Let's Get Down to Business (Sentences 1-2)

Like we said in our section-by-section summary, the beginning of the speech should really have the opening of Mulan's "I'll Make a Man Out of You" playing in the background. "Let's get down to business," sings Donny Osmond as Shang.

And that's exactly what Truman plans to do:

The gravity of the situation which confronts the world today necessitates my appearance […]. The foreign policy and the national security of [the] country are involved. (1-2)

That's it. No long-winded intro, no exchange of pleasantries or awkward conversations about the weather.

Instead, Truman slams the reason he's there into Congress' face the minute he opens his mouth: our national security is being threatened and we're in danger. It's like one of those onomatopoeia freeze frames from the old Batman TV show with Adam West. (POW!)

Also, notice that there's nothing about communism in these opening lines. That's because there doesn't need to be. "Gravity of the situation," "national security," and "foreign policy" are enough signposts for listeners in 1947, because everyone's talking about communism.

And if they aren't concerned about it by now, Truman's going to spend the next 17 minutes, 30 seconds telling them why they should be.