420 Chapter 18 | isoLAteD no More | Period seven 1890 –1945Third, a cost of food law—which will enable the government to place a rea-
sonable floor under the prices the farmer may expect for his production; and to
place a ceiling on the prices a consumer will have to pay for the necessary food
he buys. This should apply, as I have intimated, to necessities only and this will
require public funds to carry it out. It will cost in appropriations about 1 percent
of the present annual cost of the war.
Fourth, an early reenactment of the stabilization statute of October 1942. This
expires this year, June 30, 1944, and if it is not extended well in advance, the coun-
try might just as well expect price chaos by summertime.
We cannot have stabilization by wishful thinking. We must take positive
action to maintain the integrity of the American dollar.
And fifth, a national service law—which, for the duration of the war, will
prevent strikes, and, with certain appropriate exceptions, will make available for
war production or for any other essential services every able-bodied adult in this
whole nation.Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F. D.
Roosevelt, 1944–1945, Volume 13 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1950), 36–37.praCtiCing historical thinking
Identify: What are Roosevelt’s reasons for taking steps to ensure a stable economy?
Analyze: How did a wartime economy allow Roosevelt to impose greater restric-
tions on capitalism?
Evaluate: Compare Roosevelt’s State of the Union address with Woodrow Wilson’s
remarks to the Senate (Doc. 18.4). Explain how the two documents differ in the
ways that they present the United States’ reasons for engaging in international
conflicts.applying ap® historical thinking Skills
Skill Review Patterns of Continuity and Change over Time,
Comparison, and SynthesisAddress the following prompt in a complete essay using the documents above and appro-
priate information from your textbook and classroom notes as support:Analyze the extent to which the First and Second World Wars contributed to increas-
ing the civil rights of women and minorities in the first half of the twentieth century.
Compare the progress of civil rights reforms during wartime to one other period in
US history.19_STA_2012_ch18_405-426.indd 420 28/04/15 9:31 AM