Every member of the world community now bears a direct responsibility to help bring our most basic human account into balance.  IV.

I come now finally to Southeast Asia—­and to Vietnam in particular.  Soon I will submit to the Congress a detailed report on that situation.  Tonight I want to just review the essential points as briefly as I can.

We are in Vietnam because the United States of America and our allies are committed by the seato Treaty to “act to meet the common danger” of aggression in Southeast Asia.

We are in Vietnam because an international agreement signed by the United States, North Vietnam, and others in 1962 is being systematically violated by the Communists.  That violation threatens the independence of all the small nations in Southeast Asia, and threatens the peace of the entire region and perhaps the world.

We are there because the people of South Vietnam have as much right to remain non-Communist—­if that is what they choose—­as North Vietnam has to remain Communist.

We are there because the Congress has pledged by solemn vote to take all necessary measures to prevent further aggression.

No better words could describe our present course than those once spoken by the great Thomas Jefferson: 

“It is the melancholy law of human societies to be compelled sometimes to choose a great evil in order to ward off a greater.”

We have chosen to fight a limited war in Vietnam in an attempt to prevent a larger war—­a war almost certain to follow, I believe, if the Communists succeed in overrunning and taking over South Vietnam by aggression and by force.  I believe, and I am supported by some authority, that if they are not checked now the world can expect to pay a greater price to check them later.

That is what our statesmen said when they debated this treaty, and that is why it was ratified 82 to 1 by the Senate many years ago.

You will remember that we stood in Western Europe 20 years ago.  Is there anyone in this Chamber tonight who doubts that the course of freedom was not changed for the better because of the courage of that stand?

Sixteen years ago we and others stopped another kind of aggression—­this time it was in Korea.  Imagine how different Asia might be today if we had failed to act when the Communist army of North Korea marched south.  The Asia of tomorrow will be far different because we have said in Vietnam, as we said 16 years ago in Korea:  “This far and no further.”

I think I reveal no secret when I tell you that we are dealing with a stubborn adversary who is committed to the use of force and terror to settle political questions.

I wish I could report to you that the conflict is almost over.  This I cannot do.  We face more cost, more loss, and more agony.  For the end is not yet.  I cannot promise you that it will come this year—­or come next year.  Our adversary still believes, I think, tonight, that he can go on fighting longer than we can, and longer than we and our allies will be prepared to stand up and resist.