THE speech

"In this grave hour , perhaps the most fateful in our history , I send to every household of my peoples , both at home and overseas this message spoken with the same depth of feeling for each one of you as if I were able to cross your threshold and speak to you myself . For the second time in the lives of most of us we are at... at war . Over and over again we have tried to find a peaceful way out of the differences between ourselves and those who are now our enemies . But it has been in vain . We have been forced into a conflict . For we are called , to meet the challenge of a principle which , if it were to prevail , would be fatal to any civilized order in the world . Such a principle , stripped of all disguise , is surely the mere primitive doctrine that might is right . For the sake of all that we ourselves hold dear , it is unthinkable that we should refuse to meet the challenge . It is to this high purpose that I now call my people at home and my peoples across the seas , who will make our cause their own . I ask them to stand calm and firm , and united in this time of trial the task will be hard . There may be dark days ahead , and war can no longer be confined to the battlefield . But we can only do the right as we see the right and reverently commit our cause to God . If one and all we keep resolutely faithful to it , then , with God’s help ,we shall prevail . "