On June 10th, 1940, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt was on his way to Charlottesville, Virginia,

to give the commencement address at the University of Virginia Law School,

before an audience that included his son, Franklin Jr.

When he received the news that Italy had entered the war,

disregarding the advice of the State Department, which recommended caution,

Roosevelt made some last-minute changes to his speech to incorporate the news.

Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

The 20th century. Episode 3351.1.1.1.1.1.1. Episode 33

The Hand that held the dagger.

This government directed its efforts to doing what it could

to work for the preservation of peace in the Mediterranean

area.

And it likewise expressed its willingness to endeavor to cooperate with the government

of Italy when the appropriate occasion arose for the creation of a more stable world order, through the reduction

of armaments, and through the construction of a more liberal international economic system,

which would assure to all powers equality of opportunity in the world's markets and in the securing of raw materials on equal

terms.

I have likewise, of course, felt it necessary in my communications to Senor Mussolini

to express the concern of the government of the United States because

of the fact that any extension of the war in the region of the Mediterranean would inevitably

result in great prejudice to the ways of life and government and to the trade and commerce of all the American republics.

The government of Italy has now chosen to preserve what it terms its freedom of action and to fulfill what its

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