Sold – Franklin Roosevelt and His Isolationist Former Secretary of War Bury the Hachet

For seven years Harry Woodring was a valued member of President Roosevelt’s team, serving as Assistant Secretary of War for three years and then Secretary of War from 1936-1940. He did a very competent job in managing peacetime forces, but was an isolationist, which in time placed him in conflict with the President. On June 16, 1940, FDR told Woodring he wanted to sell or transfer a number of army planes to Britain. Woodring, instead of cooperating, said the President could not do this.

When Roosevelt’s request was repeated and he was asked to coordinate the transaction with Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Woodring refused to see Morgenthau. About the same time, at a cabinet meeting the President proposed to transfer 50 destroyers to Great Britain. However, Woodring again refused to approve a transfer; this sealed his fate. An FDR aides wrote Woodring a letter saying the President would like to have his resignation. Woodring sent the resignation and a long letter, the contents of which were not disclosed. Roosevelt, disturbed by the letter, offered Woodring a minor ambassadorship, which Woodring refused. Roosevelt wrote him again and Woodring never answered that letter.

Then the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the country came together; isolationists such as Woodring rallied to the colors, offering to help win the war in any way they could. Woodring wrote Roosevelt to bury the hachet and make himself available for wartime service. FDR sent him this diplomatic response.

Typed Letter Signed on White House letterhead, Washington, January 29, 1942, to Woodring. “I was glad to hear from you and to have that renewed assurance – though it was not necessary – that you are available at any time. I shall certainly keep this in mind. The suggestion in the closing sentence of your postscript is interesting and well worth considering. We will talk it over seriously a little later.” The envelope is included. Woodring carried out a number of assignments during World War II, as FDR utilized all of the talents available to him to win the war.