Question

Four Freedoms

by Franklin D. Roosevelt (excerpt)

We must especially beware of that small group of selfish men who would clip the wings of the American eagle in order to feather their own nests.

I have recently pointed out how quickly the tempo of modern warfare could bring into our very midst the physical attack which we must eventually expect if the dictator nations win this war.

There is much loose talk of our immunity from immediate and direct invasion from across the seas. Obviously, as long as the British Navy retains its power, no such danger exists. Even if there were no British Navy, it is not probable that any enemy would be stupid enough to attack us by landing troops in the United States from across thousands of miles of ocean, until it had acquired strategic bases from which to operate.

But we learn much from the lessons of the past years in Europe-particularly the lesson of Norway, whose essential seaports were captured by treachery and surprise built up over a series of years.

The first phase of the invasion of this Hemisphere would not be the landing of regular troops. The necessary strategic points would be occupied by secret agents and their dupes- and great numbers of them are already here, and in Latin America.

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What argument is Franklin D. Roosevelt making in this excerpt from his "Four Freedoms" speech?
A.
Americans should not assume that they are safe from attack and so must be prepared for war.
B.
Americans should not depend on Britain’s navy to keep Nazi Germany in check.
C.
Americans should be prepared to make sacrifices to defend freedom all over the world.
D.
Americans should always be on their guard and report any suspicious people to the government.

Answer 1

Answer: The right answer is the A) Americans should not assume that they are safe from attack and so must be prepared for war.

Explanation: Just to elaborate a little on the answer, it can be added that option B should be unhesitatingly discarded, since President Roosevelt commends the British Navy and is certain that the United States will be safe "as long as [...] it retains its power." Likewise, options C and D can be also discarded, since in this excerpt Roosevelt is neither asking Americans to make sacrifices to defend freedom nor to report suspicious people to the government. The purpose of this State of the Union Address, which President Roosevelt delivered in January 6, 1941, was to convince Americans of the seriousness of World War II and of the need to continue granting support to Great Britain. In this excerpt, Roosevelt was warning Americans against believing that they were immune from attack, since the lack of strategic bases from which to operate did not guarantee that enemies could not eventually invade the US — in fact, secret agents had started to occupy strategic points in Latin America.

Answer 2

the argument that Franklin D. Roosevelt was making in this excerpt from his "Four Freedoms" speech is:

A.

Americans should not assume that they are safe from attack and so must be prepared for war.