THE ROOSEVELT MYTH BY JOHN T. FLYNN (1948) Flynn was a political reporter who supported the populist objectives of FDR early in his career but became an ardent critic later on, as he saw the blunders and corruption of the Roosevelt administration covered up by a compliant press. FDR was always portrayed as a peace-loving populist on the side of the "little guy" while many of his advisors were war mongers, communist sympathizers, and agents of Wall Street. This expose is a much needed corrective to the 'myth' of Roosevelt populism. TABLE OF CONTENTS BOOK I: TRIAL AND ERROR NEW DEALER TAKES THE DECK ............................................................... 3 THE HUNDRED DAYS ....................................................................................................................................... 7 THE BANKING CRISIS .................................................................................................................................... 11 THE NEW NEW DEAL..................................................................................................................................... 21 THE RABBITS GO BACK IN THE HAT ............................................................................................................ 26 THE DANCE OF THE CRACKPOTS ................................................................................................................. 38 AN ENEMY IS WELCOMED ............................................................................................................................. 48 THE RIDE OF THE WILD RABBIT ................................................................................................................... 52 BOOK II: CONFUSION THE COMING AMERICAN BOOM ............................................................................. 59 WAR ON THE COURTS ................................................................................................................................... 63 THE FORGOTTEN DEPRESSION..................................................................................................................... 69 HARRY THE HOP AND THE HOT DOGS.......................................................................................................... 78 THE DANCE OF THE PHILOSOPHERS ............................................................................................................ 90 WAR CLOUDS .............................................................................................................................................. 100 THE THIRD TERM ......................................................................................................................................... 106 THE SHOCK TROOPS OF THE THIRD NEW DEAL ........................................................................................ 111 ROOSEVELT BREAKS WITH THE PAST ........................................................................................................ 123 HENRY WALLACE ........................................................................................................................................ 135 BOOK III: BETRAYAL: A NEW SHOW OPENS .......................................................................................... 141 THE WHITE HOUSE GOES INTO BUSINESS ................................................................................................. 142 WHAT MANNER OF MAN? ........................................................................................................................... 156 TOWARD THE PRECIPICE ............................................................................................................................ 173 THE ATLANTIC CHARTER ............................................................................................................................ 182 A BOONDOGGLER'S DREAM ....................................................................................................................... 184 1 THE HAPPIEST YEARS OF THEIR LIVES ...................................................................................................... 189 Page THE THOUGHT POLICE ................................................................................................................................ 195 THE GREAT CONFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 202 POLITICS, DISEASE AND HISTORY .............................................................................................................. 222 HOW GERMANY'S FATE WAS SETTLED ..................................................................................................... 231 THE ATLANTIC CHARTER IS SCRAPPED ..................................................................................................... 233 THE FINAL BETRAYAL ................................................................................................................................. 235 THE PRESIDENT'S DEATH ........................................................................................................................... 240 THE ROOSEVELT MYTH ............................................................................................................................... 250 APPENDIX .................................................................................................................................................... 255 PREFACE Asked to tell why he wrote this book, John T. Flynn replied: "As the weird story of Owen Lattimore unfolded itself in official documents and sworn testimony, I noted that it had one flaw. It was unbelievable. In a Dumas novel of intrigue at the court of Louis XV, it might be accepted. But in America—the America of the 1950s—it seemed fantastically out of place and utterly incredible. Much has been written about it, but now all the evidence is available. Few have the time or means of sifting the immense folios of testimony and incriminating documents, which were dramatically unearthed in an old barn, as might be done in a screen thriller. "I have therefore tried to fit together in this small volume all the characters, episodes, intrigues and confessions buried in 14 large volumes of testimony and documents, out of which emerges the curious story of a conspiracy involving over four dozen writers, journalists, educators, and high-ranking government officials—almost all Americans—to force the American State Department to betray China and Korea into the hand's of the Communists. Unbelievable as this strange enterprise may seem, the proofs are now all here—not assumptions and suspicions and tortured deductions, but proofs. That is why I have written this book." NOTE: The original version of 'Lattimore Story' did not have chapter titles. All Chapter Titles in ths version were added by the HH Editor. 2 Page BOOK I: TRIAL AND ERROR NEW DEALER TAKES THE DECK Saturday Morning, March 4, 1933. As the sun struggled lazily into position through gray clouds hurrying before the chill March winds, Washington was like a beleaguered city. All over the place high officials were up early packing their bags, ready to be off as the legions of the Grand Old Party that had occupied the city for so many years prepared to evacuate. All through the night from every region, by automobile, bus, train and plane, the happy hosts of the conquering Democrats poured into the city, hastening to take over after so many hungry years in the wilderness. In the White House, President Hoover, a weary and worn man, spent with the vigil of long sleepless nights as he struggled to hold back the tide of the onrushing crisis, was at his desk early for the last dreary duties before laying down his intolerable burden and surrendering the capital into the hands of his gay and laughing successor, already astir a mile away in the Mayflower Hotel. In mid-morning, Franklin D. Roosevelt, with his wife, his mother and numerous other Roosevelts—children, aunts and uncles and cousins to the fourth degree of consanguinity, repaired from their suite in the Mayflower to St. John's Episcopal Church where Dr. Endicott Peabody, Roosevelt's old headmaster at Groton School, would invoke the blessing of the Lord upon "Thy servant Franklin" All of the new cabinet members were there also, to thank the Lord who had answered their own prayers so pleasantly. The service over, Mr. Roosevelt, his wife and mother and his oldest son, James, in a presidential car, went quickly to the White House. The wet streets were filling with people, marching clubs, detachments of regulars and national guard troops. The great function of the inauguration—the vast powers of government falling out of one pair of hands into another without turmoil or resistance was moving into its traditional ritual. At the White House the family got out of the car and entered the mansion for their long tenure. Roosevelt remained in the car and President Hoover got in. The automobile, with its silk- hatted occupants, moved through the gates of the White House and, heavily guarded by Secret Service men and mounted troops, moved on to the Capitol. The streets were blackening, despite the occasional drizzle, with crowds, some huddled against the cables that lined the sidewalks for a front view of the parade later, others hurrying on to the Capitol grounds to see the inaugural ceremony. Half a million were in the streets, a hundred thousand of them crowded around the reviewing stand in front of the Capitol. This was the