LETTER: Many forces covered FDR’s WWII deceit

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To the Editor:

Those who through the decades have worshiped at the shrine of Franklin Roosevelt are discomfited by what the Freedom of Information Act of July 5, 1967, has produced. With the 71st Pearl Harbor anniversary recently past, we ought to be reminded that deceit can reside in the heart of even the most revered president.

For decades, Americans were led to believe that Americans were surprised by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Certainly as a child I was — but FDR wasn’t.

Roosevelt’s scheme was covered over by the news media and hidden by a 1945 59th Congress, comfortably controlled by Democrat majorities. The scheme: Provoke the Japanese into attacking, thus offering the perfect excuse to allow a war declaration against not only Japan but against Germany. FDR had been seeking unsuccessfully to aid Great Britain’s Winston Churchill, whose nation was overwhelmingly beleaguered by Nazi Germany. Americans were opposed 80 to 20 percent.

To the rescue of the then-sacred memory of FDR came a 1945 congressional investigation seeking to exonerate or blame the ones responsible for U.S. unpreparedness. On April 12, 1945, FDR had died in office to be replaced by his vice president, Harry Truman. The select committee, five from each party, slogged through 28,000 pieces of evidence, later producing a 572-page report which, guess what, completely cleared FDR (then dead, buried and beatified) of any prior knowledge. Surprise! What else would a Democrat-controlled Congress (242-191 and 57-36) with a new Democrat president do? Party Politics 101.

What changed the scene was a 20-year search by historian Robert Stinnett through the new FOIA which produced hidden documents that carefully pinpointed FDR’s goading the Japanese into attacking. Also we had broken their military code months previously.

FDR’s party covered for him; liberal news media, then and now, covered for him; and the Literary Guild, overseer of publishing priorities, covered for him. The guild quickly screens out those authors who write critically of that president.

Does anyone care? Probably not. But truth is truth, even 71 years later. “Day of Deceit” by Robert Stinnett exposes those who lied and deceived.

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