While the War was slowly turning in favor of the Allies, The groundwork for setting up The United Nations had been established. On June 7 of 1943, President Roosevelt addressed the very first United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture and discussed what role the allies would play in the Post-War world and the crucial importance of Food production.

Here is that address, complete as given on June 7, 1943.

Since 1938 was a Mid-Term election year, President Roosevelt embarked on a 28 day tour of the U.S., bringing his message of the accomplishments of his second term and a few words about The New Deal and the Recovery taking place in the country. The NRA had undergone a challenge in the Supreme Court and many of the programs initiated during FDR's first term were in jeopardy. So in an effort to bolster support and to campaign for incumbents, FDR did a series of whistle-stop appearances.

This one, on July 7, 1938 was from an appearance in Covington, Kentucky and was broadcast nationwide to a capacity audience.

Here is the complete address.

Since the economy, the state of the economy, the debate over the economy and all things economic are at the forefront of all discussion these days, maybe it's a good idea to take a look at some of the economic voices of the past for some perspective, or at least looking at different methods used in the past to deal with economic problems.

One such voice was Leon Keyserling, a long time Economic Adviser during the Roosevelt Administration, in fact one of the architects of the National Recovery Act of 1934, and in 1949 serving as an Economic Advisor to the Truman Administration, this time with the Fair Deal. Keyserling was one of those advocates of conservative spending and prudent growth in times of prosperity to safeguard against recession and depression.

The U.S. in 1949 was coming out of World War 2 and was in the midst of aiding in recovery throughout Europe via The Marshall Plan.

At the time of this interview, on Meet The Press from March, 1949 - Keyserling had made recommendations to Congress on Economic needs and priorities.

Leon Keyserling: “In the period after the First World War we did not concern ourselves with maintaining the prosperity of the economy. And so we had a crash. And out of that crash, and out of that experience we took one step further forward; we came to recognize the majority of people, Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, came to recognize that in the event of a large depression we should, and would take effective affirmative broad steps to deal with it. Now the policy that we have been advocating since World War 2 goes one step further, it’s more moderate it’s a preventive policy. It says we should try to take these steps before the depression comes. And the only reason, the only reason why these proposals seem extreme is because some people have not come to accept the idea that you should do anything in times of prosperity to preserve it.”

Needless to say, his recommendations weren't sitting very well with members of the Meet The Press panel. At one point Lawrence Spivak accused Keyserling of wanting to give unlimited powers to the Presidency in the area of controls and price fixing, saying if such a policy was in place were a Huey Long President, the country would head to dictatorial disaster.

Lively discussion all around. And one that gives you some idea the question of our economy is as old as our government itself. Sadly, I have no Meet The Press or its equivalent from the 1860's, but I would imagine the debate would be just about the same.

Some things will never change.

Another name from the faint, distant past. Alf Landon was the Republican candidate for President in 1936 and lost in a landslide to FDR. He supported the New Deal at first, but later condemned FDR for what he considered abandoning original New Deal principles. Landon was something of an anomaly as far as Republicans were concerned. He considered himself Progressive, fighting against the isolationists such as America First in 1939. After the war he was a vigorous backer of the Marshall Plan. Later, when China was taken over by Communists, Landon urged recognition of Red China. He also urged the U.S. to join the Common Market in 1962. All in all, not your typical Republican then, or certainly today.

When the 1944 Presidential election started heating up, Landon was called on to bring some unity to what had been a fractured party. He delivered numerous radio addresses in support of Republican candidates and this one, delivered on July 31, 1943, was in answer to an address made by vice-President Henry Wallace the previous night.

Alf Landon: “The shadow of a notable bitter election that will mean either the eclipse of the Fascist New Dealers or the American Republic is already appearing over the land. The Republican party and real Democrats are the only representatives of the great liberal principles of Jefferson, as they are being given force and vitality under the Republican leadership. And the high ideals of freedom for all peoples will be nothing put promises written on water if the Fascist New Dealers win this battle against the One Mulers.”

I hadn't heard the phrase "One Muler" before and my guess is it was one coined by Landon who referred to the middle class and the small business owner as a "One Muler" - possibly from an offshoot of slave reparations (forty acres and a mule) and certainly not a phrased used since then. I suppose you can draw all sorts of conclusions there.

Politics, it would seem, was so much different then.

(Bernard Baruch - also coined the term "Cold War")

When President Truman appointed Industrialist and financial adviser Bernard Baruch to represent the U.S. at the first United Nations Conference on Atomic Energy in 1946, it raised a few eyebrows.

Baruch had advised Presidents Wilson and Roosevelt (FDR) on the financial well-being of the country, but many felt he had no business advising the world on the state of Nuclear Energy, for either making war or peace. He had been instrumental in implementing many of the wartime austerity measures adopted during the War, and early on was a member of the celebrated "Brain Trust" during the formative days of the New Deal.

But Atomic Energy? Maybe some of it had to do with Baruch having been around the block a few times (he was born in 1870), knew the utter devastation world wars like the First and Second were capable of, and knew this new weapon would pale those wars by comparison. Or he saw Atomic Energy as a potential good thing and, as someone who spent his life making money, knew a good thing when he saw it.

But I tend to doubt the later and would like to believe the former. Baruch was deeply involved in the welfare and common good of the people. He never sought public office but rather stayed on the sidelines and advised from the point of view of experience.

And perhaps it was this experience that led Truman to appoint him to the UNAEC. In any event, he delivered his famous "The Quick and The Dead" address to the first meeting of the Commission on June 14, 1946. He laid out what became known as The Baruch Plan for the elimination of nuclear weapons after implementation of a system of international inspections and controls and punishment for violators. The Soviet Union strenuously objected.

Bernard Baruch: “We are here to make a choice, between the quick and the dead.”

Those ominous opening lines reflected the general fear brought about by this new weapon. The fear would only grow over the coming years.

(Henry Wallace - Jeffersonian ideals in 1939)

Much of what's been heard regarding Henry Wallace in recent years has mostly been centered around his unsuccessful bid for the 1948 Presidential election and his third party controversies.

But before that, when he was Secretary of Agriculture, he was an ardent New Deal supporter and a vigorous advocate for the causes of Agriculture, Labor and the blue-collar worker.

On April 22, 1939 he delivered an address at the annual Jefferson Day Dinner in Washington. His topic was "A Progressive Democracy In A Changing World".

In case you haven't heard him in this context, here he is:

Henry Wallace: “In this job of rebuilding, an essential role must fall to businessmen. This Twentieth century is the Machine Age and the Machine Age is an age of business. American life as we know it centers largely around business. And without the constructive help of businessmen, cooperating with the constructive leadership of Agriculture, the constructive leadership of Labor and the constructive leadership of government, the general welfare cannot be adequately served.”

He is introduced by Postmaster General James Farley.

Just thought you'd like to know.

(Henry Wallace in 1939 - before he was vice-President or Presidential candidate, had the unenviable task of Secretary of Agriculture)

Most everyone interested in Presidential campaigns past is familiar with Henry Wallace, who ran for President on the Progressive ticket in 1948. Prior to that he was a moderately familiar voice as vice-President to FDR in 1940. But in 1939 he was still Secretary of Agriculture, a post appointed by FDR in 1933. It was not a particularly popular place to be, with price controls on cotton and pork and forcing farmers to slaughter pigs and plow under cotton in order to keep prices up. Nonetheless, Wallace did the best with what was handed him and he implemented a number of New Deal programs during his tenure, including the AAA Farm Program and farm subsidies and emerged as one of the best Agriculture Secretaries the country ever had. Here is one of his rare appearances, addressing a Jefferson Day dinner on April 22, 1939.

Henry Wallace: “Problems of Agriculture are not insoluble as long as the machinery is available to farmers to enable them to cope with their problems. Advance indications are that participation in the AAA Farm Program this year will be the greatest it has ever been. Nearly six million farm families, eighty-five percent of all the farm families in the United States will cooperate in 1939 in this program of balanced farming and soil conservation. In the corn and wheat region, the striking increase in interest is evidenced by the fact from fifteen to twenty percent more farmers are taking part this year than last.”

Less than ten years later he would break with the Democratic Party of Harry Truman and forge his own bid for the Presidency. But that's another story.

(Wendell Willkie - not what the country, or many Republicans had in mind at the time)

Another voice most people (at least of a certain age) have never heard. Wendell Willkie was the ill-fated dark horse Republican candidate for President during the 1940 elections. Willkie was a former Democrat and Wall Street lawyer who broke with FDR over the New Deal and switched parties. His winning of the nomination came as a surprise to the Republican base, who were betting on either Thomas E. Dewey or Robert A. Taft to clinch the nomination. But the idea of "changing horses in mid-stream" (a popular campaign phrase) and the War in Europe added to a feeling of anxiety at the thought of a change of parties in the White House. Even so, the margin of victory for FDR was narrower than the previous election. After his defeat, Willkie wound up being recruited by FDR and was a staunch supporter of Lend-Lease program and aid to the Allies prior to our involvement in the War as well an early supporter of Civil Rights before his death in 1944.

Here is Willkie's acceptance speech at the Republican Convention on June 28, 1940.

Wendell Willkie: “I stand before you without a single pledge or promise or understanding of any kind except for the advancement of your cause and the preservation of American democracy”.

Not exactly the most calming of words in retrospect. France had fallen to the Germans a few days earlier. The Blitz was in full force over England and there was a very real threat of impending invasion. For isolationists, it was probably good news, but the majority of Americans had big doubts.

(FDR - taking the right-wing brickbats in stride)

From April 28, 1935, his seventh Fireside Chat since taking office in 1933. FDR took the opportunity to lay out his plans for Social Security and Unemployment Insurance. The Social Security plan hadn't been voted on yet and was about to be introduced, along with a flood of relief and New Deal legislation. In 1935 these were new ideas that hadn't flown before.

FDR: “The program for Social Security that is pending before Congress is a necessary part of the future unemployment policy of the government. While our present and projected expenditures for work relief are fully within the reasonable limits of our national credit resources, it is obvious that we cannot continue to create governmental deficits for that purpose, year after year after year. We must begin now to make provision for the future. And that is why our Social Security Program is an important part of the complete picture. It proposes by means of old age pensions to help those who have reached the age of retirement to give up their jobs, and thus give to the younger generation greater opportunities for work. And to give to all, old and young alike, a feeling of security as they look towards old age. The Unemployment Insurance part of the legislation will not only help to guard the individual in future periods of layoff, against dependence upon relief, but it will by sustaining the purchasing power of the nation, cushion the shock of economic distress.”

Then, as now, any sort of social legislation that involving the common good was viewed with skepticism by the right-wing. This one was no different. Charges of Socialism popped up in the media, not to mention to aborted takeover attempt of the government by business and Wall Street interests in 1934.

FDR had his hands full. But he was able to weather the storm and the pundits and create many Programs that are in place today (although, it should be pointed out that a number of programs, including Social Security have withstood attempts at gutting during the Reagan years). Not listening or caving in to special interests or the hysterics proved to be the wise choice in the long run. The interests of the American people were what concerned him.

Something we could use a bit more of, especially today with the Health Care battle raging.

(FDR - answering the well-upholstered whiners)
Note: A repost from 2009 but . . .timely as ever!

During the last few days of the 1936 Presidential campaign, FDR spoke at a rally in Worcester Massachusetts on October 21, 1936, answering Republican charges he mishandled the recovery that pulled the country out of depression. It was a familiar complaint:

FDR:

“Three and a half years ago we declared war on the Depression. And you and I know today that war is being won. But now comes that familiar figure, the well-upholstered hindsight critic. He tells us that out strategy was wrong, that the cost was too great, that something else won the war. That is an argument as old as the remorse of those who had their chance and muffed it.”

You'd think, 73 years later there would be a different story. But no.

I guess the upholstery just doesn't change.