The Quarantine Speech
Delivered in Chicago on October 5, 1937, advocating for an international 'quarantine' of aggressor nations to contain the spread of world warfare.
Full Transcript
It is my good fortune to be able to address you on an occasion of this kind, though I am constrained to speak under the shadow of international tragedy.
The present reign of terror and international lawlessness began a few years ago. It began in an atmosphere of unsteadiness, but it has now reached a stage where the very foundations of civilization are seriously threatened.
When an epidemic of physical disease starts to spread, the community approves and joins in a quarantine of the patients in order to protect the health of the community against the spread of the disease.
War is a contagion, whether it be declared or undeclared. It can consume states and peoples distant from the original scene of hostilities. We are determined to keep out of war, yet we cannot insure ourselves against the disastrous effects of war and the dangers of involvement.
Peace-loving nations must make a concerted effort in opposition to those violations of treaties and those ignorings of humane sentiments which today are creating the international anarchy.
Defining Key Excerpts
"When an epidemic of physical disease starts to spread, the community approves and joins in a quarantine of the patients in order to protect the health of the community against the spread of the disease."
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