April 4 Experience has shown how deeply the seeds of war are planted by economic rivalry and social injustice. Harry S. Truman, 33rd President, 1945-1953- From his address in San Francisco at the Closing Session of the United Nations Conference. June 26, 1945- the conference had convened from April 25 to June 26, 1945. V-E Day(Victory in Europe)had just been declared on May 8,1945,not quite a year after the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944. War in the Pacific was still going on as the United Nations conference came to a close. V-J Day was not to occur until the end of the summer on August 15 and recognized finally on September 2 in the United States when Japan officially signed documents ending World War II. Truman addressed the closing session, "Mr. Chairman and Delegates to the United Nations Conference on International Organization: I deeply regret that the press of circumstances when this Conference opened made it impossible for me to be here to greet you in person. I have asked for the privilege of coming today, to express on behalf of the people of the United States our thanks for what you have done here, and to wish you Godspeed on your journeys home... We are grateful to you for coming. We hope you have enjoyed your stay, and that you will come again. You assembled in San Francisco nine weeks ago with the high hope and confidence of peace-loving people the world over. Their confidence in you has been justified. Their hope for your success has been fulfilled... The Charter of the United Nations which you have just signed is a solid structure upon which we can build a better world. History will honor you for it. Between the victory in Europe and the final victory in Japan, in this most destructive of all wars, you have won a victory against war itself...What you have accomplished in San Francisco shows how well these lessons of military and economic cooperation have been learned. You have created a great instrument for peace and security and human progress in the world... The world must now use it! If we fail to use it, we shall betray all those who have died in order that we might meet here in freedom and safety to create it. If we seek to use it selfishly--for the advantage of any one nation or any small group of nations--we shall be equally guilty of that betrayal. The successful use of this instrument will require the united will and firm determination of the free peoples who have created it. The job will tax the moral strength and fibre of us all. We all have to recognize-no matter how great our strength--that we must deny ourselves the license to do always as we please. No one nation, no regional group, can or should expect, any special privilege which harms any other nation. If any nation would keep security for itself, it must be ready and willing to share security with all. That is the price which each nation will have to pay for world peace. Unless we are all willing to pay that price, no organization for world peace can accomplish its purpose. And what a reasonable price that is... A just and lasting peace cannot be attained by diplomatic agreement alone, or by military cooperation alone. Experience has shown how deeply the seeds of war are planted by economic rivalry and by social injustice. The Charter recognizes this fact for it has provided for economic and social cooperation as well. It has provided for this cooperation as part of the very heart of the entire compact.