Charles Lindbergh’s epic speech against the US entering WW2!

This was an absolutely amazing speech given in Des Moines, Iowa on September 11, 1941, the same day as the ground-breaking ceremony of the CIA.

I would like to highlight 3 specific points he makes in the speech:

• “First, to prepare the United States for foreign war under the guise of American defense.”
• “Second, to involve us in the war, step by step, without our realization.”
• “Third, to create a series of incidents, which would force us into the actual conflict.”

They pushed the propaganda:

• “Our theatres soon became filled with plays portraying the glory of war.”
• “Newsreels lost as semblance of objectivity.”
• “Newspapers and magazines began to lose advertising if they carried anti-war articles.”
• “A smear campaign was instituted against individuals who opposed intervention.”
• “The term traitor, Nazi, anti-Semitic, were thrown ceaselessly at anyone who dared to suggest that it was not to the best interests of the United States to enter war.”
• “Men lost their jobs if they were frankly anti-war.”

Sounds awfully familiar to some other wars I can think of.

He, among many others, were a member of the 800,000 membership large anti-war group called the ‘America First Committee’.

Here is a list of well-known people who were members of the AFC:

Gerald Ford (US President)
Sargent Shriver (Peace Corps director)
Potter Stewart (Supreme Court justice)
Norman Thomas (Socialist Party presidential candidate)
*John Kennedy [sent money and a letter of support] (US President)
Burton K. Wheeler (US Senator)
David I. Walsh (US Senator)
Gerald P. Nye (US Senator)
Charles A. Lindbergh (Celebrity)
Sinclair Lewis (Novelist)
E. E. Cummings (Poet)
Alice Roosevelt Longworth (Daughter of Pres. Theodore Roosevelt)
Walt Disney (Film producer)
Lillian Gish (Actress)
Gore Vidal (Future author)

In order to achieve the defeat of lend-lease and the perpetuation of American neutrality, the AFC advocated four basic principles:
• The United States must build an impregnable defense for America.
• No foreign power, nor group of powers, can successfully attack a prepared America.
• American democracy can be preserved only by keeping out of the European war.
• "Aid short of war" weakens national defense at home and threatens to involve America in war abroad.

Many people attacked Lindbergh for his insensitivity to the Jewish people and his opposition to the US getting involved in the war. He responded:

"It is not difficult to understand why Jewish people desire the overthrow of Nazi Germany. The persecution they suffered in Germany would be sufficient to make bitter enemies of any race. No person with a sense of the dignity of mankind can condone the persecution the Jewish race suffered in Germany. But no person of honesty and vision can look on their pro-war policy here today without seeing the dangers involved in such a policy, both for us and for them.

Instead of agitating for war the Jewish groups in this country should be opposing it in every possible way, for they will be among the first to feel its consequences. Tolerance is a virtue that depends upon peace and strength. History shows that it cannot survive war and devastation. A few farsighted Jewish people realize this and stand opposed to intervention. But the majority still do not. Their greatest danger to this country lies in their large ownership and influence in our motion pictures, our press, our radio, and our government."

On December 11, 1941 the AFC was disbanded.

Wow great speech. I like all of his speeches.

reply to post by Misoir


This is perhaps telling to an insight our history that the text books in this day and age just don't seem to remember anymore.

S and F, Thanks for posting this.