Details
ROOSEVELT, Franklin D. Typed letter signed ("Franklin D. Roosevelt") as President, to Max Aitken (Lord Beaverbrook), California, 20 July 1944. 1½ pages, 4to (8¾ x 7 in.), White House stationery, with two neat punch holes at left margin, in fine condition.
ON THE DAY OF HIS RENOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT, FDR TELLS LORD BEAVERBROOK THAT NEW AIRBASES WILL BE IN "EASY BOMBING RANGE" OF JAPAN
In May 1940, Lord Beaverbrook had been appointed by Churchill to be Minister of Aircraft Production, in which capacity he played a critical role in winning the Battle of Britain, but in 1942 poor health forced him to resign. His return to the Cabinet as Lord of the Privy Seal in 1943 was welcomed by FDR who had come to appreciate his presence at meetings with Churchill. Roosevelt relates recent events in the Pacific: "This is dictated in California where I am on my way on another 'inspection trip.' These good people out here seem to feel a little neglected, for to them the Pacific operations seem at least as important as those in Normandy. Their turn will come soon, I hope, and they do not realize that most of the Navy, plus over a million men are now fighting in the Pacific. Incidentally, this last operation of taking Saipan has been an outstanding success in spite of 15,000 casualties. From there, we will be within thirteen or fourteen hundred miles of the industrial part of Japan -- easy bombing range."
Saipan, in the Marianas, was invaded by U.S. forces on 17 June 1944, before the Japanese had completed their fortifications. Clearing the island was a long and slow ordeal, and fighting lasted until three days prior to this letter, which was written on a day of some significance in the war. On July 20th, General Tojo resigned as Premier of Japan; a secret bomb planted in a conference room almost killed Hitler; and FDR was renominated for a fourth term. Tensions with Great Britain were elevated. Harry Hopkins recently had met with Beaverbrook who "indicated to me how difficult it is to hold a formal economic conference with Great Britain on any single subject at this particular time. Max, himself, was quite unhappy, not so much because he did not have his way about the agreement but because he claims he senses a good deal of hostility there" (Robert E. Sherwood, Roosevelt and Hopkins, NY, 1948, p.811). Roosevelt here shows an understanding of the frustrations in Great Britain, and especially with regards to the mounting V-1 bombings, writing "I do hope the flying bombs will slow down for I can fully realize that they are more than annoying. I hate to have you all compelled to go through this at such a late time in the war."
The intensity of the international struggles notwithstanding, Roosevelt devotes two paragraphs to an archive of Roosevelt papers he has received from Beaverbrook. "I had little more than time to glance through them... They are most truly interesting and give me new leads in some family researches I am making... My own greatgrandfather had slaves at Hyde Park. He manumitted them about 1822, but the slave quarters were in existence when I was a small boy."
Provenance: Anonymous owner (sold Sotheby's London, 6 June 1978, lot 159).--Anonymous owner (sold Daniel F. Kelleher, 11 March 1982, lot 169).
ON THE DAY OF HIS RENOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT, FDR TELLS LORD BEAVERBROOK THAT NEW AIRBASES WILL BE IN "EASY BOMBING RANGE" OF JAPAN
In May 1940, Lord Beaverbrook had been appointed by Churchill to be Minister of Aircraft Production, in which capacity he played a critical role in winning the Battle of Britain, but in 1942 poor health forced him to resign. His return to the Cabinet as Lord of the Privy Seal in 1943 was welcomed by FDR who had come to appreciate his presence at meetings with Churchill. Roosevelt relates recent events in the Pacific: "This is dictated in California where I am on my way on another 'inspection trip.' These good people out here seem to feel a little neglected, for to them the Pacific operations seem at least as important as those in Normandy. Their turn will come soon, I hope, and they do not realize that most of the Navy, plus over a million men are now fighting in the Pacific. Incidentally, this last operation of taking Saipan has been an outstanding success in spite of 15,000 casualties. From there, we will be within thirteen or fourteen hundred miles of the industrial part of Japan -- easy bombing range."
Saipan, in the Marianas, was invaded by U.S. forces on 17 June 1944, before the Japanese had completed their fortifications. Clearing the island was a long and slow ordeal, and fighting lasted until three days prior to this letter, which was written on a day of some significance in the war. On July 20th, General Tojo resigned as Premier of Japan; a secret bomb planted in a conference room almost killed Hitler; and FDR was renominated for a fourth term. Tensions with Great Britain were elevated. Harry Hopkins recently had met with Beaverbrook who "indicated to me how difficult it is to hold a formal economic conference with Great Britain on any single subject at this particular time. Max, himself, was quite unhappy, not so much because he did not have his way about the agreement but because he claims he senses a good deal of hostility there" (Robert E. Sherwood, Roosevelt and Hopkins, NY, 1948, p.811). Roosevelt here shows an understanding of the frustrations in Great Britain, and especially with regards to the mounting V-1 bombings, writing "I do hope the flying bombs will slow down for I can fully realize that they are more than annoying. I hate to have you all compelled to go through this at such a late time in the war."
The intensity of the international struggles notwithstanding, Roosevelt devotes two paragraphs to an archive of Roosevelt papers he has received from Beaverbrook. "I had little more than time to glance through them... They are most truly interesting and give me new leads in some family researches I am making... My own greatgrandfather had slaves at Hyde Park. He manumitted them about 1822, but the slave quarters were in existence when I was a small boy."
Provenance: Anonymous owner (sold Sotheby's London, 6 June 1978, lot 159).--Anonymous owner (sold Daniel F. Kelleher, 11 March 1982, lot 169).