AS I told you, the only way we will ever arrive at peace in the world is to settle it on a moral Christian basis. And that is what I have been working on for 5 years or more. We sometimes think we are approaching a solution, and then sometimes we are not so sure. I think every one of you can make a very decided contribution.
I wish I had the time to talk with each one of you and find out what conditions actually are, as you see them on the ground, in these foreign countries. But of course you know that I do not have the time to do that, much to my regret.
But you ought to always bear in mind that this country of ours has no aggressive ambitions of any sort. Our interest is the peace and welfare of the people in the countries with which we are associated, and no desire on our part to take them over, either governmentally, financially, physically, or otherwise.
I know that you can make a tremendous contribution to the cause of peace by making that perfectly plain to the people with whom you associate.
Thank you very much.
Note: The President spoke at 3:30 p.m. in his office at the White House. The group was composed of 24 missionaries who had been serving in China, Argentina, Nigeria, Burma, Japan, the Belgian Congo, Hungary, and the United States. They were headed by the Rev. Dr. Edward H. Pruden, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Washington, the church attended by President Truman.
Harry S Truman, Remarks to a Group of Baptist Missionaries. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/230566
