The Roosevelt Myth by John T Flynn

Author:John T Flynn [Flynn, John T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Devin-Adair Company
Published: 2011-11-06T16:00:00+00:00

BOOK THREE

BETRAYAL

1. A New Show Opens

ON JANUARY 20, 1941, FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, ON THE FRONT steps of the Capitol in keeping with tradition since the early days of the Republic, was sworn in as President of the United States for the third time—in defiance of a far more important tradition. The President addressed himself to those who doubt democracy. He pointed out how under his leadership democracy had survived a crisis at home here in America. And then he said: “No! Democracy is not dying... We sense it still spreading on every continent.” At that very moment it was dying on every continent and had been profoundly weakened in America. The address was couched on a high spiritual note intended to be a document for the ages. Who wrote it is not known. Certainly Roosevelt did not. It bears none of the stigmata of Roosevelt’s own style save perhaps in the last four brief sentences, and was worlds below the quality of his first inaugural. Actually it said nothing and did not mention the war Already men were being called into the military services by conscription. Eighteen billion dollars for national defense had been appropriated. The Times noted that the federal debt apparently had been forgotten. Men were moving in great numbers into the factories all over the land. There were no victory balls, no marching groups, but the index of business activity was marching up week after week until for the first time it would top the great peak of the highest prosperity in 1929. Millions of men were already in jobs or moving into jobs who had not worked in years. Two hundred and twenty-five flying fortresses and pursuit planes staged a great show over the White House. The soldiers who marched in the inaugural parade were real soldiers now. General Marshall, as chief of staff, rode at the head of the parade. Over in England, Harry Hopkins was being presented to crowds of workers who yelled: “Harry, Harry, Harry!”

All the important issues that had been agitating the people’s minds were now buried under the rush of the war. The day before the inauguration, Roosevelt received Wendell Willkie, gave him a letter to Churchill and off he went to England. Roosevelt wished him godspeed and this began the movement to take Willkie into Roosevelt’s camp, as Stimson and Knox and other Republicans had been taken.

At the moment, on the war front Hitler’s forces were poised for what they hoped would be the final knockout blow, while in America Congress was debating the Lend-Lease bill. The House Committee on Foreign Affairs was preparing to hold hearings. The headlines in the newspapers were of the most alarming character. Four days before the inauguration the New York Times carried a headline in big black type: “HULL URGES FULLEST AID TO BRITAIN LEST WE MEET FATE OF NORWAY.” Next day it was: “STIMSON SEES DANGER OF INVASION IF BRITISH NAVY BE BEATEN OR TAKEN.” The following day: “CHURCHILL CALLS FOR U.S. WEAPONS, NOT BIG U.

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