Remarks to a Group of Democratic Congressional Candidates at the White House.

I AM of course interested in the political welfare of every one of you. When Congress is in session, there are 531 Members here, and the President usually passes out the word that the door is open to see him at any time on any business that affects the business of the Government. So when you come to the Congress, if you will discuss the matter with the Secretary who makes the appointments, a way can always be managed so that you can call on the President for any subject you want to discuss. Of course, it may be sometimes deferred for some time, for the simple reason that there are only so many 15-minute periods in a day, and we can't make the clock unwind any more.

But it is absolutely essential, in order that the program of the Democratic Party as outlined in the platform adopted in 1944 which I helped to write--and I was a member of that original committee--may be carried out, that we have a Congress that is in sympathy with what that platform calls for.

Now we have made some progress on that platform since 1944. There are still a lot of things to be done. And in talking to your constituents, tell them that you are interested in carrying out the program of the Democratic Party, which has always been the party of progress, and always will be the party of progress. I don't see how any voter who thinks at all could vote for the Reece-Taft-Crawford program. It is just impossible. The difficulties with which we are faced now are due in part to the obstructionist tactics of those gentlemen.

All you need do is to read the record, and study a little history, and you will find that the best reason in the world for your election is the welfare of the United States. Right now we are in just as great an emergency-and have been ever since V-J Day--as we were when Pearl Harbor happened; and that emergency will continue until we can get peace and production. That's all we want. That's the program of the Democratic party--peace in the world, and a production program that will help rehabilitate that world. It will never be necessary to have unemployment if the program of the Democratic Party as outlined in 1944 is carried out. That's all I need to say to you.