Statement by the President on the Ground Observer Corps' "Operation Skywatch."

STARTING Monday morning, in 27 States, civilian volunteers of the Ground Observer Corps will inaugurate "Operation Skywatch."

This is a commonsense precaution in which Americans can serve proudly and in which the fellow citizens of the watchers can derive satisfaction.

The total policy and efforts of the United States and its allies are to prevent war. We shall never diminish our hopes and labors in this cause as long as no aggressors attack us.

However, in this new age in which hostile forces are known to possess long-range bombers and atomic weapons, we cannot risk being caught unprepared to defend ourselves. We must have a trained force of skywatchers. If an enemy should try to attack us, we will need every minute and every second of warning that our skywatchers can give us. In that awful eventuality, the margin of warning may make a critical difference in the effectiveness of our air and ground defenses, and in the efficacy of our civil defense measures--it could save many lives and facilitate protection of vital services and production.

Our greatest hopes for peace lie in being so strong and so well prepared that our enemies will not dare attack. Every citizen who cooperates in "Operation Skywatch" as well as in other defense activities, is helping prevent the war none of us wants to happen.