Franklin and Winston

Reading Doris Kearns Goodwin’s magisterial (no other word could do it justice) No Ordinary Time, I am struck by the similarities and differences between Franklin and Winston during the war.

It is due to Roosevelt’s innate affability that the bond between them became close. Although I’m only in 1942 his character is becoming clear. The similarities are obvious: an ability to speak directly to their nations, politicians and armed forces and inspire them. Both took a great deal of time and trouble crafting their speeches. They occupied lonely positions and both surrounded themselves with a trusted inner circle. Churchill’s often had too many sycophants (Beaverbrook and Bracken perhaps) and too few Alanbrookes; Roosevelt liked company but seems to have kept his own counsel.

A technique adopted by Roosevelt was to welcome a visitor with an issue to raise, warmly; then to reminisce until suddenly the supplicant realises that the precious allotted time is running out. Here is an example.

”The Riegner report so terrified Jewish leader Rabbi Stephen S Wise that he asked for a meeting with the president. The meeting, which included Adolph Held of the Jewish Labor Committee and Maurice Wertheimer of the American Jewish Congress, took place at noon on December 8 (1942). According to Held’s notes, the president received the group hospitably and immediately launched into a story of his own about his plans for postwar Germany. When the president had finished, Wise read out a two-page statement put together by a group of Jewish leaders which stressed that ‘unless action is taken immediately the Jews of Hitler’s Europe are doomed’. The group asked the president to issue a warning against war crimes. He readily agreed, and asked the Jewish leaders to draft a statement for him. The meeting drew to a close. Roosevelt had talked 80 percent of the time. ‘We shall do all in our power to be of service to your people in this tragic moment,’ he said as he bid the group goodbye.”
(No Ordinary Time, Doris Kearns Goodwin)

Greatly to the president’s credit that he made himself available for such a meeting when he must have known that he did not have anything in his power to be of service. I doubt Churchill was so accessible.

Roosevelt let his Generals run the war – Churchill most certainly did not – both, of course, had to contend with their politicians. At their wartime meetings Churchill was often sulky and petulant if Roosevelt was in the limelight. Roosevelt would make an excellent president today, with Eleanor at his side. I’m not so sure about Churchill as a 21st century prime minister.