sought financial assistance from Great Britain and the United States for the purpose of effecting that modernization necessary for the maintenance of its national integrity. That integrity is essential to the preservation of order in the Middle East. The British government has informed us that, owing to its own difficulties, it can no longer extend financial or economic aid to Turkey. As in the case of Greece, if Turkey is to have the assistance it needs, the United States must supply it. We are the only country able to provide that help.

I am fully aware of the broad implications involved if the United States extends assistance to Greece and Turkey, and I shall discuss these implications with you at this time. One of the primary objectives of the foreign policy of the United States is the creation of conditions in which we and other nations will be able to work out a way of life free from coercion. This was a fundamental issue in the war with Germany and Japan. Our victory was won over countries which sought to impose their will, and their way of life, upon other nations.

To ensure the peaceful development of nations, free from coercion, the United States has taken a leading part in establishing the United Nations. The United Nations is designed to make possible lasting freedom and independence for all its members. We shall not realize our objectives, however, unless we are willing to help free peoples to maintain their free institutions and their national integrity against aggressive movements that seek to impose upon them totalitarian regimes. This is no more than a frank recognition that totalitarian regimes imposed upon free peoples, by direct or indirect aggression, undermine the foundations of international peace, and hence the security of the United States.

The peoples of a number of countries of the world have recently had totalitarian regimes forced upon them against their will. The Government of the United States has made frequent protests against coercion and intimidation in violation of the Yalta agreement in Poland, Rumania, and Bulgaria. I must also state that in a number of other countries there have been similar developments.

At the present moment in world history nearly every nation must choose between alternative ways of life. The choice is too often not a free one. One way of life is based upon the will of the majority, and is distinguished by free institutions, representative government, free elections, guarantees of individual liberty, freedom of speech and religion, and freedom from political oppression. The second way of life is based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority. It relies upon terror and oppression, a controlled press and radio, fixed elections, and the suppression of personal freedoms.

I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.

I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.

I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.

The world is not static, and the status quo is not sacred. But we cannot allow changes in the status quo in violation of the Charter of the United Nations by such methods as coercion, or by such subterfuges as political infiltration. In helping free and independent nations to maintain their freedom, the United States will be giving effect to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

It is necessary only to glance at a map to realize that the survival and integrity of the Greek nation are of grave importance in a much wider situation. If Greece should fall under the control of an armed minority, the effect upon its neighbor, Turkey, would be immediate and serious. Confusion and disorder might well spread throughout the entire Middle East. Moreover, the disappearance of Greece as an independent state would have a profound effect upon those countries in Europe whose peoples are struggling against great difficulties to maintain their freedoms and their independence while they repair the damages of war.

It would be an unspeakable tragedy if these countries, which have struggled so long against overwhelming odds, should lose that victory for which they sacrificed so much. Collapse of free institutions and loss of independence would be disastrous not only for them but for the world. Discouragement and possibly failure would quickly be the lot of neighboring peoples striving to maintain their freedom and independence.

Should we fail to aid Greece and Turkey in this fateful hour, the effect will be far reaching to the West as well as to the East.

We must take immediate and resolute action. I therefore ask the Congress to provide authority for assistance to Greece and Turkey in the amount of $400,000,000 for the period ending June 30, 1948. In requesting these funds, I have taken into consideration the maximum amount of relief assistance which would be furnished to Greece out of the $350,000,000 which I recently requested that the Congress authorize for the prevention of starvation and suffering in countries devastated by the war.

In addition to funds, I ask the Congress to authorize the detail of American civilian and military personnel to Greece and Turkey, at the request of those countries, to assist in the tasks of reconstruction, and for the purpose of supervising the use of such financial and material assistance as may be furnished. I recommend that authority also be provided for the instruction and training of selected Greek and Turkish personnel. Finally, I ask that the Congress provide authority which will permit the speediest and most effective use, in terms of needed commodities, supplies, and equipment, of such funds as may be authorized. If further funds, or further authority, should be needed for purposes indicated in this message, I shall not hesitate to bring the situation before the Congress. On this subject the Executive and Legislative branches of the Government must work together.

This is a serious course upon which we embark. I would not recommend it except that the alternative is much more serious. The United States contributed $341,000,000,000 toward winning World War II. This is an investment in world freedom and world peace. The assistance that I am recommending for Greece and Turkey amounts to little more than 1 tenth of 1 per cent of this investment. It is only common sense that we should safeguard this investment and make sure that it was not in vain. The seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want. They spread and grow in the evil soil of poverty and strife. They reach their full growth when the hope of a people for a better life has died.

We must keep that hope alive.

The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining their freedoms. If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world. And we shall surely endanger the welfare of this nation.

Great responsibilities have been placed upon us by the swift movement of events.

I am confident that the Congress will face these responsibilities squarely.