Preface to War: Hitler Bombs Poland (Singles Classic)

Preface to War: Hitler Bombs Poland (Singles Classic)

The telephone in Franklin Rooseveltâ€™s bedroom at the White House rang at 2:50 a. m. on the first day of September. In more ways than one it was a ghastly hour, but the operators knew they must ring. Ambassador Bill Bullitt was calling from Paris. He had just been called by Ambassador Tony Biddle in Warsaw. Mr. Bullitt told Mr. Roosevelt that World War II had begun. Adolf Hitlerâ€™s bombing planes were dropping death all over Poland.

That day Franklin Rooseveltâ€™s press conference was a grave business. One question was uppermost in all minds. Correspondent Phelps Adams of the New York Sun uttered it: â€œMr. President . . . can we stay out of it?â€ Franklin Roosevelt sat in silent concentration, eyes down, for many long seconds. Then, with utmost solemnity, he replied: â€œI not only sincerely hope so, but I believe we can, and every effort will be made by this Administration to do so.â€

No person in the room doubted Franklin Rooseveltâ€™s sincerity, but neither was anyone in the slightest doubt as to where lay the sympathy, the potent human partisanship, of this President of the United States. He was against Germany, against the aggressor, against totalitarianism, against Adolf Hitler the dictator and Adolf Hitler the man perhaps mad. His every word henceforth would be weighed in the light of his own injunction, which he now laid upon the Press, to stick rigidly to the facts because â€œthatâ€™s best for our own nationâ€”and for civilization.â€ His deeds and those of his subordinates would now be examined for lack of bias as the nation watched his â€œevery effortâ€ to keep the U. S. out of war.

This story is part of the TIME Classic Coverage Collection from Time Inc. This is a reproduction of a story that appeared in the September 11, 1939 issue of TIME magazine.

Time Inc. is one of the worldâ€™s most influential media companies â€“ home to 90 iconic brands like People, Sports Illustrated, Time, InStyle, Real Simple, Food & Wine, and Fortune. The Spotlight Stories in this collection aim to provide you with a quick read on a single subject, highlighting our readersâ€™ most popular stories and featuring great reporting from our Time Inc. journalists.
Country USA
Manufacturer Time Inc.
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2016-06-23
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Time Inc.
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2016-06-23
Format	Kindle eBook

Preface to War: Hitler Bombs Poland (Singles Classic)

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